Skip to main content

Browse GamesGame JamsUpload GameWinter Sale 2025Developer LogsCommunity
On Sale: GamesAssetsToolsTabletopComics
Indie game storeFree gamesFun gamesHorror games
Game developmentAssetsComics
SalesBundles
Jobs
TagsGame Engines
Danimal85223 days ago

This faction is beautiful - I love the idea of peaceful factions and seeing how they can interact with the world of Root.

The artwork is stunning and the theming and descriptions are on point - Buddy System is especially adorable!

I admit I'm still a bit confused about the exact details of scoring and feel I'd have to see it in action to fully get my head around it. I imagine it could be an intricate puzzle ala Badgers to set yourself up just right to score big points on a turn.

I wondered if you had any issues around how/why a peaceful faction battles with warriors. I've struggled with the idea thematically when I've brainstormed ideas for peaceful factions, but removing battle has always led to things getting pretty messy and having to rewrite a bunch of rules and interactions to make it work with a faction that doesn't fight. I suppose you could just write a quick line rationalising what is actually happening when warriors are removed (like you mentioned them wandering off), but it's always been a bugbear of mine that I haven't squared the circle on peaceful factions and battling.

Reply
Danimal85223 days ago

Oh, also - two other things:
- it would be great to have a spot on the faction board to place your souvenirs if able

- I love your meeples!

Reply
Danimal85223 days ago

I totally lied - one more thing!

What is the mechanism for using your contingency plan? I could see how you put plans in there but not how you do anything with them.

Reply
MrMirz223 days ago

Yeah, maybe I could put part of a card outline at the bottom as a place to keep souvenirs! That could work well.

Reply
MrMirz223 days ago (1 edit)

Thank you for checking them out! The scoring would probably need to be fine tuned as I develop them further, but I think a comparison to Badgers is valid as they need to consider the board state and figure out where to go next. 

The basic idea for scoring is you have the 4 itinerary slots, one for each suit, and contingency which is essentially wild. To score you choose one clearing you rule (without a Visitor Center) then look at all connected clearings you rule (similar to cats being able to build with wood) without Visitor Centers. Then you look at each itinerary item that was completed (contingency plans don’t need to conform to a suit and are therefore easier to score).

The wording probably could be cleared up, but the goal is to get them to swarm around the map to new places, that’s what the “no Visitor Center” requirement is for.

The issue with battling is valid, but I wanted the faction to be able to change the board state to fit their objectives. I kind of pictured it as tourists that forcefully want to see an abandoned ruin and resort to fighting all the people there so that they can have the experience they are looking for. Maybe that’s a little dark, but I couldn’t think of a way to keep their agency and get around that.

Reply
Danimal85222 days ago

Ok, I think I understand it clearer now - thanks for talking me through it. I thought the Contingency Plan might basically be birds but wasn't sure. I think it would be helpful to show that with a bird symbol as it's a handy shorthand for Root players to understand its role at a glance. So maybe just (bird symbol) Contingency as otherwise, you'd have to reduce the font size to make it fit.

I was also thinking you could remove mention of 'face up' and 'face down', and instead just add 'Place plans face down' in small text below the Contingency Plan slot. I feel like you would naturally assume cards get placed face up, so only need to specify the one exception.

I hope you don't mind, but I've had a crack at rewording the Evening phases in a slightly shorter, hopefully clearer way:

- Place a visitor centre in a clearing you rule without one. Score completed plans in that clearing, and in any connected clearings you rule without Visitor Centres.

- If you Scheduled plans, place 1 in the (bird symbol) Contingency. Then, one at a time, add the remaining plans to the Itinerary slot with the fewest plans, excluding (bird symbol) Contingency.

One thing that has just occurred - if you score in a mouse clearing then have another connected mouse clearing, do you rescore the same plans in that slot? Or is a scored plan removed from the Itinerary? That might need clarifying somewhere if that's the case.

Reply
MrMirz222 days ago

I appreciate the rewording! That’s something that I wanted to get people’s opinions and suggestions on earlier but I just ran out of time. I like your suggestions for the itinerary as well!

As for rescoring, you should remove the plan to score the point so you wouldn’t be able to score twice. I tried to word the card in a similar way to VB quests, but it can probably be more clear.

Reply
Danimal85222 days ago

Yeah, it's a tricky one to word clearly and succinctly but worth the effort, as I think it's a really interesting scoring system. 

I completely forgot the cards clearly state 'Add to souvenirs' so I don't think it's unclear - just my slip up.

But it has just occurred to me that it might be worth thinking about swapping the placement of some text on the cards. I assume part of the reason the bulk of the Itinerary goes face up is so that players know what you're aiming for and can sabotage accordingly, like the Decree. But as they stack on top of each other like the Decree, it could be worth having the name of the location at the bottom and the details ('one empty corner clearing', 'a clearing with a building and 2 warriors', etc) at the top, so as they stack on top of each other, other players can see the goal of each card.

I think the fact that my brain's swimming with little ideas and tweaks around this faction shows what a cool and exciting one it is!

Reply
MrMirz222 days ago (1 edit) (+2)

Yeah I really appreciate all the feedback and brainstorming! When I playtested I was stacking them in the reverse order so that all the goals are showing at the bottom, for the reason you stated. That way it sort of reads like a sentence "Visit... a corner clearing... a ruin... in a Mouse Clearing".

Reply
Danimal85221 days ago(+1)

Oh, they look great stacked like that, that totally works! I guess it might be worth adding something in the Law to guide people on how to stack them, as I imagine most would instinctively tuck cards like the decree and retinue. But not worth adding anything to the faction board about it, as I think that could get messy. I just love how well thought out this faction is.

Reply
MrMirz221 days ago(+1)

thanks! Yeah I definitely want to make a few changes and then work on the law to clarify a few things.

Reply
Danimal85222 days ago

And yes, the battle issue with peaceful factions is a frustrating quirk, but not sure how to get around it. I guess you just bring your own logic to it. I could see the battle as jostling people out of the way for a better view, or an attraction being overbooked and fighting for space or something.

Reply
AboutFAQBlogContact us
Copyright © 2025 itch corp · Directory · Terms · Privacy · Cookies