It’s time to take a step into the past, the 19th century specifically to look at the beginnings of modern genetics thanks to the work of Gregor Mendel. Yes this is still a board game channel, and yes we are still talking board games-but let’s do it with science and history in mind as we dive into what it looks like to be right there with Mendel and his experiments!
Genotype: A Mendelian Genetics Game is published by Genius Games. It is designed by John J. Coveyou, Paul Salomon and Ian Zang. Art by Tomasz Bogusz and Amelia Sales. It plays 2-5 players in approximately one hour.
Overview:
In Genotype players are cultivating their pea plant garden to validate the traits on their plants by taking dice that match the traits. Validate a trait, cover it with a trait marker to mark your progression and try to finish a plant completely to earn points. The player with the most points wins!
Gameplay:
In Genotype players will play 5 rounds with three phrases through each. The phases of gameplay:
Phase 1: The Working Phase where players will use their action markers to select actions for their garden.
Phase 2: The Plant Breeding Phase where players find and validate the traits on their plants. The value of dice used and picked are interpreted using Punnett squares.
Phase 3: The Research Upgrade Phase where you can spend coins on upgrades to make your future turns improved.
In the Working Phase players will chose different actions such as Gardening to draw new tools or pea plants or harvest pea plants. Players can also gain coins, change the Punnett squares, draw pea and tool cards.
In the Plant Breeding Phase players roll the dice, placing them in the dominant or recessive locations that match the Punnett square results. Taking turns they will pick the dice if they were 1st or 2nd shift. Dice are placed under the Pea plant and a trait marker is placed for the trait it matched on the card.
Finally in the Research Upgrade Phase players use coins to purchase one or more permanent upgrades. These include new plots, dice slots, action markers or hiring an assistant.
At the end of the game players will score points based on completed plants, research goals and unspent coins. The player with the most points wins!
Impressions:
In Genotype, players are tasked with becoming the best geneticists of their day. One of the reasons I love this game so much is that it does exactly what it sets out to do. It is a board game that gives you a lesson in the history of genetics while still providing a fun and enjoyable experience on the table. The game is not that difficult or designed in a way that feels too difficult to understand. Instead the science is accurate, along with the characters and the tools being used all designed in a way that is exactly as they are in real life genetics. One of the things that really interests me in my life outside of board gaming is all things science, so this game really hit a sweet spot for me.
One of the challenges to a game like this is finding ways to not make it feel overwhelming for someone who maybe isn’t interested in the science. This is where Genius Games succeeds. it felt like a midweight hobby game in way that a good game should feel while still honoring the truth behind the story. I have a lot of friends who are not in any science fields or really interested in those things science who found this game to be very enjoyable and especially loved the action selection and worker placement in this game. So you get all of best features of a good hobby game without feeling like it’s too difficult or too easy and simple.
I love a game with historical accuracy, and this one succeeds in ways that I mention at the beginning of this article. It gives you a behind-the-scenes look at some of the specific things that go into genetics and lets you live the part with your friends at the table. Overall this is a cannot miss for so many reasons and at the top is the fact that it is a well-designed board game ready to teach you something at the same time! So the next time you are looking for a great game to add to the family collection, look no further than Genotype!
Be the first to comment