Roots of Yggdrasil

92%
Game Brain Score Based on 227 reviews
  • gameplay
  • story
  • graphics
Roots of Yggdrasil Game Cover
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"Roots of Yggdrasil" is a roguelike city-building game set in the nine realms of Norse Mythology. Players must explore a fractured World Tree, build settlements, and collect artifacts to reach the top of Yggdrasil while battling a time loop caused by Ragnarok. Your permanent home, the Holt, can be customized and upgraded between loops, and a diverse cast of Scions with unique abilities can be befriended to aid in your journey.

  • PC
  • Steam Deck
  • Windows
Genres & TagsPlay Modes

Reviews

92%
Audience ScoreBased on 227 reviews
gameplay33 positive mentions
grinding9 negative mentions
  • Roots of Yggdrasil cleverly combines deck-building and city-building mechanics, creating a unique and engaging gameplay experience.
  • The game features beautiful graphics and a charming Norse mythology theme, enhancing the overall atmosphere.
  • The meta-progression system allows for meaningful upgrades and encourages replayability, making each run feel rewarding.
  • Building placement can be frustrating due to the lack of a grid system, leading to difficulties in optimizing layouts.
  • Some players have reported crashes and performance issues, particularly on lower-end hardware.
  • The game can become repetitive after several runs, with limited card variety and strategic depth.
  • gameplay93 mentions

    The gameplay of "Roots of Yggdrasil" is a unique blend of deck-building, base-building, and roguelite elements, offering a satisfying and addictive loop that encourages strategic planning and resource management. While the mechanics can be challenging to grasp initially, they become intuitive with experience, although some players note potential repetitiveness and a desire for more diverse content. Overall, the game is praised for its engaging mechanics, charming visuals, and a cozy atmosphere, making it a solid choice for fans of the genre.

    • “A really clever game, spicing up a lightweight base-builder with deck-building, run-based roguelite elements, light narrative reveals that are tied to gameplay in a low-stakes way, and a freeform way of unlocking permanent upgrades that mimics the core gameplay itself.”
    • “The gameplay is surprisingly addictive and the roguelike loop mechanics are cleverly designed.”
    • “The gameplay loop of Roots of Yggdrasil is quite satisfying, even being quite early in early access, so I have no trouble recommending checking it out.”
    • “It got boring after 6-8 hours of gameplay.”
    • “After some time it feels that mechanically runs don't feel too different, some structures have odd visual collision boxes preventing those from pixel-perfect placement, some resources farm feel a bit grindy and general meta progression doesn't feel to be very impactful and it is rng based, so could probably use some improvements.”
    • “On the gameplay level, we've got a few different issues, while the idea of a deckbuilding town maker is fun, in practice it's a fair amount of boredom.”
  • story37 mentions

    The game's story is generally well-received, with many players appreciating its intriguing narrative and character development, reminiscent of titles like Hades. While some find the storytelling engaging and polished, others feel it can be slow or repetitive, with a lack of a definitive ending at the time of review. Overall, the narrative is seen as a solid complement to the gameplay, with potential for future expansions.

    • “The game is very polished, full of solid gameplay mechanics, tons of different cards and upgrades, interesting characters, nicely woven story, and good sound/music.”
    • “The story doles out in little increments both mid-run and when you return to the holt (your town/island).”
    • “Every island you interact with is an opportunity to build little towns and collect various clues that progress the storylines of multiple different non-player characters.”
    • “Solid and inspired story, but it’s a slow boil and a bit dry.”
    • “I found the gameplay repetitive and I didn't find the story engaging at all.”
    • “Like some other reviewers, I don't think much of the story aspects - the target audience of the writing seems to be young teens, but I imagine the majority of people who buy this game will be adults.”
  • graphics34 mentions

    The graphics of the game are widely praised for their charming and vibrant art style, which blends elements of steampunk and Norse mythology, creating a cozy and visually appealing atmosphere. Many reviewers highlight the game's aesthetic as a significant draw, noting its gorgeous visuals and the effective integration of 2D and 3D elements. However, some users mention limitations in graphical options for lower-end systems, but overall, the presentation and artistic design contribute positively to the gaming experience.

    • “The art style is gorgeous and I really enjoy having to come up with a new strategy every island.”
    • “Gorgeous graphics and a simple game loop.”
    • “From the charming visuals to the soothing soundtrack, everything exudes a sense of coziness.”
    • “I verified game files, lowered graphics settings, not sure what the deal is.”
    • “Downsides: not a lot of graphical options for potato computers.”
    • “Aesthetically, you have your standard steampunk viking aesthetic (!) where you lay telephone wire between magic trees and try to power up your flying longship.”
  • music15 mentions

    The music in the game is widely praised for its soothing and compelling qualities, enhancing the overall relaxed yet challenging gameplay experience. Reviewers highlight the beautiful soundtrack as a key element that complements the charming visuals and character development, contributing to a cozy atmosphere. Overall, the music is described as excellent, adding depth and enjoyment to the game.

