Nature: a redesign of the award-winning Evolution board game
Created by North Star Games
Nature is a strategy board game that stands on the shoulders of the blockbuster Evolution.
Back at the Big Box pledge level or higher to get Nature and all the modules in June 2025, 9 months before their full retail release.
Estimated pre-order shipping for all items is June 2025.
Latest Updates from Our Project:
IMPORTANT UPDATE - PLEASE READ
over 1 year ago
– Wed, Apr 23, 2025 at 10:20:34 AM
Dear Backers,
Thank you, everyone, from the depths of my heart. Your generosity has been humbling.
In my last Kickstarter update, I explained how the tariffs would affect NorthStar and shared information about the new Spring Module we'd designed to help. If you missed this update, it is essential reading.
So far, we have sold 1,540 copies of the Spring Mini-Module, and 352 of you have donated to the tip jar. Our hope is for NorthStar to share this unexpected burden 50%/50% with the community, and we are very nearly there. Achieving this goal would greatly help and give us some much-needed breathing room.
This Update
If you have already read the last update, this one has nothing new. The scary title of this update is designed for people who missed the last Kickstarter update covering tariffs. In our next update, we'll be sharing new information about Nature.
I'm currently at the Gathering of Friends, an industry event started by Ticket to Ride designer Alan R. Moon. I'm writing this update today as several people I've spoken to had backed the Nature campaign, but hadn't seen our previous update or heard about the Spring Mini-Module. Help spread the word if you can.
Pre-Production Copy of Nature Deluxe Edition - Playing at The Gathering of Friends
Someone REALLY liked Opportunistic! I'm pretty sure the Spring Mini-Module will completely blow their mind!
Pre-Production Copy of Nature Deluxe Edition - Wooden Meat and Plant Tokens
Spring Module Last Chance - Friday April 25th Deadline!
Go to BackerKit to purchase the Spring Mini-Module and/or add to the tip jar.
If you click the above link from the same device + browser that you used to complete your survey you will be taken directly to the Pledge Add-ons page. If you click the link from a different browser, you will be taken to the "Lost Survey?" page where you can type in your email and receive another survey invite.
In BackerKit, you can navigate to your survey and click 'Edit Address' in the upper right hand corner which will take you to their confirmation page, where you can click 'Edit Add-ons' to add the mini-module to your pledge.
If you have any questions, please ask in the comments below.
Spring Mini-Module
You can learn about the Spring Mini-Module on the previous update:
A huge thank you to everyone who has backed this campaign, added to their pledge, donated, or shared words of support in the comments. Your support reminds us of how wonderful this community can be.
We know that purchasing the Spring Mini-Module is, in essence, a $20 donation, and we are deeply, deeply grateful to anyone who chooses to help in this way.
-Dominic Crapuchettes, Designer of Nature & Founder of NorthStar Studio
An Important Update About Tariffs and your Games
over 1 year ago
– Tue, Apr 15, 2025 at 07:56:56 AM
Dear Backers,
Many of you have reached out with concerns about the recent tariffs and whether they’ll affect your copy of Nature. After months of wrestling with this question, the unfortunate truth has become clear: our company is at risk.
The core issue isn’t just the tariffs themselves—it’s how quickly and drastically they’re changing. That unpredictability makes long-term planning nearly impossible.
Let me be clear: We will get your games to you as planned! As of today, the 143% tariffs will not keep us from delivering your games. We’ve built an incredible team that’s doing everything possible to keep NorthStar Studio alive and deliver Nature as promised. Creating a board game company has been my dream since high school, and I won’t let a sudden spike in costs end that dream without a fight. The issue is how NorthStar Studio fares after the launch.
Do I need to pay more?
No, but we've designed the Spring Mini-Module to raise money for the tariffs. If you can help, please consider purchasing it during this time of crisis for our company.
Spring Mini-Module: April 25th Deadline
We have reopened pledges in BackerKit, allowing you to add the new Spring Mini-Module. You cannot change your pledge, because your cards have already been charged, but you can add any product to your pledges.
The games we've already ordered from Gameland are now projected to cost us an extra $150,000–$200,000. That’s on top of three years of personal investment—over $600,000 from my retirement savings—to make Nature the best game it could be.
We even delayed the launch from 2024 to 2025 to give the game more polish. It was the right decision creatively, but it's straining our cash position as we head into the release.
Put simply: the future of NorthStar now hinges on how well Nature does at GenCon. If the launch goes well (and we’re optimistic it will), we can recover. If these added costs continue to climb, or the launch doesn't go as planned, our future becomes uncertain.
How You Can Help
Spread the word! If you've played Nature digitally or on Tabletop Simulator, go right now and rate it on BoardGameGeek. Once you’ve received your game, post about it, share photos, and help us keep the momentum going. A simple Reddit post has the potential to change the trajectory of a game.
Supporting Through the Spring Mini-Module. Some incredibly generous backers have offered to give us money. Rather than asking for donations, we’ve created something special...
