- Publisher(s) : Asmodee
- Designer(s) : Matt Leacock, Matteo Menapace
- Artist(s) : Mads Berg
- Players : 1–4
- Playing time : 60–120 Min
- Weight BGG : 2.86
What's this?
Daybreak is a cooperative board game created by Matt Leacock ( Pandemic ) and Matteo Menapace, in which players embody major world powers (China, the United States, Europe, or the “Majority World”) united in the face of a common challenge: to stop global warming before the planet crosses irreversible tipping points.
How do you play?
Daybreak is played in simultaneous rounds, each divided into 5 phases:
1. Global Phase
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An Anticipated Crisis card (visible) and other hidden crises are revealed based on current warming.
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Together we choose a Global Project , such as an international treaty or a global climate program.
2. Local phase
Everyone then manages their own board:
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We draw “Local Project” cards .
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These cards are played in different piles to activate actions: produce clean energy, eliminate polluting energy, strengthen social, ecological or infrastructure resilience , or help other players.
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Cards can also be placed behind others to enhance their effects or support global projects or crises .
Cards have icons that allow you to create powerful combos when stacked cleverly.
3. Emissions phase
Each player calculates their carbon emissions (based on their dirty energy and activities).
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Some of it is sequestered using trees, oceans or capture technologies.
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The excess goes onto a climate thermometer : each filled strip increases the global temperature by +0.1°C. At 2.0°C, the game is over.
4. Crisis phase
A planetary effects die is rolled to simulate natural disasters (loss of trees, melting ice, etc.).
Then, the Crisis cards are resolved :
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They affect some or all players.
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The effects can be mitigated with resilience tokens or by supporting the crisis with the right cards.
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Too many poorly managed crises increase the number of communities in crisis . If one player reaches 12, it’s lost for everyone.
5. Growth phase
If players have reached the Tipping Point (total sequestration of emissions), they must still survive one final crisis before winning.
Otherwise:
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The turn marker moves forward.
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Each player sees their energy demand increase , forcing them to produce more while polluting less.
The game ends:
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By a collective victory if the Tipping Point is reached and the next crisis is overcome.
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By a collective defeat if we reach 2°C, if a player has 12 communities in crisis or if 6 rounds have passed without a victory.
Is it good?
Daybreak is a great success: it combines a strong theme, effective mechanics and a truly engaging proposition.
Its primary quality lies in its particularly well-executed treatment of the theme . It addresses the global problem of global warming while proposing realistic solutions through maps inspired by technologies or concrete strategies.
The card-based engine-building mechanic — stacking, supporting, or optimizing with icons —offers many tactical choices and complex decisions every turn.
Unlike other cooperative games, the leader effect is largely avoided here . Each player acts primarily on their own board, but coordination and communication remain essential for joint success.
You will be able to build a formidably effective action engine, by chaining combos , without ever neglecting the global climate crises or global projects that influence the game.
The illustrations are neat , the material is high-quality , and the eco-responsible, plastic-free production demonstrates a real commitment. A significant plus: the educational aspect of the game, with cards equipped with QR codes leading to detailed explanations on the climate solutions represented.
The game can be difficult , with a significant element of chance (in card drawing, crises or dice rolls), but this does not detract from the fun. On the contrary, we play games with enthusiasm.
In summary , Daybreak is a solid cooperative game , driven by well-thought-out mechanics and a powerful theme . A title that I highly recommend to all fans of modern cooperative games.
Many thanks to my online partner store, Espritjeu. To discover their catalog, I invite you to visit their website:
Review Daybreak
Positives
- Strong and current theme
- Immersive cooperative experience
- Original card stacking and combo mechanics.
- High replayability
- Educational aspect
- Quality material
Negatives
- Dependence on chance (card drawing, crisis drawing, dice rolling).
- Little direct interaction between players
- Can be frustrating with bad draws and crises that are too hard to anticipate.
