14 DAY TRIAL // It’s getting crowded on these islands floating in the ether and I might have misjudged the placement of my Norse-themed houses. I managed to squeeze in the barracks needed for the initial exploration, as well as the all-important observatory. But now I need to get some extra supplies and I apparently cannot find the empty land for a well.
There’s also a storm coming, which will mess with my efforts to get at least one seed, while the Draugr strongholds also require military resources to eliminate. I’m also starting to feel the time pressure, so it’s time to focus on activating Seedlings to get what I need and leave this realm before Ragnarok gets too close.
Roots of Yggdrasil is developed by ManaVoid Entertainment and published by ManaVoid Entertainment and Indie Asylum. It is in Early Access on Steam on the PC. The title combines card mechanics, settlement development, and rogue elements.
Ragnarok, the Norse end of the world, is happening and only powerful heroes known as Scions and their tribes can avoid it. Players first help them reach the Holt, a safe space that they can develop by venturing out, exploring pieces of the broken Yggdrasil, and obtaining seeds. A magical ship helps them navigate this fragmented space, with the catastrophe hot on their trails.
Once the Norsemen reach a fragment, gamers will play cards to develop settlements, which in turn gives players supplies, might, and a magical resource called Eitr. Everything starts with houses, which are always in hand and increase in price every time they are placed into the world. They also shift shape and there’s a tension between creating clusters and leaving space for other structures.
New cards are selected each time population thresholds are reached. Players will also get specialized ones from the Observatory, while the Scion has its own special abilities. Barracks and armories are needed to extract might, while mines and loggers can be connected to natural resources to get more supplies.
Roots of Yggdrasil adds pressure by using a turn limit for its levels. The sooner players meet their objectives, the more time they will have to explore other levels. Take too many turns and the destruction of Ragnarok catches up to the expedition. It’s then time to upgrade the Holt and venture out once again.
The core gameplay is good, with a seamless combination of cards and city building. Players have to create a solid plan for their settlements while also making decisions based on the hand they get dealt. As exploration reveals new areas, challenges get more complex, and players need to be more careful when selecting new cards and aim for improved combos to get extra resources.
Roots of Yggdrasil uses a cartoon-influenced style that is a strong match for its Norse theme and lessens the horror of the apocalyptic elements. The cards are evocative and give players all the info they need. The various characters could use a little extra weirdness. The sound design isn’t as evocative but mostly works.
Conclusion
The Horse theme is also good, although the game’s take on characters and events is somewhat tame. Given that this is Ragnarok, I would have liked some extra weirdness. But Roots of Yggdrasil combines two core mechanics well and it will be interesting to see how it evolves until the 1.0 version launches.
Preview key provided by the developer.
