Harvest – The Board Game

Who can play?

Ages 8+

Any number of players that can fit around a table and access the board can play

 

The game is a dice-based game of strategy and luck, with a role-playing element.

These roles are the following stakeholders (working list – I welcome any suggestions):

1. Activist
2. Scientist
3. Local community leader
4. Local traditional healer
5. Small-scale fisherman/farmer
6. Bio organism
7. Native flora and fauna
8. Pharmaceutical company
9. Biotech company
10. Finance corporation
11. Government
12. NGO
13. University

 

The object of the game is to be the first to accumulate 1,000 bio organism points via plays/actions based on a variety of cards, markings on the game board (which allow you to acquire tools, goods, power, and activate cards), coalition building, and various other strategies.

 

Goals and actions are based on the players’ roles. Players may collaborate with each other to achieve their goals but are still in competition with one another.

 

1. An activist might find ways to stop over fishing or create new systems, their goal might be to dismantle corporations or to convince biotech companies to adopt sustainable practices. They might form a coalition with local populations or universities.
2. Bio organisms may rise up against harvesting entities and build infrastructure to prevent harvesting or attack bioprospectors
3. A finance corporation might fund a biotech company, the biotech company could combine forces with scientists or a pharmaceutical company, etc.

 

 

Game Board squares activate the play.

1. Draw from a specific set of cards
2. Ability to purchase tools/services (these are limited)
3. Ability to use one of your action cards
4. Multiply any card by a factor based on the roll of one die
5. Bankruptcy

 

Cards:

1. Bio Organism Cards have numerical bio organism points from 10-100 and directly increase holdings.

 

2. Finance Cards have
   1. Numerical points ranging from 10-100 which can buy the corresponding number of bio organisms
   2. Taxes which deduct from financial holdings
   3. Donations which can be given (corporations) or received (NGOs, Universities, Activists, Scientists)
   4. Bankruptcy
   5. Barter
   6. etc

 

3. Action Cards list various actions such as
   1. You are being sued/can sue
   2. Block action of another player
   3. Form a Coalition with player of choice
   4. Break up a coalition
   5. Convince another player towards an action
   6. Block another player’s action
   7. Build infrastructure
   8. Attack/swarm/destroy
   9. Create your own action
   10.  

 

4. Demand Cards allow a player to demand something from another player, sometimes determined by the card, sometimes open to choice

 

5. External Forces Cards
   1. Major weather
   2. Over-harvesting
   3. Political unrest/War
   4. Invasive species
   5. Pollution

 

6. Solution Cards allow a player to create a solution via diplomacy or action to
   1. A drawn action card
   2. External Force
   3.  

 

Rules of Play:

1. Roll dice to see who goes first
2. In sequence, players draw from the “identity” cards to determine their role/identity
3. This identity will set the motivations of the players
4. Players move around the board and accumulate tools, wealth, bio organisms and try and block the players with conflicting goals.