Backwoods Wizards
Founded in 2014 by Patrick Leder in Saint Paul, Minnesota, Leder Games has emerged as a trailblazer in the board games industry, renowned for its commitment to innovative, asymmetrical game design. With a focus on creating immersive experiences where players assume distinct roles with unique abilities and objectives, the company has captivated gamers worldwide.
Leder Games is an indie board game publisher celebrated for its asymmetric tendencies in game design. The company has published several acclaimed titles, including Root, Vast, Fort, Oath, Arcs, and Ahoy. Leder Games invites players to explore the fantastic world of Root, a game of woodland might and right. With a focus on truly asymmetric design, Leder Games creates games that offer unique capabilities and victory conditions for each player. The company’s games, such as Root, feature gorgeous, multi-use cards that enable a truly asymmetric design, allowing players to compete and drive the narrative. This commitment to innovation and unique gameplay experiences has solidified Leder Games’ reputation in the board game community.
Patrick Leder, with a background in English and psychology, transitioned from a career in IT to pursue his passion for game design. This shift led to the establishment of Leder Games, a company dedicated to producing games that emphasize asymmetrical play and rich thematic storytelling. The development process at Leder Games involves ongoing phases of playtesting, design adjustments, and the introduction of new features, ensuring iterative improvement and engaging gameplay experiences. Collaborating with designer Cole Wehrle and illustrator Kyle Ferrin, Leder Games has consistently delivered titles that challenge conventional game mechanics and offer fresh, engaging experiences.
The theme of a game plays a crucial role in its design, setting the tone and atmosphere for the player’s experience. In the case of Root, the theme of a woodland alliance fighting against the nefarious Marquise de Cat creates a rich and immersive world. The game’s artwork and design elements, such as the multi-use cards and faction-specific components, all contribute to the theme and help to create a sense of immersion. The theme also influences the game’s mechanics and gameplay, as players must navigate the vast wilderness and recruit forces to achieve their victory condition. The woodland setting and the struggle between the alliance and the Marquise de Cat create a sense of tension and drama, making the game more engaging and exciting.
Root is a game of adventure and war for 2-4 players, where each player has unique capabilities and a different victory condition. The game features a truly asymmetric design, with players competing to collect wood, build roosts, and complete quests. The game’s mechanics, such as engine building and recruiting forces, allow players to develop their factions and achieve their win conditions. The game also features a dramatic late-game presence, as players must navigate the dangers of the woodland and make strategic decisions to emerge victorious. The Clockwork Expansion and the Underworld Expansion add new layers to the gameplay, increasing replayability and offering new challenges and opportunities for players.
The game’s artwork is a key element of its design, with beautiful and detailed illustrations that bring the woodland world to life. The game’s components, such as the faction-specific boards and cards, are also designed to be visually appealing and functional. The game’s visual design helps to create a sense of immersion and atmosphere, drawing players into the world of Root. The artwork also helps to convey the game’s theme and mechanics, making it easier for players to understand the game’s rules and objectives. The game’s artwork is a major factor in its appeal, with many players praising its beauty and detail.
Leder Games’ inaugural release, Vast: The Crystal Caverns, introduced players to a groundbreaking concept where each participant embodies a different role—be it a knight, dragon, goblin tribe, thief, or even the cave itself. This title set the stage for the company’s commitment to asymmetrical gameplay, where each role offers a distinct playstyle and objectives, ensuring high replayability and strategic depth.
Their portfolio of acclaimed games also includes Vast: The Mysterious Manor, further highlighting their focus on narrative-driven gameplay and unique, artistic game concepts.
In 2018, Leder Games released Root, a game that solidified its reputation in the board game community. Set in a richly illustrated woodland realm, Root allows players to control various asymmetrical factions, each with unique mechanics and victory conditions, featuring many creatures that inhabit the forest. Players compete for control over the woodland, with factions like the squabbling eyrie adding to the dynamic gameplay.
Marquise de Cat: Focuses on engine building by collecting wood to produce new buildings like workshops, lumber mills, and barracks, aiming to control as much territory as possible. The game is often played multiple times, with each session offering new strategies, as outlined in the play rulebook.
