the time has come to
GROW
once again
the time has come to
GROW
once again
vox_
ludo
JESSE KROON
Game Design | Narrative Design | Experience Design
THE GAME OF ARBOR
SCENARIOS
Explore the Garden World
Discover the forgotten regions of the world of Arbor, where once great forests stood. Now, nothing remains besides endless plains of grass and the towering, dormant roots of the Mother Tree. These are lands that must be reclaimed.
VALLEY OF FATE
2 or 4 PLAYERS
DIFFICULTY : BEGINNER
Before the Fall, when darkness took our world, a towering forest stood here. Now, the Valley of Fate is now little more than a plain of swaying grass. However, not all is lost. The Sages say the soil remembers. That it was blessed by the Silver Star. This is a place of new beginnings. This is where the forest will return.
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4 PLAYER
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ASTA CITY
2 or 4 PLAYERS
DIFFICULTY : BEGINNER
The great city of Asta was once the center of civilization of the Folk, Arbor's youngest children. I remember them well, those who lived their short lives in reverence of the forest, studied the ways of the Stars, and built towers from the living stone. Asta was a beacon of harmony for all living things, but little remains besides crumbling ruins. Perhaps, if the forest returns, so shall the Folk, and Asta will rise again.
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4 PLAYER
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THRONE OF THORNS
3 PLAYERS
DIFFICULTY : MODERATE
The Throne of Thorns was a place of great power when the forests covered our world. It was from this seat that Arbor's greatest Keepers kept watch over the wild lands to the west. Now, the dormant power of this place beckons the awoken Ancients. To claim the Throne of Thorns will not be a simple task. A fitting challenge for one who seeks to bear the mantle of the world tree.
3 PLAYER
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HAVEN
2 or 4 PLAYERS
DIFFICULTY : MODERATE
Ancient tales tell of a place all those who wandered called home. Fey, Folk, or Beast, all were welcome in the gardens of Haven. Haven was a center of trade and knowledge unmatched in the garden world. They say that when the darkness came the denizens of Haven banded together to protect their home as one. Now, as the world reawakens and the forest returns, there is hope that Haven can once again be a home to the lost.
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4 PLAYER
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bastion
3 PLAYERS
DIFFICULTY : ADVANCED
As more and more of the world fell to darkness, Mother Arbor commanded her Keepers to bolster the defenses of the very heart of the forest. They raced forth and together raised the mighty Bastion from the earth. A bulwark of life, a wall against the corruption, though not enough to save us. Bastion too fell against the tides of darkness, but its power remained. Now once again, mighty spirits of life race to claim it.
3 PLAYER
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CITADEL
2 or 4 PLAYERS
DIFFICULTY : ADVANCED
The winds still whisper of the final battle, where the fate of our world was decided. It was at the lonely Citadel that Mother Arbor made her final stand against the darkness. It was here that she gave her life to save all her children. It was here that she fell. Though the Mother is gone, her power remains. Go forth, awoken ones: reclaim the Citadel, honor her memory.
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4 PLAYER
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MASTERY MODE
Game Mode for Competitive Play
Mastery Mode adds additional strategic and mechanical layers for advanced players of The Game of Arbor. These rules are intended for tournament settings as well as "best of 3" 2 player match-ups. You can decide to add all three Mastery Levels to your game or simply add one of them to your game.
MASTERY LEVEL 1 :
CULTIVATION CARD DRAFT
This Mastery Level adds a draft phase in which the deck of Cultivation Cards is divided into 2 decks, 1 for each player. This draft phase takes place before players choose their Ancients.
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Before the draft, shuffle the Cultivation Card deck well. Each round of the draft occurs as follows:
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3 Cultivation Cards are placed face up so that both players can see them. Player 1 chooses 1 of the 3 revealed cards. Player 2 then gets to choose one of the 2 remaining cards. Finally, Player 1 gets to add the 3rd card to their personal deck.
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In the next round, 3 Cultivation Cards are once again placed face up so that both players can see them. Now, Player 2 goes first in picking a card, followed by Player 1, followed by Player 2 again.
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You continue these draft rounds, going back and forth, until all the Cultivation Cards are divided.
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Players draw Cultivation Cards out of their personal decks and discard cards into their personal discard piles. When a player runs out of cards in their personal deck, they shuffle their discard pile and resume drawing from the shuffled deck.
MASTERY LEVEL 2 :
ANCIENT BANS
This Mastery Level adds a ban phase before players choose their Ancients. This happens after players have drafted their Cultivation Card decks.
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The oldest player gets to ban 1 Ancient first, removing it from the pool of potential Ancients their opponent can choose. After this, their opponent may ban 1 Ancient as well.
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After both Ancients have been banned, the oldest player chooses their Ancient first as normal.
MASTERY LEVEL 3 :
TIMED TURNS
This Mastery Level adds a turn timer to each players turn.
Set a timer for 2 minutes on a phone and place it to the side of the board. Each player only has 2 minutes to complete their turn.
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When the timer goes off, the player's turn is immediately over.
SEASONS
an Expansion of Arbor
The Ancients have awoken and the world begins to bloom once again. From their palace in the sky, the Stars look down upon Arbor with growing interest. Long ago, the Spirits of fire, storm, light, and shadow competed for influence among Arbor's inhabitants. The long slumber of the world brought boredom upon their infinite minds. But now, new growth brings new opportunities to prove their superiority.
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Lau'su the Gold, the spirit of Light, and Xin'eth the Dark, the spirit of Shadow, have long been rivals. They now wage war across the cosmos, meeting upon astral battlefields to in a struggle for dominance. As the energies of Light and Shadow wax and wane, the world of Arbor is affected. The seasons have come, and they bring with them new challenges for Arbor's children.
Seasons: an Expansion of Arbor, is the first planned gameplay addition for the Game of Arbor. This expansion adds the Season mechanic to the game, which adds changes to the rules for set numbers of turns during the game. Players must adapt their strategy to the shifts in the seasons and gain access to special abilities that can only be used when a season is active.
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This expansion can be played by anyone who owns a copy of The Game of Arbor.
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Seasons is currently in development and playtesters are needed to try out this new feature. If you are interested in participating in the playtests for this new expansion, please send an email to hello@gameofarbor.com.