CO₂: Second Chance
- Players
- 1-4
- Best withThe player count this game plays best at.
- 3 players
- Play timeHow long a full game runs once everyone knows the rules.
- 120 min
- AgeThe minimum age printed by the publisher.
- 12+
- ComplexityHow demanding the rules are, from 1 (very light) to 5 (very heavy).
- 4.1 / 5
- Year
- 2018
About the game
CO₂: Second Chance casts players as CEOs of energy companies racing to replace polluting power plants with clean, sustainable alternatives before pollution overwhelms the planet. Through worker placement, market drafting, and area influence, you build green infrastructure, trade carbon emissions permits, and attend energy summits to gain expertise. This redesigned edition streamlines Vital Lacerda's original with new iconography, upgraded components, and a genuinely cooperative or solo mode. It's a dense, thinky economic game wrapped in an urgent environmental theme.
Hobbli's Notes
A substantial, rewarding heavy Euro that manages to make its climate-change theme feel mechanically meaningful rather than tacked on. The solo and cooperative modes are a welcome addition for a game this weighty. It demands real commitment and table time, so it's best reserved for players who already enjoy Lacerda-style complexity. Once it clicks, the interplay of expertise, money, and permits is deeply satisfying.
What we like
- Deep, interlocking worker-placement and market systems.
- Cooperative and solo modes add real flexibility.
- Strong thematic integration of climate and energy economics.
- High production values with upgraded wooden components.
- Excellent replayability from goal-based scoring.
Keep in mind
- Long playtime and steep rules overhead.
- Significant downtime between turns at higher player counts.
- Not accessible for casual or new gamers.
Who it's for
Experienced heavy-Euro gamers aged 14 and up who enjoy long, resource-dense strategy games; works well solo or cooperatively too.
