Yellowstone

The eternal turning of the seasons has come full cycle once again. Spring in the hight country enters with a wash of fresh green and the warming chinook, while the show still lies deep on the mountain peaks. As the snow recedes, wild flowers of every hue splash across the lush meadows of the Northern Rockies. The small life in burrow and den creep forth, the birds sing loudly in the pines. Spring is the true beginning of the new year in the awakening wilderness of the Yellowstone.

The old buck raises his head and turns his gaze to the horizon. The time has come - now to lead the herd to the summer pasture where the bounty of this land will drive away the hunger of winter past. But other animals have come forth from their dens with the spring - the coyote, grizzly bear, mountain lion, and the deadliest predator of all - Man. The natural dangers of this magnificent, rugged land loom ahead. Yet the herd, to prosper, must take to the well-worn trail, seeking to cross the migratory paths of the other grazing masses. As the young gambol and explore, every instinct of the old buck must be devoted to the trek. Without hesitation, he takes the first step toward the future.

Yellowstone is a less complex game dealing with moving your herd from Winter Pasturage to Summer Pasturage back to Winter Pasturage. Players control one of the following herds: bison, elk, sheep, or mule deer. Along the way, you try to pick up Food Points and avoid predators. You can move the animals in your herd a certain number of hexes in a turn; males are the fastest, females are a bit slower, babies are really slow and should be accompanied by females. However, when you finally get back to Winter Range, you score more for babies and females than you do for males -- so you may find it necessary to sacrifice a male or two to predators. Predators are controlled by your opponents, but you get to control them on your turn. They are not major threats, but inducement to keep moving. Collect those food points! You'll need them for winter. The game's map centers on the Yellowstone Park area and some of the land south of there.