Tabletop Game Review: Photosynthesis

Photosynthesis

Blue Orange Games

2-4 Players

Playtime: 30-60 Minutes

Nature-themed tabletop games tend to be some of the most gorgeous games out there. It’s easy to make something beautiful out of the greens, reds, and oranges that are naturally found outside. With this in mind, it’s unsurprising that a game about growing trees is beautiful. Photosynthesis is a tabletop game for 2-4 players in which players will constantly compete for time in the sun in an effort to score the most victory points within a few sun cycles.

How To Play

In Photosynthesis, each player will choose a color, which has a corresponding type of tree and seeds. The board is set up so that there are many spaces, with the outside spaces being worth less than the inside. A cutout of the sun will rotate around the board after every round. This sun indicates where sunlight is coming from. The direction that the sun is from will affect many aspects of a player’s turn, so they will want to be constantly planning out their next move.

At the beginning of every turn, players will gain a certain amount of action points based on how many trees they have on the board. The size of the players trees determines how much the tree is worth. For example, small trees are only worth one light point while the largest trees are worth three. These light points are then consumed for buying plants. planting seeds, growing trees, or collecting victory points.

Trees cast shadows over other trees depending on where the sun is. If a tree is in between the sun and another tree of the same size or smaller, a shadow is cast over and the tree in the shade can’t give the player any light points.

Play will continue until the sun has rotated around the board three times. This gives each player 18 turns to grow as much as I can. In the end, victory points are tallied, and whoever has the most wins.

Pacing and Interactivity

It doesn’t take long to realize how interactive Photosynthesis is. The is a constant bout between players as they try to maximize their own light points while blocking other players. Careful planning can allow for a player to completely dominate another, especially in a one-on-one game. When three or four players are at the table, the game is much more interactive. It’s full of swings and big moments thanks to the sun rotating around the board. The state of the board is constantly changing, leading to players needing to constantly adapt to other players and the board itself.

The game moves along at a fine pace, but the gameplay leaves a bit to be desired. There aren’t too many ways to approach the game. After a few plays, it feels like players will already have experienced most of what Photosynthesis has to offer. I don’t want to say that the rules are too light, but the game is missing something to give the game the replayability that it deserves. Photosynthesis is just a mechanism or two away from being truly great. This can likely be solved with an expansion, but for now, Photosynthesis leaves a lot to be desired.

Fortunately, most of the game’s issues can be resolved at three or four-player games. There is so much going on when many players are growing trees that it adds some much-needed chaos. More players do slow the game down significantly, but that doesn’t hamper the pacing too much.

Theme and Components

As mentioned at the beginning of the review, Photosynthesis is a gorgeous board game. The components all look great. The trees all make the table pop, especially with higher player counts. Nothing feels cheaply made, with solid cardboard keeping all of the trees upright. The colors look fantastic, giving Photosynthesis a unique aesthetic.

The game’s rules tie into the theme wonderfully. Players need to wait a turn before their trees can grow. The seeds can only be placed a certain distance from the trees that are “Dropping” them. Sunlight stunts growth. All of these make clever use of the theme. It’s easy to imagine the years going back as the forest grows.

Photosynthesis Is Great For Fans Of…

Those who like interactive games that don’t feel too mean will certainly enjoy Photosynthesis. Games with building like Santorini have a lot in common with Photosynthesis as well.