Travel to the vast wildernesses of Southern Africa and step into the role of a Conservation Expert. Embark on a re-wilding journey as you transform your own unique landscape into a thriving nature reserve. Over three fast-paced rounds of simultaneous turns and card drafting, you will build a flourishing ecosystem. As you grow your nature reserve, you must complete research tasks to earn money to invest in protection and provide a haven for vulnerable and endangered animals. As the game progresses, your choices become harder and your strategy more complex as you aim to build the highest scoring nature reserve.
Created by Matt and Zara, while working on conservation in Botswana, Kavango is deeply thematic and is thoughtfully designed to be a modern and realistic view of conservation in southern Africa. With 160 unique species cards, 45 research cards, 10 conservation experts and 5 landscape boards, there is huge variability to reflect the incredible biodiversity of Kavango.
—description from the publisher
- beautiful production and art
- accessible drafting core
- engaging goals with variable expansions
- some players may find it familiar or light for weight
- wildlife habitat management
- conservation area theme
- light, environmental
- Seven Wonders
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
- Drafting / tableau-building — A Seven Wonders-style drafting game where you choose cards to develop a tableau and pursue conservation objectives; plus goals and global tracks.
Video topics + discussion points
Quotes (from this video)
- Earth Under Siege Flashpoint... captures a stealth game in the way that I want stealth to be captured in a board game.
- Cat Packs is a fantastic little sweet, charming game.
- Race to Mars... two halves; draft for crew, then deck build; it’s so good I reorganized my collection around it.
- Bobblins Rebellion... the goblin cubes are adorable and the engine-building is a blast.
References (from this video)
- Interesting conservation theme
- Multiple strategic options
- Cooperative global climate mechanic
- Nature preservation and animal conservation
- Kavango, subsaharan Africa
- Players as conservation experts
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
- card drafting — Players draft sanctuary animals and select cards each turn
- Climate protection — Players contribute to global climate protection levels
- Resource management — Develop resource producers, add animals to reserve
Video topics + discussion points
Quotes (from this video)
- maybe turn your lights off and stop running in the water
- I'm thinking about adopting an arar into the studio