Photosynthesis
Plant trees, block the sun, and leave your neighbors in the shade.
What it is
A sun moves around the board, and your trees gather light based on their height and the shadows around them. You spend that light to grow your trees, then cut the big ones down for points, with the center of the board paying most. Hjalmar Hach designed it for Blue Orange in 2017. Best for families and thoughtful players who like a board that changes as they play.
What we love
- A forest of standing trees grows across the board as you play
- The rotating sun means a strong spot now can be a dark one next turn
- Shade is a simple idea with a lot of thinking behind it
Honest trade-offs
- The shadow rules take a round or two to click
- Harder than it looks, and listings put the starting age anywhere from 8 to 10
AI summary of player sentiment
Across the tables we polled, players consistently praise the game's approachability and pacing. The most common complaint is the shadow rules take a round or two to click.
This summary is regenerated from new reviews each week. Astra will wire the generation job to the Vercel Cron detailed in the handoff doc.
Content advisory
No content advisory.
Reader reviews
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