Eyrie Dynasties: Seeks to reclaim their ancient birthright by building roosts and expanding influence, though internal squabbles can lead to turmoil, navigating more dangerous woodland paths and hatching conspiracies to maintain power.
Woodland Alliance: Operates from the shadows, spreading sympathy tokens and inciting uprisings to challenge the dominant powers. Their strategy begins slowly but gains momentum, with new vagabonds and mysterious quests adding layers of intrigue. Players drive the narrative, and each role creates unique interactions. The Vagabond plays a crucial part, interacting with other players and factions for their own gain, aiming for victory points. The alliance's hopes rest on reclaiming freedom, while the Cats play focuses on resource management. Wandering vagabonds, the great woodland, and the great birds all contribute to the rich backstory, making the first game a learning experience that becomes more rewarding as players understand the hidden goals and strategies of each new commander.
The game’s artwork, characterized by Ferrin’s distinctive style, juxtaposes whimsical visuals with deep strategic gameplay. Root has received numerous accolades, including the 2019 Origins Award for Game of the Year.
Leder Games has expanded the Root universe through several expansions, each introducing new factions, mechanics, and maps:
Riverfolk Expansion: Adds the Riverfolk Company and the Lizard Cult, offering new strategic dynamics and trade opportunities.
Underworld Expansion: Introduces the Corvid Conspiracy and the Underground Duchy, along with new maps featuring mountain and lake terrains.
Clockwork Expansion: Provides automated versions of factions, enabling solo play or adding AI-controlled opponents to multiplayer games.
Marauder Expansion: Brings in the Lord of the Hundreds and the Keepers in Iron, along with hirelings that add layers of strategy and unpredictability.
These expansions enhance the game’s depth, allowing players to explore new strategies and experience the woodland conflict from diverse perspectives. Each expansion adds new layers to the gameplay, enriching the overall gaming experience.
Leder Games continues to innovate with titles that explore different themes while maintaining the company’s signature asymmetrical design:
Oath: Chronicles of Empire and Exile: A game that chronicles the rise and fall of civilizations, where players’ decisions have lasting impacts on the game’s evolving narrative.
Fort: A deck-building game where players build forts and friendships, capturing the essence of childhood alliances and rivalries.
Ahoy: A pirate-themed game where players vie for control of the high seas, balancing exploration and combat.
Arcs: Set in a sci-fi universe, Arcs offers a campaign experience where players’ choices shape the galaxy’s fate over multiple sessions.
Additionally, the upcoming Homeland Expansion will introduce new features such as maps, decks, and hireling packs, showcasing Leder Games' commitment to refining game design and expressiveness.
Leder Games is committed to producing high-quality games that are both functional and visually appealing. The company works with experienced manufacturers to ensure that its games are produced to the highest standards. The game’s components, such as the cards and boards, are designed to be durable and long-lasting, withstanding repeated play. The company also ensures that its games are packaged and shipped securely, to prevent damage and ensure that players receive their games in good condition. The production and manufacturing process is carefully managed to ensure that the game meets the company’s high standards, resulting in a game that is both enjoyable and durable.
Leder Games uses a variety of marketing and promotion strategies to reach its target audience and promote its games. The company has a strong online presence, with social media accounts and a website that provide information about its games and updates on new releases. The company also attends gaming conventions and events, where it showcases its games and connects with players and retailers. The company’s marketing efforts focus on highlighting the unique features and gameplay of its games, such as the asymmetric design and immersive theme of Root. By building a community of fans and promoting its games effectively, Leder Games is able to reach a wide audience and build a loyal following among gamers.
Leder Games maintains a strong connection with its community, often involving fans in playtesting and feedback sessions. This collaborative development process helps refine game mechanics and introduce new features, ensuring engaging gameplay experiences. The company has also expressed interest in expanding its intellectual properties into other media, including potential video game adaptations and comic books. This commitment to storytelling and world-building ensures that the universes created by Leder Games continue to captivate audiences across various platforms.
Leder Games stands as a beacon of innovation in the board game industry, consistently delivering titles that challenge players with asymmetrical gameplay and rich narratives. From the depths of crystal caverns to the treetops of contested woodlands, the company's games invite players into worlds where strategy, storytelling, and unique player roles intertwine. As Leder Games continues to explore new frontiers in game design, fans eagerly anticipate the next adventure that awaits.
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