Cytosis: A Cell Biology Game – NerdcoreMedical

Cytosis: A Cell Biology Game

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  • $ 44.99


Cytosis: A Cell Biology Game, is a worker placement game that takes place inside a human cell! Players take turns placing workers on available organelles within a human cell in order to collect resources such as Carbohydrates or ATP, or take actions such as purchasing Cell Component cards or translating mRNA into Proteins.

Players use their resources to build Enzymes, Hormones, and Hormone Receptors and also to help detoxify the cell - all of which score health points. The player with the most health points wins!

Type of Game: worker placement, resource management, set collection

Ages: 10+   Players: 2 - 5   Time: 60 - 90 mins

Science Concepts: cell biology, nucleus, free ribosomes, smooth ER, rough ER, golgi apparatus, plasma membrane, mitochondria, enzymes, hormones, receptors, cell detoxification, antibodies and viruses

Read the rules here.

The process of cytosis is the method by which a cell entraps, transports, and ingests material using a vesicle, then expels the waste. The game of Cytosis attempts to reconstruct this process in a way that is fun, challenging, and educational. Designed by John Coveyou of Genius Games.

 Includes:

  • large, brightly colored game board
  • 5 sets of colored meeples with an additional 2 grey meeples
  • 10 transport disks
  • 15 player markers
  • Goal cards
  • Event cards
  • Cell Component cards
  • blue ATP tokens
  • Macromolecule cubes (carbohydrate, lipid, mRNA, & protein).

Goal cards: When a player claims the goal, their player marker is placed on the card to claim points. For example, the “Enzymes” goal awards the player with 2 bonus HP for each Enzyme card that they have completed during the course of the game.

Event cards: Most events are helpful in nature, but can occasionally be negative. For instance, the “Respiration Boost” Event card adds an extra ATP token to the Mitochondria space for the duration of the following round.

Cell Component cards (Protein Hormones, Protein Hormone Receptors, and Detoxification to name a few): Each of the different types of cards awards HP or resources in some way.

During a round of play, each player takes turns assigning workers to specific available actions, such as:

  • Nucleus (DNA Transcription)
  • Plasma Membrane (Glucose Transporter)
  • Mitochondria (ATP Production)
  • Free Ribosome (mRNA Translation)
  • Cytoplasm (Enzyme Synthesis)
  • Smooth ER - Alcohol Detoxification
  • Smooth ER - Steroid Hormone Synthesis
  • Rough ER
  • Golgi Apparatus
  • Plasma Membrane (Exocytosis)
  • Laureates in Biology
  • Purchasing Cell Components
"Without knowing anything at all about the process of cytosis, you could play this game and then be able to reasonably explain in detail just what that process entails. Cytosis manages the neat trick of distracting you with its game-iness (is there even a word for this?) while sneakily drilling knowledge in the center of your brain. As far as being an educational game that’s appealing and engaging, Cytosis performs brilliantly." - David McMillan, MeepleMountain