Playgridia
Thornwood
Asymmetric woodland war — a free, browser-based alternative for Root fans: four factions race on one map under completely DIFFERENT rules. The Ironclaw Legion occupies the wood and builds an industry, the Skyplume Court writes a Decree each dawn that it must keep, the Thistle Covenant starts with nothing and grows on the violence done to it, the Lone Drifter walks alone with one satchel. 2–4 players, three boards, with bots and friends, no download.
Fernvale
Rules
- 2–4 players; everybody picks a DIFFERENT faction and plays by completely different rules
- One shared goal: first to 30 victory points (22 in Quick) wins
- The map is twelve clearings; each has a terrain (marsh/grove/ridge) and building slots
- RULE: whoever has the most pieces in a clearing rules it — you cannot build where you do not rule
- Ironclaw Legion: sawmills make wood, workshops craft, barracks refill the line; each new building scores more but costs more
- Skyplume Court: you MUST add to the Decree every dawn and keep every promise every Evening — fail and it is TURMOIL
- Thistle Covenant: starts with nothing on the map; spreads sympathy, and OUTRAGE hands it a card from anyone who stamps on it
- Lone Drifter: one pawn; every action exhausts an ITEM — boots walk, torches open ruins, swords fight
- Battle: two dice (0–3); attacker takes the higher, defender the lower — but the Covenant takes the HIGHER when defending
- Every building or token destroyed pays the remover 1 point; a defender holding a matching Ambush deals 2 hits before the dice
- Three boards: Fernvale (default, an open lattice), Winterhold (two nested rings), Lakeland (a ring around a lake, with ferries)
How to play
- Pick your faction in the room — it is not a colour, it is your RULEBOOK
- A turn has three phases: Birdsong → Daylight → Evening
- The bottom bar shows what you can do right now; the game never offers an illegal action
- Pick an action, then tap a lit clearing on the map
- First to 30 victory points wins
Rule & battle
- Whoever has the most pieces in a clearing rules it; the ring takes their colour
- Rule is permission, not just strength: you cannot build where you do not rule
- Battle rolls two dice: attacker takes the higher, defender the lower
- Every building or token destroyed pays the attacker 1 point — bare warriors are worth nothing
- The Covenant takes the HIGHER die when defending
Cards & crafting
- Every card has a terrain; a bird card fits anywhere
- Craft power comes from your faction: workshops, sympathy, roosts or hammers
- An item card scores and leaves an item the Drifter can Aid you for
- Persistent cards sit in front of you: +1 hit, a shield on defence, an extra move
- A Wrath card wipes every enemy piece out of one whole terrain
The factions
- Ironclaw: occupies everything and scores by building — but stalls when the wood runs out
- Skyplume: automatic points every Evening per roost; the price is never promising more than you can keep
- Thistle: starts from nothing, takes a card from whoever hits it, and a revolt sweeps a clearing
- Lone Drifter: friend or enemy; opens ruins, finishes quests, spends a small satchel well
Looking for a Root alternative?
Thornwood is a free, browser-based take on the asymmetric woodland war. What people love about Root is here: four factions, four completely different rulebooks and one shared victory race. No download, no install — open a room, pick a faction, and start against bots or friends.
Picking a faction is not picking a colour. The Ironclaw Legion occupies the wood and scores by building; the Skyplume Court writes a Decree each dawn that it must then keep; the Thistle Covenant starts with nothing and grows on the violence done to it; the Lone Drifter walks with a single satchel. Four separate games happen at the same table.
Three boards, three different wars
Fernvale is an open lattice built for a first game: every clearing is one step from its neighbours, with a wide wood in the middle. Winterhold is two nested rings laced with twenty paths — armies collide early and the inner clearings are the whole game. Lakeland is a ring around a lake: one stack can cork a flank, and the two ferries are the only way to break a siege.
The boards genuinely shift the faction balance, and finding out which faction is comfortable where is part of the game.
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