We’ve enjoyed board games since childhood. Recently we’ve started to use them in the classroom. In Spring of 2019, we embarked on an upper-level course titled Endless Forms and Imperfect Simulations: a gamified introduction to historical and contemporary biogeography. Our course examined the mechanisms that drive the evolution and maintenance of biodiversity through geological time. The course explored novel active learning techniques to teach difficult concepts. The class format included discussion of primary scientific literature coupled with hands-on exercises (in the form of computer simulations or analog simulations using strategic board games) and course projects (i.e. modifying a board game to increase biological realism).
In preparation for the course, our research group played many of the currently available evolution-themed strategy board games. Below we provide detailed reviews of the games and their potential educational value.
Reviews
- A.D.A.P.T. by Gate Keeper Games .1.6/5.
- Bios: Genesis (2nd ed.) by ION:SMG .4.0/5.
- Bios: Megafauna (2nd ed.) by ION:SMG .4.1/5.
- Bios: Mesofauna by ION:SMG .– coming.
- Bios: Origins (2nd ed.) by ION:SMG .3.8/5.
- Biosphere by DDD Verlag GmbH .3.8/5. *DARWIN’S PICK
- CO2: Second Chance by Giochix .3.3/5.
- Cytosis: A Cell Biology Game by Genius Games .4.0/5. *SCLEIDENN’S PICK
- Darwin’s Choice by Treeceratops .3.7/5.
- Darwin’s Journey by Thundergryph Games .-coming.
- Dominant Species by GMT Games .2.8/5.
- Dominant Species: Marine by GMT Games .–coming.
- Endangered by Grand Gamers Guild .– coming. *CARSON’S PICK
- Evolution: The Beginning by North Star Games .3.9/5. *DARWIN’S PICK
- Evolution: Climate by North Star Games .4.2/5. *DARWIN’S PICK
- Evo (2nd ed.) by Asmodee Games .3.7/5.
- Genotype: A Mendelian Genetics Game by Genius Games .– coming. *MENDEL’S PICK
- Greenland (3rd ed.) by ION:SMG .3.5/5.
- Humboldt’s Great Voyage by R&R Games .2.1/5.
- Inhabit the Earth by Huch & Friends .2.3/5.
- Neanderthal (2nd ed.) by ION:SMG .3.9/5.
- Oceans by North Star Games .3.9/5.
- On the Origin of Species by Mont Taber .3.3 /5.
- Pangea by Red Imp Games .3.6 /5.
- Pathogenesis by WIBAI Games .3.9/5. *POUCHET’S PICK
- Wingspan by Stonemaier Games .NR.
written reviews are currently hosted on the Brown Lab webpage (www.jasonleebrown.org)
Overwhelmed by all the games or cannot make a decision where to start? Check out this table where we have categorized the games by their relevant content and taxa included.
Our Top Choices
We’ve used Evolution: The Beginning, Evolution: Climate, Biosphere, Bios: Megafauna (2nd ed.), Bios: Genesis (2nd ed.) in our courses. The games were chosen due to their strong link of gameplay to key biological concepts. As we progressed through the four games, as ordered above, they increased in complexity and spatio-temporal scope, moving from population-level processes over short periods of time to global processes over half a billion years.
The games required me to evaluate evolution rather than simply read and memorize
Katie Eckhoff
By playing these games, I gained an appreciation for the many synergistic factors involved in evolutionary processes… I also was surprised by how cataclysmic events have repeatedly shaped our biodiversity!
Jeremy A. Hartsock
Definitely reinforced my knowledge of evolution, as I frequently found myself comparing the natural world to these games
Andrew O. Rubio
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