Board games have been on the rise for the past few years, which brings out some of the less exciting aspects of them. Every group has that one person that takes them way too seriously. They turn a game of Werewolf into a courtroom drama, and not in a good way. They go so hard on the strategy in games like Settlers of Catan that new players get scared away. Fortunately, co-op games have also been gaining prominence. Games like Co-opoly provide an alternative to the typically aggressive game night. Tiny Trees seeks to bring that chill factor over to the competitive side of things.
Tiny Trees is technically a competitive board game for two to four players. Players start with a base made out of a stiff, cardboard-like material. This is the trunk of their tree, and its three branches are bare. The players take turns drawing the top branch tile from one of three decks. They then connect it to their trees by sliding it on top. As one might imagine, this continues until the trees eventually end up literally branching off in all kinds of ways.
There is strategy to how one grows their tree. Each branch tile has a combination of properties to it. There are different types of wood, leaves, and even endemic wildlife. Linking a series of branches that have the same properties creates a combo, which wins more points in the end. Adding to the complexity are different forest spirits that each player selects at the beginning of the game. They carry their own powers and limitations that lend themselves to various play styles.
Any tabletop fan can see where it goes from there. There's a penalty if a tree falls over, so it becomes a balancing act of creating combos and filling out more than one branch. Players also have to keep an eye on the other trees to see who's using what tiles, and who decides to grab the game-ending flowers first. Even with these very competitive mechanics, however, the game's theming and adorable art style ask for a more relaxed pace. Those playing it at IndieCade 2019 seemed more enchanted by the experience than determined to win. At the end, everyone was more interested in showing off their trees than counting points.
Game night can get nuts sometimes. Tiny Trees is a relaxed, all-ages game, that might fix that. The rounds go by quickly and the strategy isn't too deep, so it's more of an introductory game than a weekly staple. Still, every household needs a chill board game. Not everyone is eager to commit to a long session of Scythe.
You can learn more about Tiny Trees from its Twitter account.