Symbiosis is a well-known concept. Defined as the mutually beneficial relationship between two different organisms or groups. We see plenty of examples in nature, such as those fish that eat scraps from large predators’ mouths; the fish eat, and the predator gets dental care. Or the plant pheromone that attracts butterflies but repels birds; the plant spreads its genes, and the butterfly gets a safe place to hatch their caterpillars. So how does a concept so entrenched in helping each other out become a competitive game? Well, that was interesting to me too. So I pulled out the deck of cards and set out to see if I could assist and beat players at the same time.
Gameplay Overview:
Each player is dealt a ‘pond’ of eight face-down cards. A ‘river’ of four cards in the center of the play area serves as a source for exchanging cards. Each round, a card from the player’s pond is exchanged with one from the river. The new card enters the pond face up. Face-up cards can be exchanged, but you will need to reveal a random card in your pond after the exchange. Every round will end with a new card face up.
The cards each have scoring conditions. Some score how many cards of a given background color are in the complete pond; others score the number of a specified creature. Some are even just points. You continue exchanging cards until all are face up. Goes without saying that you are exchanging cards, trying to maximize your end game points.
After all eight pond cards are face up, you score your pond. BUT remember this game is designed around the idea of giving something positive and getting something positive in return. So you don’t just score from what is present in your pond. Only the center two columns are scored based on your pond. The column to the left? That’s scored based on the pond of the player to your left. Same with the column on the right. Those points come from your right-hand player. The two-player game extends the central river to eight cards, and this is the third player for scoring purposes. Nice, easy adjustment to the rules.
At the end, the highest score wins… with a little help from their friends.
Game Experience:
Symbiosis plays fast. Deceptively fast. At the end of the first play, I had a distinct ‘that’s all?’ feeling. Then we double-checked the scoring rules, and I realized I hadn’t really appreciated what scoring off my fellow players would mean. Ah, okay, got it now. There’s more here than meets the eye.
So we played another round. This time, I paid more attention to what I could do based on what I knew about the ponds around me. Our original play had seen my husband inadvertently hand me a lot of points. He got wise the second time around. So did I. That second game, we were actively trying to prevent each other from scoring on our ponds while still getting as many points as possible. It’s an intriguing balance.
In the third game, I was trying to delay how long I would reveal the cards that scored off other ponds. Had this idea that it would prevent my competition from actively thwarting me. It was a hit-or-miss kind of result.
We easily did four games; as I said, it’s a fast-playing game. After the fourth, though, it started to lose its energy. It’s not a complicated game, and it will start to feel repetitive when playing in quick succession. For all that, though, it was an enjoyable play. The artwork is lovely, and the rules are easy. It’s a good palate-refreshing game between heavier games.
Final Thoughts:
Symbiosis lives up to its theme of interconnectivity with its unusual scoring criteria. Making it interesting to play. It’s not a brain-burner game. It’s a light game, great for getting the brain cells fired up for something harder, or easing them down after a long day of gaming. It’s going to feel familiar fast, which, depending on your gaming style, might be perfect for you.
Final Score: 3 Stars – It’s an easy learn and fun filler, might not be my first grab, but would play again. You can try to keep your neighbors from scoring, but nature will always find a way to overcome obstacles.
Hits:
• Quick to learn
• Art style agrees with the theme
• Like the easy adaptation to low player count
Misses:
• Starts to feel repetitive quickly
• Could be too easy for some gamers
