---
product_id: 162829948
title: "Ecosystem - A Family Card Game about Building Habitats | Learn about Animals, Ecology & Biodiversity for Kids, Adults, Families or the classroom! Fun Board Games for Environmental Science Class"
brand: "genius games"
price: "R689"
currency: ZAR
in_stock: true
reviews_count: 13
category: "Genius Games"
url: https://www.desertcart.co.za/products/162829948-ecosystem-a-family-card-game-about-building-habitats-learn-about
store_origin: ZA
region: South Africa
---

# 11 unique card types 15-20 min strategic gameplay 2-6 players, family & classroom ready Ecosystem - A Family Card Game about Building Habitats | Learn about Animals, Ecology & Biodiversity for Kids, Adults, Families or the classroom! Fun Board Games for Environmental Science Class

**Brand:** genius games
**Price:** R689
**Availability:** ✅ In Stock

## Summary

> 🌍 Master nature’s balance—build, strategize, and thrive in the ultimate eco-challenge!

## Quick Answers

- **What is this?** Ecosystem - A Family Card Game about Building Habitats | Learn about Animals, Ecology & Biodiversity for Kids, Adults, Families or the classroom! Fun Board Games for Environmental Science Class by genius games
- **How much does it cost?** R689 with free shipping
- **Is it available?** Yes, in stock and ready to ship
- **Where can I buy it?** [www.desertcart.co.za](https://www.desertcart.co.za/products/162829948-ecosystem-a-family-card-game-about-building-habitats-learn-about)

## Best For

- genius games enthusiasts

## Why This Product

- Trusted genius games brand quality
- Free international shipping included
- Worldwide delivery with tracking
- 15-day hassle-free returns

## Key Features

- • **Fast-Paced Strategy:** Engage in quick 15-20 minute rounds that challenge your critical thinking and planning skills.
- • **Inclusive Family Fun:** Designed for 2-6 players, perfect for family game nights or interactive classroom learning.
- • **Educational & Screen-Free:** Boost environmental science knowledge and critical thinking without any electronics.
- • **Build Realistic Ecosystems:** Craft diverse habitats with bears, foxes, streams & meadows for authentic ecological balance.
- • **Visually Stunning Gameplay:** Enjoy gorgeous, detailed artwork that brings biodiversity to life and sparks pride in your ecosystem.

## Overview

Ecosystem is a beautifully illustrated, strategic card game for 2-6 players that teaches biodiversity and ecological balance through building habitats. With 11 unique card types and quick 15-20 minute rounds, it’s perfect for families, classrooms, and science enthusiasts seeking an engaging, screen-free way to learn about nature.

## Description

Ecosystem is a card game that tries to replicate the real world ecosystem as closely as possible. Biodiversity is rewarded while monocultures are penalized. Each time you play, you build a one-of-a-kind ecosystem, striving to balance the delicate connections between all living things. Reinforce school ecology lessons with a hands-on and fun game to keep learners engaged.

