Objective of the Game
In Photosynthesis, you are competing with other players to grow and harvest trees in a shared forest, using sunlight to gather points and outmaneuver your opponents. The player who manages their growing trees most efficiently to collect the highest number of points will win.
Game Components
- A game board with a sun-moving track around its edge
- Trees of different sizes (seedlings, small, medium, large) in player colors
- Seed tokens
- Sun point tokens
- Scoring point tokens
- A sun marker
Setup
- Each player chooses a color and takes the corresponding set of tree pieces and seeds.
- Players arrange their trees and seeds on their personal player boards.
- Place the sun marker on the first labeled sun position on the board edge.
- Players receive a starting number of sun tokens to facilitate tree actions and growth.
- Shuffle and place the scoring tokens for later use.
Game Play
Photosynthesis is played over several rounds, which consist of different phases.
Sun Phase
- The sun moves along the board's perimeter to the next position, casting light across the board.
- Trees that are not in the shadow of another tree of equal or greater size collect sun points. Small trees collect 1 point, medium ones 2 points, and large ones 3 points.
Action Phase
Players may spend their sun points to take the following actions, in any order: 1. Plant a Seed: Spend one sun point to move a seed from a tree to a neighboring empty space. 2. Grow a Tree: Spend sun points to grow trees as follows: - A seed grows into a small tree. - A small tree grows into a medium tree. - A medium tree grows into a large tree. 3. Harvest a Tree: Spend sun points to remove a large tree from the board and earn score points as per the type of soil it was on.
Note: Players are limited by the number of trees and seeds they can place on the board concurrently. Removed pieces can be returned to the player's pool.
Strategic Tips
- Shadow Tactics: Position your trees to cast shadows on opponents' trees where possible to limit their sunlight earnings.
- Harvest Timing: Plan when to harvest large trees to maximize score points.
- Placement Strategy: Carefully consider where to plant seeds, as they will influence the advantageous positions for sunlight capture.
End of the Game
The game concludes after the sun completes three full rotations around the board. The player with the most score points wins.
Photosynthesis combines strategic planning with dynamic adaptation to the shifting sunlight, making every playthrough unique.
