If you had told me 6 months ago that I’d be really enjoying a game about growing trees, I would have assumed you were crazy…or talking about the long out of print game Arboretum. But then again, Arboretum isn’t a game I rush to play all that often. Anyway, our newest Game of the Week takes the concept of growing trees, more specific a forest, and wraps it up in one beautiful package.

Photosynthesis

Photosynthesis is a game about taking trees through their life cycle. You start out with just a few seeds, and over the course of the games three rounds you will be growing trees through different sizes until, ultimately, you harvest it for victory points. Which is the main goal of the game.

One thing I love about Photosynthesis is the great light point mechanic. The trees your plant will earn you light points when they receive sun. But each round, the sun rotates to a different spot on the game board. So as the position of the sun changes, so does the amount of light points you might get. If another tree casts a shadow on your tree, it will earn you nothing for the round. This clever mechanic will have players thinking turns ahead as they calculate how to earn those valuable light points, and also how best to block their opponents.

If Photosynthesis sounds complicated, don’t worry, it’s anything but. This is one of those games that’s easy to learn, but still has plenty of depth to keep you coming back for more. Not only does everything in Photosynthesis make sense, but the handy player boards make an excellent reference. Combine that with some fantastic looking components, and you’ve got our newest Game of the Week.

2-4 PLAYERS • AGES 10+ • 30-60 MINUTES • $45