Overview
At a glance
Is this game right for my group?
ABG editorial scores on a 1–5 scale.
Harder to teach
High replayability
Highly interactive
Scales well
Deep strategy
More strategic control
How it plays
How does it play?
Compete as clean-energy companies while collectively preventing runaway pollution through projects, power plants, carbon permits, expertise, and summits.
Core mechanisms
Key systems that shape the decisions players make.
Worker Placement
Commit limited workers to action spaces before opponents occupy them.
Semi-Cooperative Game
Players share some objectives while retaining individual victory conditions.
Area Majority
Compete to have the strongest presence in areas that award control or points.
Open Drafting
Select cards or items from a shared face-up display.
Solo / Solitaire Game
Provide rules and objectives designed for a single player.
Read the full game description
CO₂ is a heavy economic strategy game in which energy companies compete for reputation while sharing responsibility for a global environmental crisis. Every region needs additional power, and unmet demand produces fossil-fuel plants that push the pollution track toward a loss for everyone. Players propose clean-energy projects, install infrastructure, and construct solar, wind, recycling, fusion, and other green plants. Those steps require money, technology resources, and expertise, while scientists sent to energy summits improve knowledge shared across companies. Carbon Emission Permits enter a fluctuating market: regions spend them on infrastructure and fossil generation, companies trade them for profit, and control of the supply can shape both timing and price. Public UN goals and private company goals reward specialization, but no player can ignore the shared emissions threshold. Turn order, regional control, open drafting, worker placement, and opportunistic cooperation create constant interaction. The best company wants to build the most respected clean-energy portfolio without allowing short-term profit or a rival’s inaction to make the planet uninhabitable first.