Learning Root took me 4 nights and a whiteboard

Picked up Root last month after hearing everyone rave about it, and I sat down with three friends fully expecting a chill evening. Four hours later we'd only finished setup and the first turn because the faction abilities barely overlap and we kept re-reading the same rulebook pages. Has anyone else found a way to teach this game that doesn't feel like running a classroom?

2 comments

2 Comments

jamesc7921h ago

Watch a how-to-play video first, then teach each faction one at a time.

kimdixon16h ago

Watching a video first is solid advice @jamesc79, but teaching each faction one at a time can backfire if people pick their own. My group tried that and half of them got bored waiting for their turn, so they started messing with their phones. Better way is to set up a mock game where everyone plays the same faction the first round, then swap to a second faction after a few turns. That way you cover two factions without anyone sitting around doing nothing, and people get the basics before they choose who they want to main.