Root creator on future expansions -“I don’t think we’re at the end of it”
“We can probably do a few more factions.”
The creator of Root, Cole Wehrle, has stated that there could be more expansions coming for the game in the future.
In an interview with Dicebreaker, Wehrle spoke about the future of Root and whether the asymmetric board might receive more releases later down the line. Despite the designer and Patrick Leder – the founder of Root’s publisher, Leder Games – hinting that last year’s Marauder expansion might signal the end of large-scale development on the game, Wehrle thinks that there is more room in the series. “Root is much bigger than anyone on the team ever thought it would be,” said Wehrle, “I don’t think we’re at the end of it.”
Wehrle spoke about how Root’s success has enabled Leder Games to pursue some “crazy experiments” such as last year’s Oath and the upcoming board game Arcs: Conflict and Collapse in the Void, “those things wouldn’t exist if Root hadn’t happened the way it did,” he said. Despite the fact that the success experienced by the tabletop title – which is considered one of the best board games of all time – came as a complete surprise to Wehrle and the development team. “Root continues to sell well and brings new people in, but I don’t fully understand its success,” he admitted.
The designer did confirm that the major gameplay mechanics introduced in the Marauder expansion – such as introducing a hireling system and advanced setup system – would be the last of the “system adjustments” added to Root. However, there is potential for more hireling types to be introduced, as well as maps and even more factions, if “people really want [them]”.
The possibility that Root could receive more content is the reason why, according to Wehrle, the game is yet to have a big box edition. “Whenever someone asks us about a big box for Root we’re always bemused by it,” he explained, “I think the big difference between Root and other games like Everdell is that Root is really quite alive […] I don’t want to present it as a finished thing.”
Root is a board game for two to four players that focuses on warring factions competing for power within a wood. In the game, each player takes control of a single faction – whether the Eyrie, the Woodland Alliance, the Marquise de Cat or the Vagabond – and attempts to be the first player to gather 30 victory points or achieve the requirements for a dominance card. All of the factions in Root use different gameplay mechanics, with players moving their pieces into clearings on the map in order to perform actions such as collecting items, destroying enemy tokens and attacking their opponents’ units.
Besides Root, Wehrle is also the creator of other titles published by Leder Games, such as Oath and the aforementioned Arcs, as well as several historical themed board games like Pax Pamir: Second Edition and John Company.
Root: The Marauder Expansion is set to be released sometime this year, with Leder Games yet to confirm any future expansions.