Photosynthesis - How To Play

Summary

In this tutorial, Rodney Smith teaches players how to set up and play the strategy board game *Photosynthesis*. The game, designed by Hjalmar Hach and published by Blue Orange Games, revolves around trees competing for sunlight and growing in a forest. Players must strategically place trees, plant seeds, and manage their resources over several rounds as the Sun moves around the board. The goal is to gather light points, grow trees, and collect scoring tokens, with the player who accumulates the most points after three full Sun rotations winning the game.

Takeaways

• 😀 Players in Photosynthesis compete to grow trees and collect light points in a forest environment.
• 🌳 The game involves strategic placement of trees to soak up sunlight and avoid shadows cast by other trees.
• 🌞 Each round begins with the photosynthesis phase where the Sun moves and trees earn light points based on their exposure to sunlight.
• 🔄 The Sun moves around the board six times, and players earn points for trees that are not blocked by the shadows of others.
• 💡 Players use light points to perform actions like planting seeds, growing trees, and collecting trees for points.
• 🌱 Planting a seed costs 1 light point and requires placing the seed in an empty space a certain distance from a tree.
• 🌳 Growing trees requires light points, and trees advance from small to large through a step-by-step process.
• 🌟 Players can collect trees that reach their tallest height to score points, with tall trees providing the most valuable tokens.
• 🎲 Each round consists of a photosynthesis phase followed by a life cycle phase, where players perform actions and take turns.
• 🕰 The game lasts for 18 rounds, during which the Sun makes 3 full rotations, and the player with the highest points wins.
• 🏆 In the case of a tie, the player with the most trees and seeds on the board wins, or players share the victory if still tied.

Q & A

What is the main objective of the game *Photosynthesis*?

The main objective of *Photosynthesis* is to strategically place trees on the board, collect light points based on their exposure to sunlight, grow trees, and eventually collect them for points. The player with the highest score after the Sun completes three full rotations around the board wins.

How does the sunlight affect the gameplay in *Photosynthesis*?

Sunlight in *Photosynthesis* moves around the board in a clockwise direction, and players collect light points based on whether their trees are exposed to the sunlight. Trees in the shadow of other trees (unless they are taller) will not score light points.

How do trees cast shade in *Photosynthesis*?

Trees cast shade depending on their height. Small trees cast shade 1 space away, medium trees cast shade 2 spaces away, and tall trees cast shade 3 spaces away. The shade blocks other trees from collecting light points unless those trees are taller than the one casting the shade.

What are the different types of trees and how do they affect the game?

There are three types of trees in *Photosynthesis*: small, medium, and tall. The size of a tree determines how much shade it casts and how many light points it generates when unblocked. Tall trees also allow players to collect points when they are removed from the board.

How is the Sun's movement tracked in *Photosynthesis*?

The Sun's movement is tracked using the Sun board, which is moved clockwise each round, starting with the first player. The Sun moves across six points on the board, and after each movement, players collect light points based on their tree positions relative to the sunlight.

What happens during the photosynthesis phase of a round?

During the photosynthesis phase, the Sun board is moved (except in the first round), and players collect light points for each tree that is not in the shadow of another tree. The number of points a tree generates depends on its height and exposure to sunlight.

What actions can players take during the life cycle phase?

During the life cycle phase, players can perform actions such as buying trees or seeds, planting seeds, growing trees, or collecting tall trees for points. These actions can be done in any order and as many times as the player can afford, but each space on the board can only be activated once per turn.

What is the cost to plant a seed in *Photosynthesis*?

Planting a seed costs 1 light point. Seeds can be planted up to a certain distance away from a player's existing trees, depending on the height of the tree (1 space for small trees, 2 spaces for medium trees, and 3 spaces for tall trees).

How are points scored when collecting a tall tree?

When collecting a tall tree, players spend 4 light points and return the tree to their player board. They then collect a scoring token based on the number of leaves shown on the space from which the tree was collected. The number of leaves corresponds to the value of the scoring token.

What happens when the Sun completes a full rotation around the board?

After the Sun completes a full rotation, one of the round tokens is removed to indicate the number of revolutions left. When the Sun completes its third and final rotation, the game ends. Players then tally their points, including the points from their collected scoring tokens.