You can also gain additional tree cards which can be used to grow an existing tree or be used to start a new one. There is competition for these cards as the person who has the tallest completed tree at the end of the round gains additional bonus points. This also adds a timing element to the game as well. You may decide to place a canopy on a tree to complete it, but you need to make sure that you are still the tallest tree at the end of the round. The timing and when to draft a canopy (assuming they are available) to cap off your tree is another element of the game, which is not apparent at first glance, that I really enjoy. In addition to the plant and animal cards, there are a number of supplemental cards that add a ton of personality to the game. One example is with the weather cards. Finding a balance of sun and rain will earn you additional points each season. There is also a tree-building mini-game taking place each season. Players will race to build the tallest, most fruitful trees topping them each off with a canopy. Players earn points each round and at the end of the game for the tallest and largest tree forest. There are also paper bags to store tokens, although I found that a plastic bag, that I had lying around, works better after all. But still, 10 points for the effort. Negative cards remove other cards from your forest: disease kills animals, for example. But they’re not always bad news. If you can get enough disease cards, it spreads, sparing some of your animals and infecting other players. Fire destroys plant cards but that can help you get rid of bad cards like that third Bromelia, and it also encourages seeds to grow. Gameplay - is it any good?

Despite the shortcomings I’ve mentioned, Canopy is not a bad game. I had a lot of fun playing, particularly against my daughter. She loved the rainforest theme and we both loved that she could play with no problems. In the game, players take turns selecting new cards for their forest from three growth piles. Each time you look at a pile, you may select it and add those cards to your rainforest tableau, or return the pile face down, adding one additional card to it. As the piles grow, you must search for the plants and animals that will benefit your forest the most � but choose carefully as the jungle also contains dangers in the form or fire, disease, and drought. As mentioned, the theme is a huge selling point of Canopy. But more than that, it’s also educational (plants and animals come with scientific names and flavor-text facts) and environmentally inspiring. As well as designing Canopy and The Grimm Forest, Eisner has also co-created the party spin-off game The Grimm Masquerade and Wonderland’s War - a dark take on the world of Alice in Wonderland.And that sums up Canopy fairly accurately, I’d conclude. It’s good as an entry-level 2-player card-drafting board game. Despite it’s simple mechanics, Canopy sails with its theme and rich production. You’re immediately drawn into your own, private rainforest. Not only are you drawn in, but you instantly own it.

I know that rainforest-cutting is a global issue, and if Canopy spreads this awareness among people, it’s a step in the right direction. This is how your forest might look like. Canopy does require a fair amount of table space. Point (Bromelia) Salad

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When you don’t feel like setting up 7 Wonders: Duel or you play against someone with less gaming experience, Canopy is a great choice. Easy to play, excellent for new gamers or kids But beware of threats such as drought, fire, and disease, as they can destroy your efforts in a heartbeat! Rainforests are places of immense beauty and a stunning variety of life and in Canopy players get to develop their very own versions by drafting and playing various cards. A game for two players, Canopy tasks players with growing an amazing ecosystem of plants and animals - all whilst ensuring that a delicate balance is maintained between all the life occupying their rainforest. Canopy is being published by Weird City Games, the company responsible for titles such as insect simulator March of the Ants and the social deduction party game Little Pig, which were both created in part by Eisner.

The same goes for the Shifting Seasons Variant, which is basically just a mini-rule that is active just for one season. These also suffer from being very situational and often the conditions for them are not even met the whole season. And against an experienced player, some finer nuances show up. You’ve got to remember which cards are in the piles, so you don’t give a useful card to your opponent and there are take-that cards you have to be wary of. It’s not chess, but it’s enough to keep you occupied. Educational and Inspiring Vincent is known for Jaipur, Robinson Crusoe, Lewis & Clark, and Treasure Island, among others. And in Canopy, he made sure the forest comes alive in front of you. I won’t waddle too long about – just look at the pictures.It’s nice I can play Canopy against my 5yo – she can play adequately. But that’s also a negative for the game – too often the optimal play is just taking the largest pile. More cards usually equal more points. Canopy is a game in which two players compete to grow the most bountiful rainforest. The jungle ecosystem is full of symbiosis and mutualism, and players must grow tall trees and lush jungle plants to attract the most diverse wildlife. By carefully selecting what grows in your forest, you can create the ideal balance of flora and fauna and develop a thriving rainforest. The only “out of ordinary” in the base game are the special abilities that some animals have (peek at a pile, add 1 card to each pile, discard a card, and so on), which is a nice change of pace, although some abilities are more useful than others.