• Game: Evo
• Publisher: Asmodee
• Designer: Philippe Keyaerts
• Genre: Evolution
• Players: 2-5
• Playtime: 60-90 minutes



• What's Hot: Great-looking reprint of a fine game; simple, streamlined rules with no bloat; fun, competitive gameplay with dinosaurs



• What's Not: Really needs some toxic, plastic made-in-China dinosaurs; not enough of a change from the old edition to entice legacy owners

by: Michael Barnes

Belgian designer Phillipe Keyaerts’ Evo was originally published by a now defunct company called Eurogames Descartes, who did some very interesting and not really very Eurogamey titles including a terrific French edition of Dune and the only version of Frances Tresham’s Civilization that was in print during the 1990s. Now, French publishers Asmodee are releasing a new line of Eurogames Descartes reprints and Evo is marked number one on the box. And it’s a great choice, because it’s smart, simple game that’s approachable and fun to play. Also, dinosaurs!

In the original version, the idea was that you controlled a species of dinosaur and attempted to acquire (at a really very unthematic auction) genes to mutate them to make them better able to survive climate change and the hostility of other dinosaurs. The more of your dinosaurs that survive each turn, the more points you earn and it all ends when the meteor hits. The new edition tweaks the subject matter so that now players represent some kind of fantastical genetic alchemists from tribes of dinosaur-riding people tinkering with dino DNA to better their steeds.

Some have balked at the change, but I think it was a good decision that leads to a complete visual makeover. The cartoony, very French artwork of the original game has been completely redone in an almost Heavy Metal art style reminiscent of a cross between Boris Vallejo and Jean-Girard Moebius. The illustrations are awesome, some of the best I’ve seen in a game for some time. It still looks very French, which is very cool.

The production is also very nice with a big, fancy cardboard wheel to gauge the current climate. It’s over the top and fun. The rulebook is styled like a leather alchemist’s journal with some very, very slick graphic design work. Unfortunately, the dinosaurs are these little dino-meeple things. This is a game that desperately needs plastic dinosaurs and in five different styles to reflect the different species. Asmodee’s Web site says that they didn’t do plastic because it contributes to pollution. They’ve got a point there.

But overall, it’s a visual improvement and the game remains a very good middle-weight title that doesn’t feel at all dated or past its sell-by date. Rules changes from the previous edition are minor, with the big one being the elimination of a gene that decided initiative but I doubt anyone will miss it. Every turn, the climate changes based on a chit pull and that big fancy dial gets adjusted. One terrain type will be too hot, one too cold, and one just right. And there’s also a deadly one in which no dinosaur can survive regardless of genetic modifications.

A couple of genes are pulled from a bag and put up for auction using points as currency. Each dinosaur has a couple of slots to hold genes, and the genes modify how your dinosaurs survive, move, have babies, or fight. A number of unique, special genes are also available that provide more distinction between species and their special abilities. There are also some particularly nasty action cards available at auction as well for the person that couldn’t pick up a gene. You can only buy one a turn, so choosing wisely from what’s available and considering where your dinos are on the map and what the weather looks like is important.