Tree Society – A Fruity Economy in the Heart of the Forest

Deep in the heart of the forest, a new community is coming to life. Architects, writers, merchants, and botanists are working together, trading local fruits to build a thriving society among the trees. Every contribution matters, but some will leave a bigger mark than others. Are you the one who will shape this new world the most?

👥 2-4 players, ages 8+
⌛ Playing time: 45 minutes
📝 Designers: Matthew Dunstan & Brett J. Gilbert
🎨 Artwork: Chris Quilliams

🏢 Publisher: Next Move Games (review copy provided by Asmodee Belgium).

Gameplay Overview

Tree Society plays out over an undefined number of rounds, continuing until one player has completed guild cards worth six or more banners.

On your turn, the first thing you do is sell exactly one fruit from the face-up cards on your player board. The number of coins you earn depends on how many of that fruit type are visible across the table, including your own, your opponents’, and the ones in the market. You count them up, take that many coins, and add them to your purse.

Next, you activate the special ability of the fruit you just sold. This could allow you to take a fruit from the market, sell an extra fruit, refresh the guild card rows, build at a reduced cost, or stash some coins in your chest for later.

Once that action is resolved, it’s time to build. You can construct as many guild cards as you can afford.

Guild cards are available from the market, and the cost is shown on their lowest level. When you build a new guild, you place it in your ongoing section, where you can have up to three unfinished guilds at a time. You also place your tree marker on its lowest level and activate any immediate effects it provides.

Some guild cards offer instant perks, like letting you build another level right away, gaining coins, refreshing cards in the market, or triggering other benefits. Others provide ongoing effects, such as extra income when selling certain fruits or discounts when building.

Instead of starting a new guild, you can choose to advance one you’ve already started. You pay the cost of the next level, move your tree marker up, and activate any new effect if applicable.

When a guild reaches its final level, you flip the card over, move it to your completed section, and free up space for a new guild in your ongoing section. Completed guilds provide one to three banners, along with either a set number of points or a special scoring condition.

At the end of your turn, the game moves into the rest phase. Your sold fruit gets moved to your personal sold fruit pile. If you have more than two coins in your purse, you reduce it to two, but you can refill it with any coins you stored in your chest during your turn. After that, the next player takes their turn.

The game continues until one player reaches six or more banners, triggering the final round. After that, it’s time to count up the points.

First, you add up the points next to your tree markers on any unfinished guild cards. Then, you count the points from your completed guilds, including any scoring bonuses they provide. Some cards reward points based on sold fruits of a certain type, while others score based on matching or different guild banners.

When all the points are tallied, the player with the highest total is declared the most prominent contributor to the new Tree Society.

Game Info

Tree Society is a family-friendly strategy game published by Next Move Games, the same company behind the popular Azul series. It’s designed by Matthew Dunstan and Brett J. Gilbert, a duo known for games like The Guild of Merchant Explorers, Elysium, and Chocolate Factory. In this game, they bring players into a lush forest where the goal is to grow a flourishing tree-based society through smart trading and clever construction.

The game plays with two to four players and lasts around 30 to 60 minutes, which makes it a great fit for family game nights. The recommended age is eight and up, meaning younger players can join in without too much trouble, but there’s still enough strategy to keep more experienced players engaged. It’s one of those games that feels just right in length, long enough to be satisfying but never overstaying its welcome.

Components, Production, and Artwork

First things first, let’s talk about the physical game itself. Since it’s from Next Move Games, the production quality was expected to be solid, and for the most part, it delivers.

One of the best components has to be the wooden coins. They’re thick, sturdy, and painted green, with a simple leaf design left unpainted for contrast. They feel nice to handle and add a bit of weight to the experience. The game comes with two sizes of cards: smaller fruit cards and larger, almost tarot-sized guild cards. This makes it easy to tell them apart during play, which is always a plus.

If there’s one downside, it’s that the player boards and the central board are on the thinner side. They do the job, but a thicker material would have given them a sturdier feel. On the other hand, the game includes small cardboard chests for players to store coins, which need to be assembled before the first play. Fortunately, they fit neatly in the box, so you don’t have to take them apart every time.

