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As someone who has racked up a regrettably large number of hours in the turn-based strategy game Civilization, there are a set of neurons in my brain that light up when I see a hexagon-based world in a game. This primal urge is what first made Roots of Yggdrasil catch my eye. This aspect, in combination with the rich and fascinating world of Norse mythology really made this game stick out to me. I’ll be sharing my thoughts in this Roots of Yggdrasil review.

In this turn-based, roguelike, deck building game we find ourselves rocketed into a post-Ragnarök world. The world tree (Yggdrasil) has been left damaged and broken. We must save the world by restoring Yggdrasil to its former glory. We take on the role of Sunna, the chieftain and captain of our ship. Along with her Viking crew, Tharsir, the stubborn but lovable builder and Lif the brains of the group, we work to restore… THE ROOTS OF YGGDRASIL!

Story – A Mission to Save the World

Before I take this review any further I will do a quick simplified crash course in Norse mythology. If you are familiar with this topic feel free to skip ahead. Yggdrasil is the world tree which brings together the nine Norse Realms inhabited by the Gods. Surrounding the tree is the Ginnungagap, a fog like void. Ragnarök is a series of world altering events which ultimately lead to the apocalypse through the destruction of Yggdrasil and the nine realms. It is about here where we enter the story and discover our intrepid band of Vikings. They and their ship have somehow managed to survive these cataclysmic events.

The group locate the Holt, a piece of the world which has, like them, managed to remain unaffected by the disastrous events preceding the game. This small piece of salvation in a world of destruction forms our base operations. From here we can go out and explore the post-apocalyptic world. While at the Holt, Lif can nurture and study the roots of the world tree in her greenhouse. Meanwhile, Thrasir can develop and maintain the base from his workshop.

From the Holt the group can depart on ‘loops’ in which we venture out into the wasteland to gather resources. Upon the conclusion of our first adventure we meet Ratatoskr, a squirrel-like creature. At first he comes off as untrustworthy through his use of illusions and cryptic nature. Regardless, he tells us that if we wish to save the world we must reach the top of the World Tree, and that he will assist us along the way… assuming we can trust him.

Gameplay – Tense and Addictive

The bulk of gameplay occurs during the aforementioned ‘loops’. We must choose our path through the nine realms, selecting where to stop before our ship runs out of power. When we reach an island we have to repower the ship in order to continue on our journey up Yggdrasil. Using a deck of cards provided to us we have to construct a settlement. Housing cards increase the settlements population. Industry cards increase our settlements production giving us more to spend next turn. Barracks increase our might which we then use to explore the region and tackle any threats that may be in the area. If you’re a fan of board games like myself, you will definitely enjoy this form of gameplay.

As your settlement grows you will be able to unlock new cards. These cards are typically more powerful than your standard hand and bring with them customisable strategies. If you’re ever lost by what a card does the game always provides clear directions when hovered over.

To refuel the ship we have to bloom saplings, located around the map. Each sapling has its own requirement to bloom. For example, a certain population may need to be reached or it may need to be connected to an eitr source (a form of life bringing energy in this world). Once enough saplings have bloomed, the ship will be fuelled, allowing you to set off to the next island.

Danger Ahead

It’s not all that straight forward however, threats will appear along the way which will attempt to harm your settlement. Draugr encampments will spring up around your settlement, or a fire may burn some of your buildings down. But the one you really have to fear is the aforementioned Ginnungagap, the dark fog. As the turns progress it will begin to consume the map and will inevitably descend upon our newly founded settlement. If the ship is not refueled in time, it too will be consumed by the Ginnungagap. When this happens the group is spat back out in the Holt with a smaller haul of resources. When this happens you must restart their journey up Yggdrasil.

Once you have returned from your loop you get to spend time to upgrade the Holt. In the workshop, the population of the Holt can be increased with blueprints and materials obtained from loops. This, in turn, allows you to place building cards which will give permanent resource increases in future loops. Over at the greenhouse acorns can be used to develop the roots of Yggdrasil and provide stat bonuses.

This game is not always the easiest. By design you will find yourself not always making it to the end of a loop and be consumed by fog (it definitely happened to me a lot). If this happens don’t feel too disheartened. Even on failed loops you still gain resources to get upgrades. This means you’ll always approach your next loop more prepared than the last.

Audio & Visuals – Simple but Pretty

The personalities of the characters are crucial as the majority of story elements are delivered through dialogue. Luckily the game does not miss here, instilling them with great dialogue and emotion. Aside from our aforementioned main characters we meet a number of other survivors of Ragnarök who will help us on our way. Before each run we get to meet the Norns: the fate weavers, who grant the group a powerful ability for their adventure ahead. The rest of the recurring characters who populate the Nine Realms are former Gods and Goddesses. Most of them are happy to help you on your quest.

The character art is beautifully hand drawn. This, in combination with their well written dialogue adds emotion and life to the otherwise 2D profiles. It is clear a lot of thought and love has gone into the personalities of each character with each interacting with one another in different ways.

The map design is very elegant and pretty while also managing to remain simple and uncluttered. The flexible camera angles really allow you to really appreciate it from every angle. The ability to create your settlement in your own vision really adds to the appeal of the world. The automatic paths are my personal favourite addition, when buildings are placed they will automatically be linked via roads, adding a sense of life to the world. My only concern here is the limited number of stage layouts. I frequently found myself revisiting the same worlds, regardless this made me no less likely to eagerly jump back into the next loop.

A Treat for the Senses

The music in this game is relaxing but as situations become tense it raises the tempo to really make you start to sweat. The style is very distinctive and evokes memories of music from other games which draw inspiration from Norse mythology such as Skyrim and Valheim.

The soundtrack is accompanied by ambient noises which I was impressed to see correspond with what happens on screen. As a flock of birds would pass so would their chirps. As you pan across the map you can hear the water from the ocean, the clinking of armour at the barracks, or the magical tinkling from the saplings. This really adds a heightened level of immersion which really brings the world to life.

Verdict

When I first started playing Roots of Yggdrasil I found that the turn-based, deck building style of gameplay had a bit of a learning curve to it, but this is nothing that the tutorial was not able to dispel. Roots of Yggdrasil is a very intuitive and addictive game. It hits the perfect balance of challenging but rewarding. The turn-based nature lets the player progress in their own time. But you’re still forced to move through the stages and avoid being caught by the dreaded fog.

The character art and audio is charming and beautiful which brings the mythical world to life. Overall this game is engaging and addictive. If you are a fan of roguelikes and deck builders, this one is for you! I would absolutely recommend this game to friends, especially those who love Norse mythology!

What did you think of this review of Roots of Yggdrasil? Did you play during early access or will you just be starting your adventure now? Join the discussion over in our Facebook community, or tweet us over on Twitter!