Root Board Game

Name: Root Board Game
Price: 3.99 USD
Rating: 4.9 (3688 reviews)
Author: Dire Wolf Digital

Board Game of Woodland Warfare

$3.99 · In‑App Purchases · Designed for iPad

3.7K Ratings
Awards

Editors’ Choice

Apps
Ages

9+
Years
Category

Board
Developer

Dire Wolf Digital
Language

EN
+ 9 More
Size

527.1
MB

Play the digital adaptation of the beloved tabletop board game. Root is a game of adventure and war where 2 to 4 players battle for control of a vast wilderness. The nefarious Marquise de Cat has seized the great woodland, intent on harvesting its riches. Under her rule, the many creatures of the forest have banded together. This Alliance will seek to strengthen its resources and subvert the rule of Cats. In this effort, the Alliance may enlist the help of the wandering Vagabonds who are able to move through the more dangerous woodland paths. Though some may sympathize with the Alliance’s hopes and dreams, these wanderers are old enough to remember the great birds of prey who once controlled the woods. Meanwhile, at the edge of the region, the proud, squabbling Eyrie have found a new commander who they hope will lead their faction to resume their ancient birthright. The stage is set for a contest that will decide the fate of the great woodland. It is up to the players to decide which group will ultimately take root.

Ratings & Reviews

4.9

out of 5

3.7K Ratings

How board game apps should be done.
10/17/2020

Chriss Jackson
Root is a fantastic game. It’s not an easy game to learn, nor is it for everyone. But for anyone out there interested in this strategic war game set in a woodland setting with cats, birds, mice, and even a lone badger thrown in, you couldn’t ask for better. Many apps translate a board game experience into a digital experience fairly easily, and with roots intrinsic complexity you wouldn’t fault a more basic experience for this one, but that’s not what you’re getting here. No, this is the premium deal with combat animation and catchy beats, each character on the map has heart; this is bar none the best digital adaption I’ve ever witnessed. Bravo to the developers. If your new to root or just to the app, the tutorials are brilliant. The controls are fairly straight forward, but give the tutorials a glance, because there’s a lot going on. That being said, the app condenses much of the fiddliness of the physical game and manages things with ease.A couple of points that I’d love the developer to consider in future updates: an option to invite friends to a game and a small notification when a message in in-game chat has been sent. Thanks.

Developer Response
Hi Chriss! Thank you so much for the incredibly kind words, we deeply appreciate you taking the time to share your thoughts! We are absolutely thrilled to hear you are enjoying Root!As for your feedback, we are working towards making Root the best it can be and we hope to incorporate new features and quality of life improvements as we move forward! If you have additional thoughts or feedback, you can always drop a line to support@direwolfdigital.com as well!
How board game apps should be done.
10/17/2020

Chriss Jackson

Root is a fantastic game. It’s not an easy game to learn, nor is it for everyone. But for anyone out there interested in this strategic war game set in a woodland setting with cats, birds, mice, and even a lone badger thrown in, you couldn’t ask for better. Many apps translate a board game experience into a digital experience fairly easily, and with roots intrinsic complexity you wouldn’t fault a more basic experience for this one, but that’s not what you’re getting here. No, this is the premium deal with combat animation and catchy beats, each character on the map has heart; this is bar none the best digital adaption I’ve ever witnessed. Bravo to the developers. If your new to root or just to the app, the tutorials are brilliant. The controls are fairly straight forward, but give the tutorials a glance, because there’s a lot going on. That being said, the app condenses much of the fiddliness of the physical game and manages things with ease.A couple of points that I’d love the developer to consider in future updates: an option to invite friends to a game and a small notification when a message in in-game chat has been sent. Thanks.
Developer Response 10/19/2020
Hi Chriss! Thank you so much for the incredibly kind words, we deeply appreciate you taking the time to share your thoughts! We are absolutely thrilled to hear you are enjoying Root!As for your feedback, we are working towards making Root the best it can be and we hope to incorporate new features and quality of life improvements as we move forward! If you have additional thoughts or feedback, you can always drop a line to support@direwolfdigital.com as well!
Great way to learn the game
05/05/2022

Jenching!
Friends that we usually play board games with every winter weekend bought the board game and remarked how complicated it seemed. Not knowing anything of it, I downloaded the instructions and tried going through it without the board or pieces and I was lost. Even online videos were confusing but the game looked interesting and I read about the app. I decided to download it even though it was $10 and I was hooked!!! This game is so charming and a lot of fun and the app really explains well how to play the game and it translates to the board game very good as well. I played the four basic factions Friday and we played the board game Saturday with me using the app as a tutorial and it was a lot of fun. I even went out that day to my LFGS to snag what I could of Root and I’m still using the app as a tutorial. The app itself is great as the gameplay follows the board game and the animations are awesome with music that really fits the game. If you are a fan of the board game or just want to learn how to play, this app is a sold must have. Highly recommended and can’t wait for them to release the Underworld Expansion.

