Overview:

Name: Root

BGG Weight: 3.76 / 5

Year Published: 2018

Publisher: Leder Games

Designer: Cole Wehrle

Number of players: 2-4

Playing time: 60-90 minutes

Game category/theme: Strategy, War, Animals

Board game mechanics: Action Queue, Action Retrieval, Area Majority / Influence, Area Movement, Dice Rolling, Hand Management

 

Ratings:

Strategy: 9.3

Complexity: 8.5

Player interaction: 9.5

Replayability: 9.7

Game Rating: 9.2

Cost: 5

 

Calculations:

Weight Rating = (8.5 + 9.3) = 17.8

Playability Rating = [(9.7 + 9.5 + 9.2) – 8.5] = 19.9

Play Rating Score = (17.8 + 20.9) * 2 = 75.4

Value Rating = 75.4 / 5 = 15.08

 

 

 

Final Score Rating = 75.4 + 15.08 = 90.48

 

Review:

Root is an asymmetric game that puts players in the roles of different animal factions competing for control of a woodland realm. Each faction has its own unique abilities, goals, and strategies, making each game feel fresh and challenging. The game’s area control and influence mechanics are well-designed and allow for a great deal of player interaction and strategy. The art and components of the game are also top-notch, adding to the immersion of the game world.

One downside to the game is its relatively high complexity, which can be overwhelming for new players. Additionally, the game’s balance can be tricky, with certain factions feeling overpowered or underpowered depending on the situation. However, overall the game offers a great deal of replayability and depth, making it a favorite among strategy game enthusiasts.

Root does not offer a solo play option, but it does have a cooperative expansion, The Underworld Expansion, that allows players to work together against automated factions. This expansion adds even more replayability and strategic depth to an already great game.

 

Other games that may appeal to someone who liked Root include:

 

1. 1. Scythe – Another great asymmetric game with deep strategy and beautiful components.
   2. Twilight Imperium – A longer and more complex game that focuses on galactic conquest.
   3. Spirit Island – A cooperative game where players take on the roles of spirits protecting an island from invaders.
   4. War of the Ring – A two-player game where players take on the roles of the Free Peoples of Middle-earth or the Shadow Armies of Sauron.
   5. Blood Rage – A game of Viking conquest and mythology with area control mechanics and card drafting.
   6. Rising Sun – A game of political intrigue and war set in feudal Japan, with a focus on alliances and betrayals.
   7. Gloomhaven – A cooperative dungeon-crawling game with deep strategy and character development.
   8. Terraforming Mars – A game where players compete to terraform Mars by building infrastructure and managing resources.
   9. Eclipse – A game of space exploration and conquest with resource management and combat mechanics.
   10. Kingdom Death: Monster – A cooperative game where players build and evolve a settlement while fighting against monsters and other threats.

This review was provided by Open Source Artificial Intelligence programs.  It uses a series of complex statement to have AI programs amalgomate their databases to produces information on board games.  These reviews are completely unedited output from the AI bots.