Wouter & Ymke 
In Arborea, players step into the shoes of patron spirits tasked with revitalizing a once-thriving, now devastated landscape. The game’s setting is a world where fertile lands have been ravaged, and players must guide their villagers in restoring and nurturing the natural environment. As players work to rebuild this ecosystem, they attract mystical creatures back to the newly rejuvenated land.
👥 1-5 players, ages 14+
⌛ Playing time: 90-120 minutes
📝 Designer: Dani Garcia
🎨 Artwork: Javier González Cava & Nicolas Gendron
🏢 Publisher: Alley Cat Games
During their turn, players send one of their villagers to a pilgrimage track or advance a track of their choice. Each time a track advances, every player can decide to let their villagers step off the track, moving to paths above or below. The active player can then utilize up to two villagers near the tracks. These villagers journey along the paths, performing various actions such as gathering resources, inviting creatures, presenting offerings to forest sages, and training fellow villagers.
🏡 After the villagers return home, players can complete a card from their hand, further expanding their ecosystem and making it more inviting for creatures in future turns. The turn ends with the movement of the pilgrimage tracks, giving all players another opportunity to exit the tracks.
🔄 What’s special about Arborea is the shared resource system. Resources are tracked with markers consisting of two parts, moving independently. As players collect resources, they move one part of the marker, indicating available resources. When spending resources, the markers decrease accordingly. At turn’s end, any disconnected markers reunite, with the active player earning points for these, balancing the act of resource management and incentivizing leaving resources for others.
🎨 Arborea has a very bright and colorful appearance. But although initially overwhelming, these colors don’t detract from the gameplay experience. Strategic planning is essential in Arborea, especially in deciding the movement and actions of your villagers. Timing is critical – choosing when to leave tracks, activate villagers, and in what sequence, can make the difference between winning and losing. Also striking a balance in resource management is key, as players must cater to their own needs while also leaving resources for others, creating interplay among players.
💭 Arborea was a delightful surprise for us. It’s a fresh, solid eurogame with a good amount of interaction. If you’re looking for a game with these qualities, this game is definitely worth a try.
