Root Board Game Review

It might seem silly to be reviewing Root in 2024, but when Leder Games opened up their library to us to look at the plethora of games they have available, we jumped at the chance. And I’m so glad I did. After taking Oath for a spin – what a fantastic experience  – it was time to try something just a bit different in Root. You can check out our full components overview and review of Root, but let’s get into how the game works!

In Root (the core game), players will be taking on one of 4 different factions, all with different powers, different goals, and different ways to ultimately earn points and win. This variety is what makes Root so incredibly fun to play, but also frustratingly difficult to teach. The 4 different factions play nothing alike, and trying to find common ground between them is pretty useless. Sure, there are a set few rules, but even those can be broken. Yes, you need to either control a clearing you are moving from, or have control of a clearing you are moving to, if you want to move at all. That is a standard rule, but wouldn’t you know it – it can be broken in certain circumstances.

And those “yes it is a rule, but someone can break it in a specific way” moments are the hardest thing to wrap your mind around in root. Ultimately, the goal for everyone’s the same – either score 30 points, or complete an objective you’ve selected. How do you achieve that goal? Wildly different.

The teaching of Root is going to take more than 5 minutes, and after you’ve spent 30-45 minutes explaining all the ins and outs of the various factions, you’ll realize you better be getting this to the table a few times over the next week or two to make it all worth it. And that really is the situation with Root. I can play medium weight board games all day, do it once, and not do it again for 6 months to a year, and still have a decent idea of what is going on. You cannot do that with Root.

Root really is a commitment, not just of one precious board game night, but 2 out of 3 board game nights for the next month or two. What our group quickly realized is that the more time you put into Root, the more time you are going to get out of Root. In preparation for this game, I set up a number of unofficial polls across different board game groups I’m in, all with the same three questions. First, did you enjoy Root?; second, did you enjoy Root after your first and second game?; and third, how many times in the first month did you play after learning it for the first time. The results, frankly, were not that surprising.

Many people fell out of love – or never fell in love – with Root after one or two plays, but what was the most surprising was the number of people who indicated they did NOT enjoy Root after their first two games, but now do enjoy Root. It was the proof I was looking for, and a statement I will say once again: Root is a complex game, and the more you put into it, the more you get out of it.

I love the balanced nature of the experience as well, whether you are playing as the Eyrie Dynasties, Marquise de Cat, Woodland Alliance, or the Vagabond. Regardless of who you choose to play, I’ve seen victories come from all the different factions. And since they all feel so unique, it will be a while until you feel that what you are playing isn’t quite as interesting and unique as it first was. But when that sets in, Leder Games have an abundance of additional factions you can purchase, which somehow all continue to feel balanced. There is nothing worse than picking a faction knowing you won’t win. That happens a lot in games, especially those that release expansion after expansion. I’ve never found that in Root, although I admittedly haven’t played them all.

By this point, you are probably wondering when I’m going to get into the “How to Play” for Root so you have a better idea of what to expect. But frankly, I don’t think I can. The basics is that you are playing out a battle for the forest amongst a number of clearings. You might be hunting for items, attempting to have dominance, building workshops and more, or attempting to get favor with the people for an uprising. There is SO much going on, and typing a few paragraphs will never do it justice.

Root is a very strategic experience, with unique ways to play depending on who you are. If you like games where everyone is playing their own little game on their own – think something like Merchants Cove if you are familiar with that – within the wider world, then Root is something you are going to really enjoy. If you don’t like having to know how all the other players play their characters, and you find that information dump too much to track, then this won’t work for you.

I didn’t think it would, but somehow Root is working really well for me. And I cannot wait to play even more of it!