Root Digital’s Underworld Expansion adds corvid and mole factions
Dig for victory.
The next expansion for the video game version of Root will add two new factions.
Root Digital: The Underworld Expansion is the upcoming release for the digital board game. Based on the expansion for the original tabletop version of Root, The Underworld Expansion will introduce two playable factions - The Underground Duchy and The Corvid Conspiracy – alongside two additional maps and a new a way to set up the game, that will enable more detailed options for starting locations and hands.
The Underground Duchy a kingdom of subterranean moles who believe the war taking place in the woodland has gotten out of hand. In an effort to bring order to the chaos on the surface, a subsection of moles have successfully swayed a minister to lead a woodland invasion. The Underground Duchy works similarly to the Eyrie faction found in the original Root – wherein players can be forced to switch out leaders – but in combination with the Marquise de Cat’s building abilities.
What makes The Underground Duchy especially unique is the faction’s ability to move between clearings via a network of tunnels that only their units can use. Using these tunnels, players can set up ambushes or powerful sieges on other factions. Depending on how many cards matching clearings containing Duchy pieces the player has revealed, they’ll be able to sway more powerful ministers to their cause: receiving the corresponding number of victory points in return. Meaning that the more clearings a player controls, the more victory points they’ll be able to score each round.
The Corvid Conspiracy is a faction entirely designed around trickery and sabotage. As a murder of crows skilled in the arts of skulduggery, The Corvid Conspiracy seek to sow chaos amongst the warring factions of the woodland. Using plot tokens, players can meddle with their opponents’ plans, prepare ambushes and score victory points. Players will have access to a variety of different plot tokens, each one having a negative effect on the faction unfortunate enough to be present when it triggers.
By placing plot tokens across the board, players will be able to give themselves advantages in battle, trick players into giving them cards and gain victory points for every token they flip in a clearing containing their corvid units. Possibly the most invaluable aspect of The Corvid Conspiracy is the faction’s ability to move units between clearings regardless of who controls it, allowing for a lot of strategic potential.
Root Digital: The Underworld Expansion was developed by Dire Wolf, the company behind Root Digital and tabletop titles such as deckbuilding game Clank!. The original Root board game was designed by Cole Wehrle and published by Leder Games.
Root Digital is a video game version of Root, which is considered to be one of the best board games of the modern era. The digital game sees players taking control of a faction with the goal of being the first to score 30 victory points. Each faction has a different playstyle and method of gaining victory points, with players needing to understand how their opponents’ factions function as well as their own. Throughout the game, players will be able to move units to clearings on the board, with battles sometimes resulting from a player-move. Root Digital features modes that enable players to challenge each other both online and locally, with a solo mode also included.
The Underworld Expansion for Root Digital is set to be released March 30th for PC, iOS and Android mobiles, as well as Nintendo Switch.