“Arboretum” is a strategic card game where players create beautiful tree paths out of meticulously illustrated cards. Designed by Dan Cassar, it combines the mechanics of set collection and hand management to form a challenging and competitive experience wrapped in a tranquil arboreal theme.
In the game, players draw and play cards representing different species of trees, with the goal of creating the most beautiful and highest-scoring path through their arboretum. Each card has a value that contributes to the path’s score, and only paths of ascending cards of the same species or in numerical order can be scored.
However, the twist lies in the scoring phase: to score a particular species of tree in your arboretum, you must also hold one of that species in your hand at the end of the game. This introduces a deep layer of strategy and bluffing, as players must decide which cards to keep in hand and which to play, balancing between improving their own arboretum and preventing others from scoring.
The game ends once all cards have been drawn and players’ tableaus are complete. Players then calculate their scores based on the paths they’ve created, with bonus points for the longest path and paths containing the species of trees shown on the cards they’ve retained. The player with the highest score wins, having created the most impressive arboretum.
