Complexity

Get ready for a thrilling scientific race in Complexity, where life on Earth hangs by a thread! A chemical disaster has wiped out nearly all bacteria, and without them, life as we know it cannot continue. You and your fellow scientists are the last to hold a viable bacterial strain, but its DNA is badly mutated. Your mission? To reassemble the genetic code for three essential molecular machines: the flagellum (for movement), ATP synthase (for power), and the ribosome (for building everything else). The first to complete these three machines saves the planet!

To do this, you'll assemble the eight subunits that make up these machines, each coded by four DNA codon cards: a start codon, two amino-acid codons, and a stop codon. Each turn unfolds in four dynamic phases: first, in the Enrich phase, you can discard two cards to draw a new one, as often as you like. Then, in the Code phase, play up to two codons onto your sequences (you can work on up to three subunits simultaneously, or two in a five-player game). By closing a sequence with a stop codon, the subunit is safe. But beware! The Mutate phase allows you to roll a die to disrupt a rival's unfinished sequence – you might force an early stop codon, swap one of your codons for one of theirs, or even outright steal a codon! Finally, in the Reset phase, you end your turn with six cards, potentially absorbing an unfinished sequence back into your hand to restart it.

Completing each machine unlocks powerful abilities: the flagellum lets you counter-roll rival mutations, ATP synthase gives you more cards, and the ribosome speeds up your gameplay. And 'Gene Scissors' (CRISPR-Cas9) cards? They're your wild card to edit your own code, removing, inserting, or swapping codons. The game was developed with the consultation of PhD-trained scientists, and the included Lab Manual even explains the real molecular biology behind each rule. It's real science, with tons of fun and strategy!