Genius Games is currently rocking out on Kickstarter with their latest science inspired board game. In Genotype: A Mendelian Genetics Game, players represent assistants aiding the abbot Gregor Mendel in his late 19th Century experiments into genetics at St. Thomas’ Abbey in Brno. These assistants score points for growing a variety of pea plants with desirable traits. The game is for one to five players, ages 14+, and plays in 45 to 90 minutes. As of this writing, project is nearing the 600% funding level and you can reserve a copy of the base game and unlocked stretch goals for a $39.00 pledge. There’s also a collector’s edition with upgraded components available for a $55.00 pledge. the project runs through February 27th and expected delivery is this October.
From Genius Games:
Gregor Mendel is the 19th Century Augustinian Friar credited with the discovery of modern genetics. In Genotype, you play as his assistants, competing to collect experimental data on pea plants by trying to control how the plants inherit key Traits from their parents: seed shape, flower color, stem color, and plant height. The observable Traits of a Pea Plant (its Phenotype) are determined by its genetic makeup (its Genotype). The relationship between Genotype and Phenotype and the nature of genetic inheritance are at the heart of Genotype: A Mendelian Genetics Game.
During the game, players get Pea Plant Cards which show a set of Phenotype Traits they hope to produce and collect (such as pink flowers and tall height) in order to score points. Each round, Dice are rolled to represent Plant breeding, which may result in the Traits players are looking for. After the Dice Roll, players take turns drafting Dice towards completing their Pea Plant Cards or advancing their Research. The Traits produced during the Dice Roll come through the science of Punnett Squares, which show how the parent genes combine, one from each parent plant. By changing the genes of these parent plants, players can influence the likelihood of rolling the Traits they need. The completion of Pea Plant Cards via the Dice Draft is the main way players score points.
Players work to match their Pea Plant Cards to the outcome of the Dice Draft and complete the cards for points. If they’ve placed a Phenotype marker, they will earn bonus points for every completed card that matches their claim. At the end of 5 rounds, the player with the most points wins.
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