CO2 Board Game First Impressions
Reduce CO2 and save the world by building cleaner energy supplies.
It takes place over 40 years, and it feels like it!
In the 1970s, the governments of the world faced unprecedented demand for energy, and polluting power plants were built everywhere in order to meet that demand. Year after year, the pollution they generate increases, and nobody has done anything to reduce it. Now, the impact of this pollution has become too great, and humanity is starting to realize that we must meet our energy demands through clean sources of energy. Companies with expertise in clean, sustainable energy are called in to propose projects that will provide the required energy without polluting the environment. Regional governments are eager to fund these projects, and to invest in their implementation.
If the pollution isn’t stopped, it’s game over for all of us.
You play as an energy company building green power plants around the world to try and reduce pollution. Each continent has its own demand for these 5 sustainable energy types so these need to be met while making money of course.
You’re trying to build green energy in the continents together each decade or a fossil fuel plant will be built to meet the energy demand. So while it isn’t a co-op game, you need to make sure the CO2 level stays down or all players lose. This and the big chunky bits reminded me a bit of Tomorrow.
There’s a lot to this game but I’ll just mention the main bit.
Power Plants
To build a power plant, you need to take one action to propose a project and put a tile of the type of power on that continent. You get some resources for doing this.
Then on another action, you flip it over to install the project, you get resources for this too.
Then you can build it on another action by paying resources and adding a power plant tile of that type to the continent and scoring points.
Projects
The good (and bad) is that you can propose the project only for other players to install and build it. You get a bit of compensation but it can mess up your plan… I’m undecided about this. I guess it adds interactivity but it left me mostly frustrated.
When you build a clean energy plant you eventually start replacing the fossil fuels, reducing the CO2 level.
CO2 Summary
There are LOADs more bits to this but that building part is the main bit. The other more interesting parts involve sending Scientists to summits. You can also play cards from your hand when taking certain actions to gain resources. (Leading to other players ruining your plans as I mentioned earlier)
I would play it again now I know what I’m doing. It doesn’t actually take long to play as you only have 15 actions each. Most of my dislike for the game was not knowing what to do at first. Spending most of your turns and having your plans hijacked doesn’t help.
It’s nice enough that it deserves another go though.
Jesta ThaRogue
