Root – is a board game about adventure and war, where two to four players fight for control over a vast forest.
The cunning Marquise de Cat has seized most of the forest, intending to steal all its riches. Due to her rule, many creatures have united in the Woodland Alliance to fight against the cats, to undermine their power in the forest. In this endeavor, they can enlist the support of wandering Vagabonds, who can traverse the most dangerous forest paths and provide invaluable assistance. But some Vagabonds are old enough to remember how once the forest was ruled by predatory birds, and express sympathy for their ideals. Meanwhile, at the edge of the forest, the proud Winged Dynasty has found a new leader, who they hope will lead their faction to victory and revive ancient traditions.
The stage is set for a competition that will determine the fate of the great forest. And it is in the players' hands to decide who will ultimately be the victor. The board game Root represents a new milestone in the development of asymmetrical gameplay. Each player has unique abilities and different paths to victory. And with the help of multitasking cards, the gameplay has become even more diverse.
Each faction in the game operates under its own special rules, though victory conditions are the same for all sides. However, even if you develop a successful strategy for each role, it does not guarantee you victory, as in Root, the ability to negotiate with other players, and sometimes betray them, is very important. Because of this, along with the element of randomness in the game itself, each of your games of Root will unfold in a completely new way.
Key Features of the Game:
- Fully asymmetrical roles.
There are many games where all roles differ in starting resources or unique abilities, but the author of Root has gone further and created a game where each participant plays by their unique rules in some sense. The goal is the same for everyone – to be the first to score 30 victory points or fulfill the conditions of a dominance card – however, the path to this goal will be different for each player.
- A Game of Thrones set in an autumn forest.
Root – is a game that is hard to classify into a specific type. It involves strategic calculation, the need to wisely distribute limited resources, territorial control, and the unpredictability of certain events. A significant role in the game is allocated to diplomacy and backroom intrigues: you never know from where the trick may come, sometimes you prepare for defense against a flock of birds, and instead, the previously non-threatening mouse partisans, who promised to coexist peacefully just the turn before, start a rebellion, destroying all your warriors and carefully constructed buildings. You will need to keep a close eye on all opponents, because the moment you turn your attention to one – the other may sneak ahead and snatch victory right from under your nose.
- A strategy with high replayability.
Despite the fact that Root is a strategic game, where the ability to manage your own faction is of great importance, it offers high replayability. It will not be enough just to learn how to manage one of the roles. To consider yourself a master of seizing forest territories, you’ll need to master the tricks of each side of the conflict so that during future battles, you understand each player’s actions and can adapt to them. And once you have mastered the art of fighting in the autumn forest, you can always flip the board to the "winter" side, where the initial positioning of clearings and territories will always change, making the situation more favorable for one role and challenging for another. It’s also worth mentioning that the game publisher LederGames plans to release one game scenario per month, introducing new mechanics and variety into the familiar forest routine. They have already prepared an October scenario dedicated to Halloween.
Game Components:
- Double-sided game board
- 4 faction boards
- 56 wooden warriors with printed faces (25 cats, 20 birds, 10 mice, and 1 Wandering raccoon)
- 2 battle dice
- 54 main deck cards
- 4 cards of winged rulers
- 2 cards of loyal ministers
- 3 Vagabond character cards
- 15 Vagabond quest cards
- 16 reminder cards
- 6 tokens for sawmills, workshops, and the Marquise de Cat's barracks
- 8 tree tokens
- 7 nest tokens
- 10 support tokens
- 3 rebel base tokens
- 23 item tokens
- 4 ruin tokens
- 3 Vagabond relationship tokens
- 12 winter side suit tokens
- Game rules
- "Laws of Root"
Game duration: 60 to 90 minutes
Number of players: 2 to 4