The Spring Mini-Module
This mini-module is designed for backers who have the means to support NorthStar while receiving a meaningful, game-worthy thank-you in return.
If half of our backers purchase it, we can raise around $69,410—enough to offset about 40% of these unexpected costs.
How to Play
Mini-modules are supposed to be very simple. My dream is a system where players can sprinkle in a mini-module (or two) to keep every game fresh.
Components
12 Egg tokens
Envelope with rules
Rules
When discarding to add food to the watering hole, add an Egg token to the watering hole. Egg tokens are treated like plant food in every regard except two:
Only a species with Opportunistic can eat an Egg.
At the start of your turn, if one of your Egg tokens is in the watering hole, discard it and add a population to one of your species.
This mini-module will create waves in any ecosystem where population and food are scarce, for instance, the Arctic Tundra module.
Buy the Spring Mini-Module: April 25th deadline
Go to BackerKit and purchase the Spring Mini-Module before April 25th. We're selling it for $20, but if you can afford more, please consider adding to the tip jar.
If you click the above link from the same device + browser that you used to complete your survey you will be taken directly to the Pledge Add-ons page. If you click the link from a different browser, you will be taken to the "Lost Survey?" page where you can type in your email and receive another survey invite.
In BackerKit, you can navigate to your survey and click 'Edit Address' in the upper right hand corner which will take you to their confirmation page, where you can click 'Edit Add-ons' to add the mini-module to your pledge.
If you have any questions, please ask in the comments below.
Nature Deluxe Unboxing
During development, we receive white samples of Nature from the factory to check the quality and make changes. Here is a behind the scenes look at copies of Nature Deluxe that we received recently!
The final version will have pulp tray insert, printed tuck boxes, and will be fully biodegradable - no plastic!
A Final Word
We know that purchasing the Spring Mini-Module is, in essence, a $20 donation—and we are deeply, deeply grateful to anyone who chooses to help in this way.
I’ve always dreamed of designing games that bring joy, wonder, and connection. That dream wouldn’t exist without you. Thank you for standing with us.
With all my gratitude,
Dominic Crapuchettes, Designer of Nature & Founder of NorthStar Studio
Update from the Nature game designer / Join Us!
over 1 year ago
– Tue, Apr 01, 2025 at 09:36:31 AM
Hi, this is Dominic. I've been working full-time on this monumental project for nearly five years, and I'm getting more and more excited as we get close to delivering it!
Update Your Addresses This Week!
We're locking delivery addresses this week. Please update your address in BackerKit by April 4th. If this is problematic, please contact customerservice at northstargames dot com.
Delivery Timeline
Our goal is to deliver to our US backers in July, a month before the GenCon release.
Other countries may take longer, depending on the supply chain constraints. We will post updates on delivery times as soon as more information becomes available. As you can imagine, the new tariffs and shifting laws are making it more challenging to estimate delivery times.
Unexpected Manufacturing Costs
The games we're printing this year will cost nearly $100k more than we expected! This change happened after the campaign already ended. Yikes. We won't try to pass on the costs, but we will encourage you to help us get the word out by rating Nature on BoardGameGeek, sharing on social media, or telling a friend.
A fantastic launch will ensure a large community of players, and enable us to deliver a steady stream of high-quality modules over the next decade.
Mini Module Madness
We are also working on a program that aims to bring a bunch of community-created mini-modules into the Nature ecosystem! We cannot wait to share our plans. Expect an unexpected announcement about this in the upcoming months...
Production Samples:
This link goes to videos of the Nature and Jurassic Size Dials, the Jurassic and Arctic dice, and videos of the pre-production sample of the Nature retail edition. While these 'white box' pre-production samples aren't reflective of the final games, they do give a behind the scene glimpse of board game production. Enjoy!
Join the Nature Demo Team at Events
Want to help with the Nature release? The NorthStar team will be attending GenCon, Essen, and PAXU, and we're seeking enthusiastic individuals to join us.
We're already working on the future of Nature! We'll be playtesting the Climatemodule and the Disease module over the next few months. If you would like to join the official Nature playtest team, please complete the Nature Playtest Team form.
We want your feedback to create Nature: Climate.
My goal is for the Nature: Climate Module to be more dynamic, more fun, and more explosive than Evolution: Climate. This is a tall order because so many people love that game!
If you've played Evolution: Climate, please complete our Climate feedback survey. Your feedback will help guide us in developing the Nature: Climate Module.
Questions?
Post your questions or comments and I'll answer them over the next few days. Cheers!
Dominic Crapuchettes (designer of Nature, founder of NorthStar Studios)
A Huge Milestone, US Tariffs, Nature Digital Multiplayer & Pledge Manager Closing Soon!
over 1 year ago
– Wed, Feb 19, 2025 at 10:30:32 AM
In this update, we'll hear from several different team members to discuss finalizing the print files, the new US tariffs, and more.
A Monumental Milestone for Nature!
Hey folks, Dominic here! Our entire team recently experienced a huge moment as we finalized the print files for Nature! This is the biggest project we’ve ever undertaken, representing the culmination of years of hard work, creativity, and collaboration. The journey has been nothing short of incredible.
