Evolution Board Game for Nintendo Switch, developed and published by North Star Games, takes a survival-style family board game and transforms it into a digital adventure that can be played on the go or on the player's TV. While the gameplay has been adapted to a digital format in a way that is accessible and easy to understand, Evolution Board Game seems to have lost the fact that the game was meant for groups, transforming it into a game more suited to being played alone.
The overall playability of Evolution Board Game is well crafted, avoiding common pitfalls seen in ports like the digital edition of Monopoly. Evolution has many moving parts, from food tokens to the cards that players use to create their species. These are all implemented in a way that is easy to view and keep track of. The game board is centered around a watering hole that food tokens are stored in. A player's cards are located in pawprint organizers at the base of their screen, and they can navigate their cards and how to use them by toggling with the joysticks or using Y,X, and A. The whole point of the game is to have the most food by the time the deck of cards runs out, making the gameplay fast and engaging.
There are two branches of game modes that players can choose from in Evolution Board Game, with the first being several online play modes. The biggest downside to the online gameplay is that players must have the Nintendo Online Membership to use any of the features, which could be a setback for those who don't have the ability to get the membership. Players can access 'Find A Match' mode, 'Timed Game' mode and 'Async' mode when playing online. These different styles pit the user against random players, or allow gamers to set up their own session with other players who have swapped friend codes. There is an in-game chat to allow for communication, but this can be tricky to use with how fast-paced the games are and isn't likely to be something players lean on.
The other branch of game modes that Evolution Board Game offers players can be accessed offline. There is a survival campaign mode that includes the game's tutorial walkthrough. Players can enjoy a challenging 21 game adventure as they master the gameplay before taking on other people online or in their own home. However, once the campaign mode has been beaten, there isn't much use in playing it over. Evolution Board Game also includes a 'Weekly Challenge' that players can undertake that gives an objective to beat in gameplay against an AI.
Evolution Board Game players can play singular games against an AI opponent if they don't want to play in the campaign mode. The AI battles are interesting for passing the time, but lack any real flavor, as board games like Evolution are really meant to be played against other people. AI games are less about good strategy and fun, and more about figuring out how to outsmart the computer's algorithm. Players may also notice the lack of flavor in Campaign mode, but it's especially grueling in the AI mode, as there isn't a primary goal set in advance for players to concentrate on beating.
The mode for Evolution Board Game with the most problems is 'Pass and Play.' This mode is likely the most desired feature in a converted board game, as it allows players to set up a game to play in the living room with family or friends. However, 'Pass and Play' mode is frustrating to use in any aspect. The board shows all the cards for each player's turn, making strategy difficult. It also isn't clear whose turn it is, as each round has several steps that continuously switch back and forth. The biggest issue is that the Joy-Cons must be handed off continuously to make each of these moves for the round, and it quickly becomes more irritating than enjoyable.
While not as seamless as A Game of Thrones: The Board Game in its overall playability, Evolution Board Game does present a well-thought-out attempt at bringing a board game from the coffee table to the Nintendo Switch. If Evolution Board Game had spent more time on the offline co-op play, the game could have really been amazing, but with an AI opponent for most matches that don't require the internet, players may find that the original tabletop edition has more to offer as a family game.
Evolution Board Game is available now on Microsoft Windows, iOS, Android, Nintendo Switch, Macintosh operating systems. A Nintendo Switch code was provided to Screen Rant for the purposes of this review.