# Endangered ## General Info - **Year Published**: 1989 - **BGG Rating**: 4.6 - **BGG Rank**: — - **Players**: 2-10 - **Duration**: 60 min - **Weight**: — - **Designers**: (Uncredited) - **Publishers**: Family Games, Inc. - **Categories**: Adventure, Animals, Children's Game, Educational, Environmental - **Mechanics**: Roll / Spin and Move, Set Collection ## Verdict Perfect for those who love ecological themes and prefer cooperating over competing. An environmental simulator with just the right amount of tension.Educational and urgent themeUnique character abilitiesConstant tension with destructionGenuine cooperative experienceHigh language dependencyDice mechanic can be punishingRECOMMENDED ## Description Imagine the clock is ticking and the world's wildlife is in real danger. In Endangered, you're not just playing for fun, but to prevent iconic species, such as tigers and sea otters, from disappearing forever. The game puts you and your friends in the shoes of a conservation team—you can be a zoologist, a philanthropist, an environmental lawyer, a lobbyist, or even a wildlife TV presenter. Each of these roles brings unique abilities that are essential for the group's success. The dynamics are intense and cooperative. The ultimate goal is to convince UN ambassadors to approve an environmental protection resolution. To win, you need four positive votes. But it's not that simple: while trying to influence international diplomacy, you must manage habitat destruction and ensure the animals stay alive. The gameplay revolves around dice allocation. Each turn, you roll dice and distribute them among action cards. The strategic twist is that to execute an action, the die value must be higher than the previous value placed on that card; otherwise, the action is blocked for that player. This creates a constant tactical puzzle. Additionally, there are moments of tension with animal breeding (the good news) and the arrival of destruction tiles (the bad news), which can wipe out already scarce populations. It's a game that blends the urgency of an environmental simulator with resource management strategy. Can you balance UN bureaucracy with the urgency of field work before time runs out? The experience is educational without sacrificing tension, turning environmental awareness into a survival challenge where teamwork is the only way out. ## How to Play Goal of the Game Endangered is a cooperative game where all players work together as conservationists to save a species from extinction. The challenge is a delicate balance: you must deal with immediate dangers threatening the species and, at the same time, convince a panel of Ambassadors to vote in favor of a resolution that protects the animals. The group wins the game collectively if they can obtain 4 "Yes" votes from the Ambassadors by the end of the game. The group loses immediately if the animal population drops to 1 or 0, or if the environment suffers excessive destruction to the point that there are no more Destruction Pieces in the supply. Setup Follow the steps below to set up the game: Place the Game Board on the table with the Year Marker on Year 1. Prepare the supplies: make stocks of Animal Tokens, Influence Cubes, Money Tokens, and the Offspring and Destruction dice next to the board. Prepare the Ambassadors: shuffle the 9 blue-backed Ambassador Cards and place 5 of them face down in a row on the edge of the board. Shuffle the 3 grey-backed Ambassadors and add 1 of them face down to the row. Set the scenario: use the corresponding module (such as the Tiger Module). Follow the specific instructions on the Scenario Sheet to position the indicated number of Animal Tokens and Destruction Pieces. Prepare the Impact deck: shuffle the chosen animal's Impact deck and place it face down near the board. Player Preparation: Each player chooses a Role (e.g., Environmental Lawyer, Lobbyist, Philanthropist, Wildlife Presenter, or Zoologist). Take your Role Board, your Specialty Cards, and your Player Deck. Choose a Specialty and place it on your Role Board. Take your 3 Action Dice and your Turn Marker. Shuffle your Player Deck and draw 2 cards to form your starting hand. Gameplay Flow The game is played over several Years. Each player will have one turn per Year. The turn order is decided by the group. When a player finishes their turn, they place their Turn Marker on the Year Marker on the Calendar Track. If no one else has a Turn Marker, the Year ends. Each turn is divided into the following phases, in this order: ACTIONS PHASE: Recover and roll your Action Dice to activate the action cards in play. OFFSPRING PHASE: Roll the Offspring Die to increase the animal population. DESTRUCTION PHASE: Roll the Destruction Die to add destruction to the environment. IMPACT PHASE: Reveal the top card of the Impact Deck and resolve its effect. UPKEEP PHASE: Draw a new Action Card and choose the next player. Actions and How to Play To play, you must use your Action Dice on cards that are active on the board. A card becomes active when it is played in the Action Zone. You cannot place a die on a card where one of your own dice is already present, and if there are dice from other players, yours must show the highest number. Card Types ACTION: When played, it is placed in the Action Zone and is available for any player to use on their turn. CONTINUOUS: It is placed in your play area and provides a constant benefit. ONCE: You perform the effect immediately and discard it. Ambassador Actions To discover the victory criteria, you must use an action that allows you to Place Influence. By placing an Influence Cube on an Ambassador, it is flipped face up, revealing its conditions for a "Yes" vote. Population and Environment Mechanics Offspring: If there is at least one Mating Pair (two animals in the same space), you add 1 to the number of pairs and roll the Offspring Die. If the result is less than or equal to the target, a new animal is placed in an adjacent empty space. Destruction: Depending on the module, destruction can advance onto the animals. If a Destruction Piece is placed on a space with an animal, the animal is lost and returns to the supply. Impact: Instant Impacts are resolved and discarded. Persistent Impacts remain in play until they are removed. End of Game and Scoring The game ends in two main ways: Victory: The group wins if they manage to get 4 or more "Yes" votes from the Ambassadors during one of the two Voting Years (indicated by the blue and red icons on the Calendar Track). Defeat: The group loses immediately if: The animal population drops to 1 or 0. There are no more Destruction Pieces in the supply to fulfill a destruction rule. The group fails to get 4 "Yes" votes during the second Voting Year. Tips for Winning Consult the manual for details regarding this section. ## FAQ ### Is the game hard to learn? The basic rules are simple, but the dice allocation strategy requires focus to avoid blocking your own actions. ### Can I play it solo? Yes, the game supports a solo mode, allowing you to try and save the species on your own. ### Is there a high language barrier? Yes, there is significant language dependency, so you'll need a translation for most of the text. ### How long does a game typically last? Games usually last around 60 minutes, depending on the number of players. ### Is it suitable for children? Yes, it is categorized as a children's and educational game, making it great for teaching about the environment.