For me, it began in 2019, when I first tested the base game with my son - over 40 times! Those early playtests laid the foundation for what has grown into an ambitious, modular game system. Thank you for being part of this journey. Your support has helped make this dream a reality, and we can’t wait for you to experience Nature! 🌿
Here's a link to the eight Nature rulebooks. This includes the core game, a reference guide, solo rules and 5 module rulebooks. We've been busy! Please email [email protected] if you have any rule questions.
Pledge Manager closes February 21st
If you have yet to complete your survey, the BackerKit Pledge Manager closes this Friday. To review your information or pledge status, you can return to your survey by clicking the link in your survey email or requesting your survey link under "Lost your survey?" on the Nature BackerKit page. Any issues? Please send us a message on Kickstarter.
If you have any friends who missed the campaign and are interested, the late pledge store closes on Friday February 21st. They can access the Late Pledge store here.
China to US Tariffs
I recently spoke to Sam, our company COO, who handles all things logistics and asked him to share more about the new US tariffs from our perspective.
"As many of you have seen in the news, a new 10% tariff increase was implemented for Chinese goods across the United States. Increases in cost at this stage really hurt a small business like us, but we don't see them impacting the delivery of goods. Tariffs are always paid for by the importer, meaning we incurred an unexpected 10% increase in tax cost on this project. It simply isn't something we can avoid."
"For Nature, we will have to take the loss, but we are already exploring manufacturing capabilities in countries like Vietnam and Poland for future projects. Driving innovation and collaborating with manufacturers isn't new to us. In the meantime, we've got this covered."
"If you would like to help, consider picking up another game from our product line or sharing a NorthStar game with some friends. Our company can only survive with the help and support from fans like you, and we live to hear stories about happy moments at the game table!"
Nature Digital Multiplayer Happy Hour Returns!
Did you play Nature Digital online during the Kickstarter campaign? The Multiplayer Happy Hour has returned! Three times a week, we'll be hosting live multiplayer games, and we're inviting all Nature Digital backers to join in.
If you backed the Nature Digital Game, you can now access the game. After completing the Pledge Manager, download the game at naturedigitalgame.com. Log into the game with the same email used on Pledge Manager, and your rewards should unlock. Please contact [email protected] if you have any issues.
Thanks for your Support
Thank you for your continued support throughout this campaign and beyond. We'll be sharing more of the journey, including a sneak peek from manufacturing, in our future updates. Until then, have a great week and happy gaming.
-Ross and the NorthStar team.
Pledge Manager closes February 21st
almost 2 years ago
– Mon, Jan 27, 2025 at 09:25:31 AM
Hi folks, This is a quick update about the Pledge Manager for Nature; plus, we're sharing updated Nature rulebooks. More below!
For Pledge Manager here are the two main points you need to know:
All surveys must be completed by February 21st.
All credit/debit cards linked to surveys will be charged on February 21st.
If you have yet to complete your survey, the BackerKit Pledge Manager is where you provide your shipping address, update your rewards, and confirm your order. This is an essential part of the fulfillment process that must be completed for you to receive your pledge.
Please complete the BackerKit Pledge Manager by the deadline to ensure your pledge ships on time.
Pledge Manager Closes February 21st
Thank you to the over 90% of you who have completed the Pledge Manager so far. If you still need to, the deadline isFebruary 21st, in three weeks.
Please note: After Feb 21st, if you need to change your pledge level details, you must send us a direct message so we can process this for you.
If you need to review your information or pledge status, you can return to your survey by clicking the link in your survey email or requesting your survey link under "Lost your survey?" on the Nature BackerKit page.
If you used your Facebook credentials to log in to your Kickstarter account, the BackerKit survey is sent to the email address you use for your Facebook account.
If you are having issues, prefer to use another email address, or have any other questions, please read the FAQ page or send us a message via Kickstarter.
If you have any friends who missed the campaign and are interested, the late pledge store is also open until February 21st. They can access the Late Pledge store here.
Changing Pledge Levels
During the Pledge Manager, you will complete a questionnaire that allows you to upgrade or switch your pledge level. Any cost difference will be added to your basket total. You can also add any additional items in the add-on store.
Before you confirm, please check the items in your basket to make sure everything you need is included. If you have any issues, please email [email protected].
Pledge Manager FAQ
Can I change my pledge level? Yes. Select your new option during the Pledge Manager survey. If you have any issues, please email [email protected].
Can I add extra copies of games in Pledge Manager? Yes. This is available for all backers.
Will any other NorthStar games be available in Pledge Manager? You can access Digital and Physical titles in the NorthStar catalog depending on your region.
Updated Nature Rulebooks!
The team has been hard at work finalizing the rules for the Nature board game. Nature includes a core rulebook, solo rulebook, and reference guide with each module having its own ruleset. If you want a sneak preview, then check out the link.
Thanks again, and we'll be back with another update next month.
- Ross and the NorthStar Team.
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