Apex Theropod Deck-Building Game (Exotic Predators Limited Edition)

Description

Game Description:

Apex is a deck-building game, played solo or with up to 7 friends. You play as one of nine prehistoric apex predators competing for territory and resources against other predators. Each playable species has a unique deck to master. Each deck has different strengths, weaknesses, and strategies—creating a varied and constantly evolving experience. Your species must overcome a very brutal environment including harsh climate changes, disease, attacks from predators, grievous wounds, infections, and deadly prey. The game incorporates many dinosaurs that behave in their own distinct way. The goal of the game is to endure the environment, build up the population and evolve your species, and become the Apex predator.

Game Features:

• 9 distinct Apex classes
• 8 distinct Prey
• 8 distinct Big Game
• 8 distinct Titans
• 4 distinct Menaces
• 8 distinct Predators
• 9 distinct Minions
• 9 distinct Bosses
• 11 distinct environment effects
• 3 distinct wound types

---Card Type Descriptions---

Apex cards: Each playable class consists of Apex cards that are unique and only available to the player of that specific apex predator. All players start out with five Hatchlings and a Juvenile of their species. In order to grow your species and purchase more Apex cards, players must hunt for food. Hunted cards are collected in the player’s hoard where they can be spent to purchase Apex cards. However, players cannot just purchase any Apex card. Apex cards are hatched each turn where they can be purchased from the player’s hatchery.

Carcass cards: All players start out with low value resource cards known as Carcass cards. They allow the player to scavenge resources when prey is too difficult to hunt or non-existent.

Egg cards: The only way to hatch Apex cards into your hatchery is through egg cards. Apex cards that are not purchased that round are recycled back into the Apex deck where it may not hatch again for a long time. All players start out with one Egg in their deck. Egg cards must be purchased to hatch cards more often in your Hatchery. Owning more Egg cards allows you to expand your population at a faster rate.

Evolve cards: Evolve cards act as deck boosters that play actions that can be extremely helpful. They can boost your Apex cards, numb the harsh effects of the environment, heal wounds, and clean your deck. Evolve cards hold no value and only have an action.

Affliction cards: Apex predators live a harsh life and endure many attacks throughout their lifetime, including attacks to their immune system. Affliction cards have no value and may contain actions that cause the player further harm. Getting into a fight with another animal infected with a virus can spell certain disaster for your species.

Alert cards: Ambushing your prey is a strong tactic used in hunting. It is effective but it also alarms all local animals that they have been chosen to be a predator’s next meal. Some animals will choose to run away while others may stand their ground and fight back. Every ambush comes with a risk. When a player sets up an ambush they gain an Alert card that will soon alert the animals in their environment. If the ambush is not played before the Alert card is played, then the player strategy is compromised and the ambush is discarded.

Environment cards: The environment can be very brutal and change in an instant. Players not only need to endure the hazards stowed upon them but also need to anticipate events before they happen to become the top predator. The environment is controlled through Environment cards. These cards have actions that are played on all players immediately at the start of a new round.

Disaster Area cards: Extremely hazardous Environment cards will begin to destroy your environment, limiting your locations to hunt from. Disaster Area cards are used to mark a Footprint in the Game Trail as an uninhabitable area.

Defensive Stance cards: Some animals excel in defense. When an Alert card is played, certain animals gain a Defensive Stance card making them more difficult or even impossible to hunt.

Prey cards: The main resource of the game is animals you can hunt in the Game Trail. Cards in the Game Trail will provide Evolve value you can use to spend on hatched Apex cards or Evolve cards. There are different types of animals available to hunt and the smallest type is categorized as Prey. Prey is mostly defenseless and very vulnerable to predators. Some have the ability to run away and they don’t provide a whole lot of value.

Big Game cards: Big Game is larger sized animals that usually carry a distinct characteristic. They can be heavily armored and defended or carry an ability to help warn others of lurking predators. They can provide a decent amount of value but should be approached with caution.

Titan cards: Walking behemoths, the Titans are like land whales. They can be very vulnerable to attack but are still very hard to hunt none the less. If you happen to bring down one of these, the rewards can be huge. Ambushing is almost a must to be able to hunt these animals.

Menace cards: Menaces are small predators in the environment that are not a big threat. They can become irritating over time if you don’t take them out early. Some Menaces may raid your nest and eat one of your eggs while others may snag up a Prey before you had the chance to hunt it. Focus on hunting the Menaces that are only a threat to your species because they do not provide much value.

Predator cards: Danger lurks everywhere and Predators can be a real environment hazard. They usually stay away from apex predators so they don’t become a menu item as well. Some Predators are large enough to hunt or attack anything while others may be hiding in the shallow rivers and swamps. Predators should be avoided if possible and are not a big threat to your resources.

Boss & Minion cards: Bosses and their Minions are the apex predators of their environment. Some will eat everything in sight leaving fewer options for the player while others will do everything they can to kill off invading species. They are the primary threat to the player and killing them is the goal of the game. In order to become the apex predator the competition must be eliminated. The Boss acts as the alpha of the species while the Minions do all the work. In multiplayer games there will be multiple Boss cards and multiple sets of minions going up against all players.