North Star Games

I got to sit down with Scott Rencher from North Star Games during GenCon and discuss their upcoming game, Nature.

Introduction

From July 31st to August 3rd gamers of all kinds ventured to Indianapolis to take part in GenCon. I was one of them. Amongst the many things I got to do was sit down and talk with a couple of folks around the con. This article will cover my conversation with Scott Rencher of North Star Games. We spent some time talking about their upcoming game, Nature.

Development

Nature is an upcoming release from North Star Games. It’s releasing as both a physical and digital game. Both versions were developed in tandem. This allowed for the digital game to be added into the play test phase.

They would run the digital game against itself hundreds of times. Then they’d look at the results to see if any card combinations were coming up more and more frequently. Then they’d test those combinations with human players to see if the cards needed tweaking.

This system allowed both versions to come along and is why they’ll be releasing near each other.

Evolution

Nature is based on Evolution. It uses several of the original mechanics and rules but streamlined to make it more new player friendly. It also makes some aspects less punishing. The biggest part of this is how the game is packaged. Evolution was all encompassing where Nature is a base game that can have modules added on top of it.

Speed

The game is also a little faster. Part of this was done by having a variant of Evolution become the default method of play. In Evolution each person plays their cards in turn. There was a variant for six players where everyone played simultaneously. Nature has simultaneous play as the default. Additionally, Evolution ended when you dealt your way through the entire deck. Nature ends after five rounds.

Modules

At launch Nature will have two modules available. These add new traits, rules, and abilities to each game. The creators recommend never using more than two modules in your game, but acknowledge that people are people and will try it anyway.

At launch Jurassic and Flight will be available. With Rain Forest, Arctic Tundra, and Natural Disasters coming out some time after. Jurassic adds in increased size options, as well as an Apex Predator ability, and a dice mechanic. Flight adds migration, flocks, and camouflage. While I’m not as familiar with the others, I know that Tundra will introduce scarcity and Rain Forest will introduce abundance.

Play

As part of the interview I played a demo of the base game and downloaded the digital demo from Steam. The game plays pretty fast and easy. Death of one of your species doesn’t feel like your game is over; you still have a decent chance. The digital version works well and is easy to follow.

I’ve not played with any modules so can’t speak to those. I’ve not played the game enough to offer a full review, so don’t expect that here today.

Conclusions

It’s been a while since I’ve played evolution. I enjoyed my time with it but it has fallen off my available games. I like Nature, I think the base game was a nice welcoming game for new players. I’m looking forward to trying it with modules and giving it a go.

North Star Games development of the game and future support looks to be well thought out. I’m excited to see what modules they have coming, both announced and not. Additionally, I appreciate how inexpensive the game is. The base game is $35 with the modules being $20 and $25. I think this is going to be a great fit for some people.

I also think it’s going to be educational. I wouldn’t be surprised to find this in classrooms. The way it covers evolution, the natural world, and how nature reacts to a species going extinct will really be helpful to younger players.

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Until next time, stay safe and be well.