Xēko Mission: Madagascar (2005)

Overview

Xēko (pronounced "zeeko") is a collectible card game which has four editions (referred to as "Missions"). These are Mission: Madagascar, Mission: Costa Rica, Mission: Indonesia, and Mission: China. Each Mission highlights common and endangered plants and animals from in the region, and cards from all Missions can be mixed together.

In Xēko, each player's objective is to create the strongest, most balanced environment. The game begins with a Hotspot card on to which players can link their “Species” cards. Players link Species cards with other Species cards and battle other players in “Turf Wars” in order to collect “Eco-points” before one of the player’s decks runs out of cards. In addition, “Boost” cards aid the players in Turf Wars, and "Xēko" cards may help or hurt players in acquiring additional Eco-points by permitting changes to the standard game rules. When a player’s deck is depleted, each player counts the Eco-points on his or her cards and the player with the most points wins.

Each Mission: Madagascar Starter Set includes 2 endangered Cards, 10 Rare Cards, 2 Hotspot Cards, 36 Common Cards, 1 Extra Large Play Mat, 2 Learn-to-Play Guides, and 1 Rule Book. Xēko cards are made from 100 percent recycled materials and 4 percent of game net sales are donated to Conservation International.

It should be noted that it is not necessary to purchase a starter set (around $20 to $30) to play the game. Booster packs (around $4) are just fine for building a deck, and contain a greater variety of cards - including Hotspot cards.