The artwork by Chris Quilliams is stunning. The game has a warm, inviting look, with beautifully illustrated guild cards that make you feel like you’re part of this little forest society. The colors are rich and vibrant, and the whole aesthetic is just relaxing to look at. It also takes accessibility into account, with colorblind-friendly symbols on the cards to help differentiate them. The game is language dependent, as the guild card abilities include written text. Players will need to be comfortable reading the language used in the game to fully understand and play effectively.

Gameplay – A Strategic Balance of Trade and Construction

Now that we’ve looked at what’s in the box, let’s see how the game plays out. Tree Society is one of those games that’s easy to explain but offers plenty to think about once you get going. The heart of the game is a mix of economic management, action selection, and engine-building, with fruit trading as the driving force behind everything.

Every turn, you sell a fruit from your board. The amount of coins you get depends on how many of that fruit type are currently visible on all boards, including your opponents’ and the central market. This means prices fluctuate constantly, so choosing the right moment to sell can make a big difference. There’s a real sense of timing involved, and if you’re not paying attention, you might sell too soon and leave money on the table.

But selling fruit isn’t just about earning coins. Each fruit type also triggers a specific action when sold, allowing you to do things like take extra fruit, sell another fruit, refresh the guild market, or store coins for later. Since you can only hold a limited number of coins between turns, figuring out when to save and when to spend becomes an important part of the strategy.

After selling a fruit, you move on to the guild construction phase. You can spend your earnings to either start a new guild or upgrade an existing one. Each guild starts at its lowest level and offers an immediate benefit, an ongoing effect, or a scoring condition. Deciding when to invest in upgrades is a key part of the game. Sometimes, it’s better to wait an extra turn and get more value out of a build rather than rushing into it.

Once a guild is fully upgraded, it moves to the completed section of your board. Completed guilds provide banners, which are needed to trigger the game’s ending, as well as points that count toward your final score. Some guilds give fixed points, while others provide scoring bonuses based on specific conditions, like the types of fruits you’ve sold or the number of guilds you’ve completed.

Variable Setup – A New Challenge Each Time

The central aspect that adds variety to Tree Society is the way the guilds are set up. The game includes six different guild decks, but only four are used per game.

For a first play, the publisher recommends using the banker, merchant, architect, and writer guilds, as they introduce basic effects that are easy to understand. The other two guild types, explorers and botanists, give players more to consider when planning their moves. Explorers introduce mandatory effects that must be performed to build certain levels, while botanists allow players to reveal and choose cards from the deck.

This system keeps things fresh since different guild combinations lead to different strategies. Some games will feel more focused on economy, while others might have more emphasis on chaining abilities or scoring conditions.

Final Thoughts – A Relaxing Yet Strategic Game

Tree Society is the kind of game that fits perfectly into a family game night. The rules are straightforward and easy to grasp, but there’s enough depth to keep more experienced players interested. It doesn’t take long to learn, and turns flow quickly, making it an enjoyable, low-stress experience.

One of the most enjoyable aspects is the way players affect each other’s sales. Since fruit prices change based on availability, keeping an eye on what your opponents are doing and selling at the right moment can make a big difference. There’s no direct player interaction, but the way the market shifts from turn to turn creates a nice sense of indirect competition.

The artwork and production are beautifully done, giving the game a relaxing, welcoming feel. The variety in guild cards keeps it fresh, and no two games feel exactly the same. If there’s a downside, it’s that the game’s thin boards and occasional market randomness might not be for everyone. Some players may also prefer a bit more direct player interaction, as the game leans more toward optimization than confrontation.

Is Tree Society for You?

If you enjoy light-to-medium strategy games with a focus on economic management and engine-building, Tree Society is definitely worth a look. It’s an excellent pick for families who want something with simple rules but engaging decisions. Fans of games like Splendor or Century: Spice Road, where efficiency and timing matter, will probably find a lot to enjoy here.

If you’re all about cutthroat competition and messing with your opponents’ plans, this might not scratch that itch. It’s more about playing efficiently than sabotaging others. The market can sometimes feel a little unpredictable, and while there’s strategy in planning when to sell, there isn’t much in the way of direct interference with other players.

In our opinion, Tree Society is a charming and well-designed game that offers a nice mix of strategy and accessibility. It’s easy to learn, fun to play, and beautifully produced, making it a great choice for a casual but rewarding game night.

📝 We received a copy of the game from Asmodee Belgium.