OUR REVIEW

S-Evolution

Trick-taking for Civilization Management

S-Evolution combines the mechanisms of a card game - tricks, colors and trump - with resources management and a topic of developing a civilization.

You have your own board for your people, a deck of cards, 7 meeples and 5 markers. In six rounds you use four cards each from a deck of 24 cards plus - maybe - one card for the respective era. Each round comprises a card phase of 4 to 5 tricks and a management phase in which you evaluate cards, collect resources, build, cope with disasters and collect discoveries.

In the trick-taking phase you play a card, depending on the era which you are currently in there are other rules in place - in Era I, for instance (Primitive) you play your cards without knowing them. In Eras II und IV card colors come into play and in Eras V and VI you can use trump. After each trick each player chooses a card from the trick, according to varying conditions for discoveries and resources.

In the Action/Management phase you evaluate and score cards taken, meet the needs of your population, resulting in bonuses or penalties - penalties can throw you back one Era. If you meet demands fully and completely you earn victory points according to population numbers. Remaining resources can then be used for population growth or to move to the next Era or for building and advantages. After six rounds you score sets of discoveries and win with the highest total.

S-Evolutions offers a compact game with surprisingly short duration and interesting mechanism details, for instance falling back on Era and selection of cards from the trick, some features are not yet fully developed, e.g. the blind playing in Era I.

Players: 2-4

Age: 10+

Time: 45+

Designer: Jean-Michel Maman

Artist: Vivien Gros

Price: ca. 22 Euro

Publisher: Spiel-ou-Face 2013

Web: www.spiel-ou-face.com

Genre: Civilization, trick-taking

Users: With friends

Version: multi

Rules: de en fr

In-game text: no

Comments:

Short duration

Unusual, interesting combination of mechanisms

Blind playing in Era I can cause problems

Compares to:

All games on civilization development, unique combination of mechanisms

Other editions:

Currently none

Chance (pink): 2

Tactic (turquoise): 3

Strategy (blue): 0

Creativity (dark blue): 0

Knowledge (yellow): 0

Memory (orange): 0

Communication (red): 0

Interaction (brown): 2

Dexterity (green): 0

Action (dark green): 0