Root Review
Right, if you glance at the box for Root, you will see a collection of incredibly adorable, large-eyed woodland creatures. A raccoon with a tiny sword. A cat with a slightly grumpy expression. Some very polite-looking birds. It looks like a delightful romp through a peaceful forest setting.
Do not be fooled! This is an absolute bloodbath. Designed by Cole Wehrle and published by Leder Games, it is an intensely aggressive, brutally asymmetrical wargame disguised as a children's cartoon. Teaching it to new people is arguably one of the most agonizing experiences in modern gaming. It’s like trying to explain the intricacies of a multi-front geopolitical conflict to a group of toddlers.
The Staggering Asymmetry
The core hook of Root is its extreme asymmetry. Every single faction plays a completely different board game. The Marquise de Cat is playing a standard resource-management euro-game, desperately trying to build sawmills. The Eyrie Dynasties are playing a terrifying programming game where they must rigidly follow a sequence of actions, inevitably collapsing into a massive civil war when they fail.
The Woodland Alliance are actively playing an insurgency simulation, hiding in the shadows and violently bombing cat fortresses. And the Vagabond (the raccoon) is practically playing an open-world RPG, completely ignoring territorial control to wander around crafting tiny boots. Balancing this chaotic cross-pollination of game engines is utterly frantic. Because everyone is playing a different game, no one understands exactly how close the other players are to winning until it's too late.
Suitability: Family vs. Friends
Family Sessions
Could you bring this out with the family? If your idea of family bonding is watching a highly organized bird military aggressively execute a den of mice, then yes. But honestly, no. The learning curve is staggering because you essentially have to teach four entirely separate rulebooks simultaneously. It’s a recipe for a very long, very silent dinner.
Hardcore Gamers
It is explicitly designed for a highly analytical hardcore group who are willing to play it five or six times to fully understand how the intricate ecological murder-engines actually interact. The political maneuvering and table talk are absolutely crucial; you have to actively convince everyone else that you are failing miserably while secretly plotting a game-ending revolt. It’s a brilliant, deep wargaming experience wrapped beneath a gorgeous veneer of deeply angry animals.
Pros and Cons
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
Extreme asymmetry is a brilliant triumph of modern game design. | Teaching four different games simultaneously is literal torture. |
Stunningly cute artwork perfectly masks brutally cutthroat conflict. | If one player fails their role, the entire ecosystem falls apart. |
Endlessly replayable by switching your faction every single game. | Can feel imbalanced until the group learns to naturally police. |
Final Thoughts
Root is completely unique, visually astonishing, and provides an experience unlike anything else on the market. It’s a game that demands mastery and rewards you with a strategic depth that is almost bottomless.
Final Verdict: Buy it yourself. It is completely unique, visually astonishing, and provides an intricately deep wargaming experience wrapped beneath a gorgeous veneer of deeply angry woodland creatures.