Review: Beautiful Family Game - We received this game as a gift and we were all excited to open it (2 adults and kids ages 5, 8 and 10). The artwork is gorgeous and engaging, and the concept of the game is fairly intuitive (drafting a card and placing it in front of you where the animal/landform would work best in the ecosystem). You eventually make a 4x5 grid as you draft and place the cards until you have your ecosystem complete. You then score points based on favorable ecosystem setups (i.e. trout and dragonflies next to streams, bees next to meadows, etc.) The game plays fairly quickly (about 15 minutes) and allows up to 6 players, which is nice for larger families. Every game feels different because there are so many variations for how to display your grid. This game was reminiscent of Sushi Go in terms of drafting and passing your hand. Some of the point scoring felt similar as well (the scoring of wolves in Ecosystem feels like the way to score puddings in Sushi Go). The similarity helped us understand how to play the game better, but the two games feel very different as you play. For one thing, the theme of animals in an ecosystem is way more appealing and relevant to us than a game about sushi. The pictures on the cards were beautiful to look at, and there was a sense of pride and ownership as you drafted cards and created your own ecosystem. The end grid result is also lovely to look at, and our kids were excited to compete for the longest stream or the biggest wolf pack. This game is definitely a winner and will go into our game play rotation! A few tips we found helpful: - Put the cards in a holder for younger kids. This makes it easier to pass and easier for younger kids to easily pick a card after each pass. - Even though it says 10+, our 5 year old picked up on the game fairly quickly (though we do play board games often as a family). Some ways to modify the game for younger kids might be to take a few types of animals out of the game or don’t give negative points for ecosystem gaps at the end of the game. - Scoring can take a long time, and young kids will lose interest during this phase of the game (comes at the end after your grid is made). To keep kids engaged, I had my 8 and 10 year old add up everyone’s scores (they were motivated to know who won, and we got some bonus math practice in) while the 5 year old helped clean up the cards. - While scoring, you need to know which cards did not score any points. You can’t immediately remove them because they may affect scoring for other cards. It can be hard to remember which cards didn’t score, so we simply placed some kind of marker on those cards (gems, buttons, etc.) and at the end of the game, it was really easy to see your ecosystem gaps. - If playing with kids, score one animal at a time. Go around and have everyone tally their bears (and mark their ecosystem gaps as suggested above), then their bees, and so on.
Review: Great family game, beautiful artwork! - Love this new version of ecosystems. We have the original and sort of expected this to be exactly the same with new artwork, however there are different rules for these animals in order to score points. I love that the concept remains the same, but with new things to work around. Just like the first game, the artwork on this one is beautiful! It's easy enough to teach that my 6 year old can play fairly well. Great game for 3 plus players, we've played with 5 and everyone enjoyed it!

## Features

- ECOLOGY BOARD GAME - Learn about ecology from a science game! Players build ecosystems of wild animals such as bears, foxes, and rabbits, in environments such as streams, forests, and meadows and are rewarded for sustainability and diversity! Our 2-6 player games will go great on a board game table in a classroom to teach students about the beauty of biological variety.
- STRATEGIC PLAY - Ecosystem is a biologically-derived card drafting game. Players choose, pass, and arrange eleven different card types and earn points by aligning animals with habitats where they most flourish. The game is easy to learn, but difficult to master. It engages adults and teens, yet is intuitive enough for kids to play both at home and in the classroom.
- GENIUS GAMES - Our board games teach learners of all ages about the amazing world around them and the beauty of biology. It gives you a way to bond with your young ones without any electronics or screens. Encourage critical thinking skills and learning while having fun!
- WHO CAN PLAY - Our captivating learning games are perfect for gamers, a science class, or a family game night. Teachers, scientists, biologists, and students love playing our best-rated board games for adults. Surprise a loved one with a unique board game for their birthday or any other special occasion.
- LEARN SCIENCE - In Ecosystem, wildlife and nature aid one another in cycles that are true to our world’s ecological habitats. It will intuitively teach players about the necessary balance of natural order and can be played in 15-20 minutes.

## Technical Specifications

| Specification | Value |
|---------------|-------|
| ASIN | B07XGD6XL2 |
| Best Sellers Rank | #27,462 in Toys & Games ( See Top 100 in Toys & Games ) #706 in Dedicated Deck Card Games |
| Customer Reviews | 4.6 4.6 out of 5 stars (569) |
| Is Discontinued By Manufacturer | No |
| Item Weight | 9.2 ounces |
| Item model number | 6050 |
| Language | English |
| Manufacturer | Genius Games |
| Manufacturer recommended age | 12 years and up |
| Product Dimensions | 6.5 x 4.5 x 1.63 inches |
| Release date | November 20, 2019 |

## Images

![Ecosystem - A Family Card Game about Building Habitats | Learn about Animals, Ecology & Biodiversity for Kids, Adults, Families or the classroom! Fun Board Games for Environmental Science Class - Image 1](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/81tU9rRbewL.jpg)

