Roots of Yggdrasil is an upcoming roguelike city-builder/deck-builder from ManaVoid Entertainment. Read on to learn everything we know, our review of its early-access playtest, and more.
Roots of Yggdrasil Early-Access Playtest Review
Ragnarocked The Boat
City-builder games are among the most formulaic when it comes to gameplay mechanics, as there are only so many ways one could skin a cat, so to speak. While many of the industry giants like Sim City, Cities: Skylines, or even Anno could get away with minor innovations like improved graphics, varied theming, and various cosmetic DLCs, those at the bottom of the pack need to get creative with how they present themselves to stand out.
Enter Roots of Yggdrasil, a roguelike deck builder/city builder from the talented minds at ManaVoid Entertainment. You read that mess of genres right; this game presents itself as a roguelike city-builder that is also somehow a deck-builder (with puzzle elements as well, though that isn’t marketed as much). Say what you want about this game and its developers, but they sure are ambitious. Bloating a game with genre-defining mechanics is a real danger that aspiring developers need to keep an eye out for, but I think Roots of Yggdrasil managed to be everything it aspired to be without being "too much".
That being said, the game’s early-access version still rocked the boat a little bit by entering the scene as boldly as it did while half-cocked. I’m getting ahead of myself, however. Let’s talk about Roots of Yggdrasil’s gameplay and visuals before we sink our teeth into the game as a whole.
Roots of Yggdrasil isn’t a fully-fledged city-builder, not in the way we understand the genre, but it still has enough of the genre’s staple mechanics to be considered one. Think of the difference between a roguelike and a roguelite, that’s how the game measures up to other games in its genre. For one thing, it’s gridless and lacks roads of any kind, so you can throw your fantasies of establishing a real Viking-era settlement out of the window because that’s not what this game is about.
The game also eschews standard city-builder progression by ignoring permanent tech trees, instead opting for a roguelike meta progression. Buildings you unlock are added to the pool of structures you can get as rewards at various portions of the game instead of being permanent additions to your kit. This lends itself well to the game’s deck-building approach to setting down structures, as each building manifests as a card with its own cost, requirements, and effects. You can draw, discard, upgrade, and deck manage these cards a la Slay the Spire as you try to fulfill the conditions required by the saplings on each island.
Speaking of saplings, these towering sprigs of the world tree serve as your end goal for each leg of your journey. Simply put, your flying longship, The Holt, isn’t the most fuel-efficient. These Saplings can refill your ship’s stores with Eitr energy, but only if you fulfill their requirements to bloom, which could be as simple as connecting it to another Eitr source via special buildings or as complex as building a certain number of buildings within its range. Once you bloom enough saplings, you can get out of Dodge, or you can stay and fulfill some additional quests (not necessary, but fun for the extra challenge).
Sounds easy enough, but the random nature of your card draws and the terrain generation keeps you on your toes. There’s no correct way to tackle each island’s sapling requirements and no grid, so you’re free to throw as many houses, barracks, watchtowers, markets, and hero statues as you can master. Certain buildings require other building types to be within their range before they can be set down, so planning and foresight are rewarded but not required. The game’s gridless nature lets you finagle some cheeky placements as well, so that’s a plus.
Other points of interest can be found on each island, including quests, caravans, upgrade towers, and disasters. These add an extra layer of challenge to the Yggdrasil experience by giving you a chance to earn additional resources, better your deck’s cards, or hinder your progress, respectively.
Speaking of progress, let’s talk about what keeps you from taking your sweet time on each island. Apart from the bragging rights of finishing an island in as few turns as possible, your brevity in refueling is encouraged by the ever-encroaching void of the Ginnungagap, which consumes each island hex by hex if you take too long. Certain disasters and modifiers also spawn at varying intervals as well, so avoid the scenic route and get The Holt running as soon as possible.
This endless void with an admittedly difficult name also pursues you between islands, where you spend your free time jumping between smaller island shards to earn new passive abilities and shards, experience random encounters, or even tailor your deck. After some island hopping, the void will draw close, and you’ll have to refuel at another sapling island again. Rinse, repeat.
You’ll eventually lose or reach a story milestone, at which point you’ll be sent back to the game’s hub world to recuperate, rebuild, and spend your metagame currency. This is where the game’s roguelike elements shine, as the meta progression is both unique and charming. You have the standard "spend arbitrary metagame currency to unlock new things" area, but you can also use your metagame currency in a gacha system that draws you permanent buildings to add to your main island. These act like the building cards you get during a run, but they provide a permanent bonus to your runs instead of contributing to the sapling’s requirements. Once you get your new buildings in order, you can fire up The Holt again and set out for another loop.
This is what I meant when I said that the game does not bloat itself with genre-defining elements. It is equal parts city-builder, deck-builder, and roguelike, never once veering too far into one definition and embodying all three at all times. The commitment to the bit is admirable, and I applaud this game’s developers for figuring out how to do it well. The only thing I’d say against this game is that it’s painfully Early Access in its presentation. With dev art running amok in its cutscenes, incorrect UI elements showing up at inopportune times, and clear attempts at cutting corners to make up for lack of content, there’s no denying that this game has a long way to go.
Regarding the game's visuals, there's nothing to complain about. The 2D assets are wonderfully drawn and made to look like storybook elements. The game's watercolor palette serves as a mesmerizing backdrop to an end-of-the-world event that's often depicted as dark and scary. The 3D assets are less mesmerizing and are admittedly oversaturated with their colors, but that's nothing some color corrections can't set straight.
Overall, Roots of Yggdrasil is a game in its budding stage. It has well-implemented game mechanics and a serviceable aesthetic but is weighed down by the roughness one would expect from an unfinished product. Such is the early-access experience for most games, truth be told. At least Roots of Yggdrasil has a shorter journey to completion than most other games of its par.
Everything We Know About Roots of Yggdrasil
Roots of Yggdrasil Story Plot
Welcome to Ragnarok’s afterparty. I’d tell you to have fun, but there’s much rebuilding and adventuring to do across the floating shards of the former Nine Realms. In Roots of Yggdrasil, you play as Sunna and her Viking tribe as they span the shattered roots of the World Tree on their magical floating longship, The Holt. Build settlements and power up Saplings across the broken landscape. Meet with Gods and Goddesses, as you try to rebuild the world pieces left scattered about by Ragnarok. Prove that you and your tribe have what it takes to reach the top of Yggdrasil and be the caretakers of the new world.
Roots of Yggdrasil Release Date
Roots of Yggdrasil will be released on Steam Early Access on January 24, 2024.
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Roots of Yggdrasil Product Information
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| Title | ROOTS OF YGGDRASIL |
|---|---|
| Release Date | January 24, 2024 |
| Developer | ManaVoid Entertainment |
| Publisher | ManaVoid Entertainment, Indie Asylum |
| Supported Platforms | PC |
| Genre | Strategy, Roguelike, Indie |
| Number of Players | 1 |
| ESRB Rating | - |
| Official Website | Roots of Yggdrasil Website |
