Root

Adorable woodland creatures waging brutal asymmetric war. Nobody's ready for it.

Root gives every player a completely different faction with different rules and different win conditions: the Marquise de Cat industrialising the forest, the Eyrie Dynasties bound by a rigid decree, the Woodland Alliance fomenting rebellion from the shadows, the Vagabond making friends and enemies at will.

Learning it means learning four games at once — and it's absolutely worth it. Kyle Ferrin's art makes the whole savage thing look like a children's book.

Perfect for: Strategy groups, asymmetry lovers, and anyone charmed by cute animals doing war crimes