## Customer Reviews

### ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Beautiful Family Game
*by A***A on April 18, 2020*

We received this game as a gift and we were all excited to open it (2 adults and kids ages 5, 8 and 10). The artwork is gorgeous and engaging, and the concept of the game is fairly intuitive (drafting a card and placing it in front of you where the animal/landform would work best in the ecosystem). You eventually make a 4x5 grid as you draft and place the cards until you have your ecosystem complete. You then score points based on favorable ecosystem setups (i.e. trout and dragonflies next to streams, bees next to meadows, etc.) The game plays fairly quickly (about 15 minutes) and allows up to 6 players, which is nice for larger families. Every game feels different because there are so many variations for how to display your grid. This game was reminiscent of Sushi Go in terms of drafting and passing your hand. Some of the point scoring felt similar as well (the scoring of wolves in Ecosystem feels like the way to score puddings in Sushi Go). The similarity helped us understand how to play the game better, but the two games feel very different as you play. For one thing, the theme of animals in an ecosystem is way more appealing and relevant to us than a game about sushi. The pictures on the cards were beautiful to look at, and there was a sense of pride and ownership as you drafted cards and created your own ecosystem. The end grid result is also lovely to look at, and our kids were excited to compete for the longest stream or the biggest wolf pack. This game is definitely a winner and will go into our game play rotation! A few tips we found helpful: - Put the cards in a holder for younger kids. This makes it easier to pass and easier for younger kids to easily pick a card after each pass. - Even though it says 10+, our 5 year old picked up on the game fairly quickly (though we do play board games often as a family). Some ways to modify the game for younger kids might be to take a few types of animals out of the game or don’t give negative points for ecosystem gaps at the end of the game. - Scoring can take a long time, and young kids will lose interest during this phase of the game (comes at the end after your grid is made). To keep kids engaged, I had my 8 and 10 year old add up everyone’s scores (they were motivated to know who won, and we got some bonus math practice in) while the 5 year old helped clean up the cards. - While scoring, you need to know which cards did not score any points. You can’t immediately remove them because they may affect scoring for other cards. It can be hard to remember which cards didn’t score, so we simply placed some kind of marker on those cards (gems, buttons, etc.) and at the end of the game, it was really easy to see your ecosystem gaps. - If playing with kids, score one animal at a time. Go around and have everyone tally their bears (and mark their ecosystem gaps as suggested above), then their bees, and so on.

### ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Great family game, beautiful artwork!
*by S***Y on September 29, 2025*

Love this new version of ecosystems. We have the original and sort of expected this to be exactly the same with new artwork, however there are different rules for these animals in order to score points. I love that the concept remains the same, but with new things to work around. Just like the first game, the artwork on this one is beautiful! It's easy enough to teach that my 6 year old can play fairly well. Great game for 3 plus players, we've played with 5 and everyone enjoyed it!

### ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Great Family Game
*by O***N on November 13, 2025*

This took about one game to learn the basics but now my kids play a quick game with lunch most days! Even my 5, almost 6, year old can play this without help from my teens and mostly understands the concept relatively well now.

## Frequently Bought Together

- Ecosystem - A Family Card Game about Building Habitats | Learn about Animals, Ecology & Biodiversity for Kids, Adults, Families or the classroom! Fun Board Games for Environmental Science Class
- Periodic: A Game of the Elements | Periodic Table Board & Card Game About Atoms, Elements & Compounds | A Strategy Board Game for Gamers & Educational Science Game for Kids or Family Game Night
- Cytosis: A Cell Biology Board Game | A Science Accurate Strategy Board Game About Building Proteins, Carbohydrates, Enzymes, Organelles, & Membranes | Fun Science Games for Adults & Family Game Night

---

## Why Shop on Desertcart?

- 🛒 **Trusted by 1.3+ Million Shoppers** — Serving international shoppers since 2016
- 🌍 **Shop Globally** — Access 737+ million products across 21 categories
- 💰 **No Hidden Fees** — All customs, duties, and taxes included in the price
- 🔄 **15-Day Free Returns** — Hassle-free returns (30 days for PRO members)
- 🔒 **Secure Payments** — Trusted payment options with buyer protection
- ⭐ **TrustPilot Rated 4.5/5** — Based on 8,000+ happy customer reviews

**Shop now:** [https://www.desertcart.co.za/products/162829948-ecosystem-a-family-card-game-about-building-habitats-learn-about](https://www.desertcart.co.za/products/162829948-ecosystem-a-family-card-game-about-building-habitats-learn-about)

---

*Product available on Desertcart South Africa*
*Store origin: ZA*
*Last updated: 2026-02-21*