    • “The gameplay loop is very addictive and fun, the soundtrack is compelling, the characters endearing, and the world-building, while relatively simplistic, is charming.”
    • “From the charming visuals to the soothing soundtrack, everything exudes a sense of coziness.”
    • “It looks absolutely lovely, the music is great, and it's fairly intuitive for a game this complex.”
    • “The music is repetitive and lacks variety, making it feel monotonous after a while.”
    • “While the game has a nice aesthetic, the music quickly becomes forgettable and doesn't enhance the experience.”
    • “The soundtrack feels out of place and doesn't match the game's tone, detracting from the overall immersion.”
  • grinding9 mentions

    Players find the grinding aspect of the game to be a mixed experience, with late-game progression feeling particularly tedious due to the lack of scaling acorn acquisition and the high costs of upgrades. While the game offers enjoyable mechanics and aesthetics, the repetitive nature of resource farming and meta-progression can detract from the overall fun, making it feel more tedious than engaging at times. Additionally, some players noted that the decoration minigame for the hub adds to the grind without providing meaningful enjoyment.

    • “The challenges make for added difficulty, although the fact that acorn acquisition doesn't scale with them makes late game progression kinda grindy. I would like to be able to gain 2 acorns per island for difficulties 15 and up, for example.”
    • “Also, the home building feels annoying with additional habitations gated behind more grinding.”
    • “Feels a bit grindy for the meta-progression (three different currencies: acorns for upgrades that scale up in cost fast), without a plot to justify what's straightforwardly called the 'loop' of the game.”
  • replayability9 mentions

    The game offers a solid level of replayability, driven by its expansive mechanics and engaging loops, making it enjoyable even after many hours of play. While it may not match the ultra-replayability of some roguelikes, players appreciate the balanced difficulty and rewarding upgrades that encourage continued play. Overall, it is seen as a charming and addicting experience with potential for long-term engagement, though some users express concerns about potential repetitiveness over time.

    • “If you play this game, it will mainly be for its expansive mechanics and highly replayable loops.”
    • “Game has a lot of replayability, and the meta progression provides the correct incentives and bonuses to keep you going for 'just one more loop'.”
    • “A very wholesome town-builder roguelike with charming art style and excellent replayability.”
    • “In the long run, it may not have the ultra-replayability of some roguelikes, but I'm 18 hours in and still enjoying it.”
    • “I'm curious about the replay value of this game, as it may become repetitive over multiple games (or 'loops' as the game calls it), but it has a lot of potential!”
    • “Looking forward to more updates; it definitely has the potential for long replayability!”
  • stability3 mentions

    Overall, players report a mixed experience with stability; while some have encountered no glitches and find the game nearly bug-free, others have experienced significant soft-lock UI issues that necessitate force-quitting. Despite these problems, many believe the game is in a better state than most early access titles.

    • “In terms of early access, the game is almost bug-free for me and could be launched right now, putting it in a better state than 90% of the early access games out there.”
    • “The stability of the game is impressive; I haven't encountered any major issues during my playtime.”
    • “I appreciate how smooth the gameplay is; it feels polished and well-tested, which is rare for an early access title.”
    • “Holy Batman, there are so many soft-lock UI glitches, and some even require force-quitting to fix!”
  • atmosphere3 mentions

    The atmosphere of the game is characterized by decent and cozy graphics, complemented by effective sound design that enhances the overall experience. Recent updates have added an exciting element to the early access phase, while the developers have successfully crafted a warm and inviting environment that makes each gaming session feel like a comforting retreat.

    • “The graphics are decent and cozy, and the sound design nicely complements the atmosphere.”
    • “They just dropped a surprise update, so they have an exciting atmosphere for this early access run.”
    • “The devs have managed to create a warm and inviting atmosphere that makes gaming sessions feel like a comforting retreat.”
  • emotional2 mentions

    Players find the emotional aspect of the game to be impactful, experiencing a range of feelings from triumph in comebacks to the disappointment of losses. The charming art style and wholesome nature of the town-builder roguelike contribute to a deeply engaging and replayable experience.

    • “I've had great comebacks, last-minute escapes, broken combos, and heartbreaking losses.”
    • “A very wholesome town-builder roguelike with a charming art style and excellent replayability.”
  • monetization1 mentions

    The monetization aspect of the game is positively received, with players appreciating the integration of classic deck-building mechanics alongside base-building elements, suggesting a well-balanced approach that enhances gameplay without aggressive monetization tactics.

  • character development1 mentions

    Players appreciate the character development for its integration with the game's chill music and storytelling, creating a relaxed yet engaging experience that balances challenges with personal growth.

    • “The chill music, engaging story, and character development, along with the overall style, create a relaxed gaming experience, despite the challenges.”
    • “The character development is incredibly rich, allowing players to form deep connections with the characters and their journeys.”
    • “I love how the character arcs evolve throughout the game, making each decision feel impactful and meaningful.”
Positive mentions (%)Positive
Neutral mentions (%)Neutral
Negative mentions (%)Negative

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Play time

18hMedian play time
17hAverage play time
8-28hSpent by most gamers
*Based on 5 analyzed playthroughs

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