Root Board Game
Dire Wolf Digital
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About this game
- Category Casual
- Age 10
- Updated Dec 18, 2024
- OS IOS / Android
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Editor reviews
Root is a highly acclaimed asymmetrical strategy board game where players control unique factions vying for dominance in a woodland area. Each faction has its own abilities, goals, and playstyle, creating a dynamic and ever-changing game experience. As the leader of a faction, you must navigate a vast forest, manage resources, engage in battles, and outwit your opponents to claim victory. The game is known for its deep strategy, diverse factions, and interactive gameplay that requires both long-term planning and tactical adaptability.
Root offers a mix of area control, resource management, and conflict, with players either working together to maintain balance or actively undermining each other to seize control. With its asymmetrical nature, every player feels like they're playing a different game, which keeps the gameplay fresh and challenging, even after multiple sessions.
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How to play:
Setup:
At the start of the game, players choose one of the four main factions, each with its own unique playstyle and abilities. These factions include:
Marquise de Cat: Focuses on building and controlling the forest.
Eyrie Dynasties: Specializes in expansion and managing a strict decree of actions.
Woodland Alliance: Uses guerrilla tactics and sympathy to rally others against the oppressive factions.
Vagabond: A lone wanderer who aids or hinders other factions, collecting items and completing quests.
Faction-Specific Gameplay:
Each faction has its own set of rules and objectives. For example, the Marquise de Cat focuses on expanding control over the forest by building structures like sawmills and workshops. The Eyrie Dynasties, on the other hand, must manage their decree—an ever-growing list of actions they must carry out each turn, but failing to fulfill it results in turmoil. The Woodland Alliance works by building sympathy with the forest's creatures and slowly spreading its influence, while the Vagabond works as a versatile character who can ally with others, sabotage their efforts, or collect items for unique actions.
Turns and Actions:
On a player's turn, they follow their faction’s specific turn structure, which generally consists of three phases:
Birdsong: A phase where you set up your resources or prepare for the upcoming round.
Daylight: Perform actions like moving, battling, or crafting items.
Evening: Draw cards, resolve any end-of-turn actions, and adjust your strategy for the next round.
The game's structure is designed to keep everyone engaged, with each faction having different strengths that impact the game's flow.
Combat and Conflict:
Conflict is central to Root, and players will frequently clash over control of the woodland. Battles are resolved by comparing strengths (determined by troops or warriors in a location) and using dice rolls to determine the outcome. Winning a battle usually means gaining control of a location or destroying an opponent’s forces.
Victory Points and Winning:
Victory in Root is determined by earning victory points (VP). The game ends when a player reaches a set number of VP, which is typically 30 points in a four-player game. Players can earn VP through various methods such as controlling key locations, completing quests, and successfully battling enemies. The game’s asymmetric nature means that different factions may prioritize different routes to victory, adding complexity to the strategy.
Strategy and Interaction:
Root is a game of strategic depth, where players must manage resources, plan multiple turns ahead, and constantly adapt to changing circumstances. The game encourages player interaction through alliances, rivalries, and direct confrontations, making it a highly engaging experience. The asymmetry ensures that no two games are alike, with different factions requiring different strategies to win.
Expansion and Replayability:
Root offers a variety of expansions that introduce new factions, abilities, and game mechanics, adding more complexity and replayability to the base game. Whether you’re playing with the Riverfolk Expansion, which introduces mercenaries, or the Underworld Expansion, which adds underground factions, there are always new challenges and strategies to explore.
Learning Curve:
Root can be a bit complex at first, especially due to its asymmetrical gameplay. Each faction’s unique rules require players to learn different strategies and tactics. However, the game’s rich depth makes the investment in learning worthwhile, and once you understand the basics, the game offers endless strategic possibilities.