Developer Response
Hi there!Thanks for taking the time to leave such a thorough and kind review! We are so thrilled you are enjoying Root!
Great way to learn the game
05/05/2022

Jenching!

Friends that we usually play board games with every winter weekend bought the board game and remarked how complicated it seemed. Not knowing anything of it, I downloaded the instructions and tried going through it without the board or pieces and I was lost. Even online videos were confusing but the game looked interesting and I read about the app. I decided to download it even though it was $10 and I was hooked!!! This game is so charming and a lot of fun and the app really explains well how to play the game and it translates to the board game very good as well. I played the four basic factions Friday and we played the board game Saturday with me using the app as a tutorial and it was a lot of fun. I even went out that day to my LFGS to snag what I could of Root and I’m still using the app as a tutorial. The app itself is great as the gameplay follows the board game and the animations are awesome with music that really fits the game. If you are a fan of the board game or just want to learn how to play, this app is a sold must have. Highly recommended and can’t wait for them to release the Underworld Expansion.
Developer Response 06/03/2022
Hi there!Thanks for taking the time to leave such a thorough and kind review! We are so thrilled you are enjoying Root!
AI/Animation Speed Need Work — Rest is Good
11/21/2020

robbjunk2
Just echoing some comments from other people:(1) Please, please, PLEASE implement an “undo” button. I can’t count the number of times that I’ve clicked the wrong button (especially on the phone, where the buttons are tiny), and can’t go back and fix it. (2) The AI definitely needs work. One poster made a comment about (ex: ) the Eyrie putting cards into its decree that are automatic fails, and the Vagabond choosing strange items to damage. I’d add to that the fact that none of the factions seem to recognize when another one is about to win. They’ll just watch blithely as (ex: ) the Eyrie builds its 5th and 6th roosts and is just a few points away from victory, but the Vagabond with 3 swords or the Cats with plenty of warriors will just bypass lightly-guarded roosts. At some point — when a faction is nearing victory — the other factions need to pay some attention.(3) One more +1 for speeding up battles/animation. The animations are really well done, but I think the game takes 50%-100% longer than it needs to in order to show them off. I don’t need to see (ex: ) each individual bird or cat leap out of the air when they’re recruited, or walk back and forth between clearings. Some sort of setting that lets you speed up the animations, or bypass them entirely with a screen press/button, would certainly make the game less frustrating at times. But it’s a great start — keep up the good work!

Developer Response
Hello robbjunk2! Thank you so much for reaching out and for the great review! Hopefully some of the updates we've made since your comments have improved your experience! Thank you, and have fun playing Root!
AI/Animation Speed Need Work — Rest is Good
11/21/2020

robbjunk2

Just echoing some comments from other people:(1) Please, please, PLEASE implement an “undo” button. I can’t count the number of times that I’ve clicked the wrong button (especially on the phone, where the buttons are tiny), and can’t go back and fix it. (2) The AI definitely needs work. One poster made a comment about (ex: ) the Eyrie putting cards into its decree that are automatic fails, and the Vagabond choosing strange items to damage. I’d add to that the fact that none of the factions seem to recognize when another one is about to win. They’ll just watch blithely as (ex: ) the Eyrie builds its 5th and 6th roosts and is just a few points away from victory, but the Vagabond with 3 swords or the Cats with plenty of warriors will just bypass lightly-guarded roosts. At some point — when a faction is nearing victory — the other factions need to pay some attention.(3) One more +1 for speeding up battles/animation. The animations are really well done, but I think the game takes 50%-100% longer than it needs to in order to show them off. I don’t need to see (ex: ) each individual bird or cat leap out of the air when they’re recruited, or walk back and forth between clearings. Some sort of setting that lets you speed up the animations, or bypass them entirely with a screen press/button, would certainly make the game less frustrating at times. But it’s a great start — keep up the good work!
Developer Response 04/06/2021
Hello robbjunk2! Thank you so much for reaching out and for the great review! Hopefully some of the updates we've made since your comments have improved your experience! Thank you, and have fun playing Root!
Just 1 Issue (2 now, there's errata!)
11/21/2020

Rob the W.
Great port of the boardgame. This is really well-done! My only issue is that I usually play in 2D (I love to see the entire board at once) and, while in 2D, the bottom-most left clearing is covered by the Vagabond's "mat," when I play that character. I can't see the pieces in that clearing. Also, the 2 other clearings on the left side are obscured by other "mats." Since we can't scroll the board in 2D, I have to switch back and forth (2D/3D) to see what's in the clearings. We should be able to scroll the board in 2D so no clearings are ever obscured. Put this fix in and the game is a solid 5 Stars.OK, lowered my score due to another HUGE problem -- the lack of an "Undo" button after you perform an action but before any dice are rolled/cards revealed, etc. I have now lost 3 games as the Vagabond as I selected an incorrect item by mistake, didn't notice until I selected it and was unable to undo the choice after I hit continue (twice this happened because the screen is small and my fingers aren't).Please put in an Undo button to cancel a given action as long as you haven't rolled dice, revealed something or moved to a new action. Do this and the game's rating rises again. As is, too frustrating to me to lose games because I touched the wrong part of the screen. :-(

Developer Response
Hi Rob! Thanks for taking the time to share your thoughts, we are so happy to hear you are enjoying Root! Would you mind sharing this feedback and maybe a screenshot with our team at support@direwolfdigital.com so we can take a look?
Just 1 Issue (2 now, there's errata!)
11/21/2020

Rob the W.

