Mangroves

How to Play

Players cooperatively build a shared mangrove ecosystem while competing to earn the most Stewardship Points. By introducing species, expanding habitats, and maintaining ecological balance, you shape a living environment that evolves as tides shift between High and Low. When the canopy fully grows, the game ends and the best steward wins.

Each turn, players take one action, then manage their hand and resources. Actions include:

Grow Structure — Expand the ecosystem by adding Estuary, Forest Floor, or Canopy zones

Introduce Species — Play animals and plants that trigger abilities and scoring opportunities

Tend the Mangroves — Gain biomass to fuel future plays

Scavenge — Draw new species cards

Restore Balance — Remove invasive species and improve ecosystem stability

Nursery Surge (Low Tide only) — Populate species with nursery tokens for bonus points and effects

Species interact through cascading effects, consumption, migration, and keystone roles. As the canopy grows, the tide shifts — changing which actions are available and altering strategy.

Players score points by:

• Building efficient ecological chains

• Maintaining high ecosystem stability

• Using nursery tokens effectively

• Managing invasive species

When the fourth canopy is placed, each player takes one final turn, then the steward with the most points wins.

Introduce Species is where your ecosystem actually comes alive. Pay biomass to place a species into its native zone, resolve its ability, then trigger a cascading chain of effects through the mangroves. Every addition can ripple outward — a carefully timed placement might fuel a feeding frenzy, stabilize the habitat, or set off a scoring engine.

Introduce a Common Snook to establish a nursery, drop in Red Mangroves to anchor the food web, or unleash a Roseate Spoonbill to capitalize on a thriving estuary. Predators, producers, detritivores, and foundation species all interact, and positioning matters — because what you play doesn’t just act once.

After resolving its ability, your new species can Echo, triggering the effects of its neighbor and extending the chain even further. A single well-placed card can propagate through the ecosystem, turning a modest play into a powerful multi-step combo.

Every species strengthens — or destabilizes — the shared mangrove. The question isn’t just what you introduce, but when and where you let the ecosystem react.

Includes AI generated artwork.