"root" is a game about you.

Let's say that you and I are in a forest. There's no mayor, there's no sheriff, there's no authority figure of any kind that's out here. There's just the trees and the paths, and we don't know each other either. So the first question is simple in this situation. Who's in charge? Maybe you have some skills, you've built things, and maybe you think builders should be in charge. Maybe you've lived in the forest for a long time and so it should be you. Maybe you don't think anybody should be in charge and you start printing out pamphlets and putting them in the bushes. Maybe you are just passing through, you are strapped up, and you want to be left alone.

Root is basically a game about that question. If we don't know that much about each other, who should be in charge? And this is a game about war, but more importantly than that, it is an ideological conflict. Every faction in Root isn't just mechanically different and has a different gameplay style. They have a different theory of power. The Marquis de Cat believes in industry, in order, in ownership. She plays an engine building game. The Eerie Dynasties worship tradition and legacy. They play a programming game that punishes inflexibility. The Woodland Alliance believe in popular uprising. They play an insurgency game. The Vagabond is out here believing in himself. He is playing a Zelda type RPG in the middle of this war.

So each of these factions has a different theory of power and a different way of being in the world, which is very rare. Most games, when you play them, you are competing in the same economy with different powers. In Root, you all have totally different realities. Another thing about Root is that it is conflict driven and conflict based. You cannot wait out a conflict in Root, and in fact, a passive player can become a threat to you just based on what they allow to happen in their territory. So when you are inactive, it is a political act in Root. A victory is not just about points. It is about manipulating the perception and tempo of the other players. Like maybe you want to build quietly. Maybe you want to let somebody get ahead and then drop them just in time. Maybe you want to offer help to the people around you for a price. This is just how the game works.

And Root is a story engine because every time you play it, there is a fable. An empire overextends itself and burns out. Or the rebellion wins by surprise with a final burst of sympathy. Or one guy plays all the sides until he comes out on top. The rules do not tell a story. The player choices will write a story. And the drama is very real because the stakes are uneven. The goals are unclear until later in the game. And this is also a game where you can't win alone, but you really want to. This is a game where you are encouraged to make temporary alliances. You need other people to rise up in the game and then for you to cut their legs out.

So the balance in this game is not about math. It is about social manipulation. Which means that in this group you are going to have king making. You are going to have meta strategy. You are going to have a lot of people who are salty and pissed off at each other. Root is a game that kind of grows with your playgroup. Like an ecosystem. Like a league. And over time, the more you play it, the more you learn about the other players. On the surface, this game is very cute. If you look at the board and box art, it kind of reminds you of something like Redwall. But when you play it, it is unforgiving. There are no takebacks. It is very elegant.

And there are expansions. There are, you know, we talked about a bunch of animals here. So there's moles. There's crows. There's rats. And they have their own game mechanics. And they also have their own philosophical tensions that are played through in the game. So I really like this game Root. It works because it's not just asymmetrical. It's not just a board game. It's a conversation. It's about how we organize power. How we build trust. How we respond when trust breaks down. And each faction steps into this game with a different idea of what the world should look like. And every game is an experiment in how those ideas twist and clash and evolve. It is a very good time.

You do not need to know the rules by heart. You know I didn't even explain all the rules to you. Just bring your perspective. The way you think people should work together. What kind of leadership makes sense to you. How you build something when the world is moving around you. Here is my ask. I'm inviting business owners and creative people and community builders here in Albuquerque to play this game with me. There are no sales pitches. There's no strategy session. It is just a chance to think out loud with people who have the same kinds of modes of thought of trying to build things in real life.

If you've ever tried to lead a team or run a project or fix a broken process or survive a very chaotic week in your business, you're definitely halfway through to understanding this game. Let's get together and roll up our sleeves and see how this game goes. Snacks are provided. Yeah, thanks. Have a good one.