Great port of the boardgame. This is really well-done! My only issue is that I usually play in 2D (I love to see the entire board at once) and, while in 2D, the bottom-most left clearing is covered by the Vagabond's "mat," when I play that character. I can't see the pieces in that clearing. Also, the 2 other clearings on the left side are obscured by other "mats." Since we can't scroll the board in 2D, I have to switch back and forth (2D/3D) to see what's in the clearings. We should be able to scroll the board in 2D so no clearings are ever obscured. Put this fix in and the game is a solid 5 Stars.OK, lowered my score due to another HUGE problem -- the lack of an "Undo" button after you perform an action but before any dice are rolled/cards revealed, etc. I have now lost 3 games as the Vagabond as I selected an incorrect item by mistake, didn't notice until I selected it and was unable to undo the choice after I hit continue (twice this happened because the screen is small and my fingers aren't).Please put in an Undo button to cancel a given action as long as you haven't rolled dice, revealed something or moved to a new action. Do this and the game's rating rises again. As is, too frustrating to me to lose games because I touched the wrong part of the screen. :-(
Developer Response 11/03/2020
Hi Rob! Thanks for taking the time to share your thoughts, we are so happy to hear you are enjoying Root! Would you mind sharing this feedback and maybe a screenshot with our team at support@direwolfdigital.com so we can take a look?

The Woodland is getting wilder! Hirelings & Landmarks arrives soon with new ways to shape the map, and fresh faces to sway the balance of power! Alongside the new expansion, we’ve shipped a broad round of polish based on your feedback. You’ll notice tighter rules fidelity with the tabletop game, steadier performance, and smarter opponents — all aimed at improving the overall experience. Jump in, explore new combos, and tell us what you uncover — your reports have been instrumental in making Root Digital the best it can be! General Improvements * By popular demand, the Marquise Field Hospital timing now matches tabletop in all modes except online asynch play. * Added ‘Bluff’ option when creating a game. If enabled, priority is passed to take actions regardless of the contents of players hands. Applies to Ambush, Field Hospital, Feline Physicians, and Rabbit Scouts. Only available in live timer games. * Vagabond and Eyrie AI have been significantly improved, bringing their scores more in line with other base factions. * Automatic camera movement is now optional and disabled by default. * Added a deck count to the supply window. * VFX highlight now appears on the “maximize prompt” button. * “Anytime” actions such as Exposure have been streamlined to minimize unnecessary extra prompt windows. Bug Fixes General Fixes & Improvements * Marquise can now select any clearing for their first Homeland on the Mountain map. * Marquise no longer counts spent wood for Rule using Soup Kitchens. * Vagabond “Anytime in Birdsong” cards can now be used before Refresh and Slip as intended. * Murine Brokers no longer occasionally grant multiple cards to opponents. * Guessing Exposure incorrectly no longer lets Eyrie skip adding to the Decree. * Correct Expose guesses no longer reveal the card to other players. * Fixed an issue where Marquise was unable to choose all legal homeland locations on the Lake Map. * Keepers in Iron can now choose homeland clearings correctly on the Winter Map. * Improved several areas where AI made strange choices. * Fixed many issues involving the Undo function. * Improved certain areas of the Tutorial which caused confusion. Visual & Animation * Dominance animations now show the correct faction backgrounds for the Duchy and the Corvids. * Some assets on the Lake map no longer overlap buildings and tokens. * Warriors no longer appear inside the tower on the Mountain map. * Clouds in Strategic View now blend smoothly. * Vagabond “Quest Completed” animation now plays as expected. * Keepers in Iron relics and Vagabonds no longer cause trees to disappear on the Winter Map. * Trees no longer clip through the Marquise Keep when a Favor card removes the token. * The Duchy Citadel icon now appears the same as it does in tabletop. User Interface & Experience (UI/UX) * Available faction icons are larger and easier to select on large-UI mobile devices. * Some HUD elements are no longer off-screen on some dvices. * Selecting Bird cards now works correctly when suited cards are also available for the Keepers in Iron on mobile devices. * Vagabond icons now display correctly when using the Ferry on the Lake map in Strategic View. * Expose now highlights the correct clearing in Strategic View. * Wood highlights for Marquise are more visible in Strategic View. * Vagabond targeting to strike a Keepers In Iron relic is now clear when multiple relics are stacked. * A confirmation now appears when ending the Vagabond’s turn with actions remaining. * Improved expanded rules for Marquise wood cost visualization. * Field Hospitals prompts no longer block Riverfolk purchase prompts at turn start. * Winter map icons no longer cover neighboring clearing costs. And many more! See you in the clearings!