Root: Riverfolk Expansion

Root: Riverfolk Expansion – Expand the Forest Fray with Trade, Zeal, and Strategic Intrigue

Venture deeper into the dense, dangerous woodland with the Root: Riverfolk Expansion, the first major content expansion for the award-winning Root: A Game of Woodland Might and Right. This expansion invites new asymmetric playstyles, introduces fresh characters, and enhances the game’s strategic complexity with mercantile dealings, religious fervor, and new competitive and cooperative possibilities.

If you love the asymmetric brilliance of the Root board game, the Riverfolk Expansion adds even more replayability, more depth, and more wildcards to the battle for dominance in the vast wilderness.

Two New Core Factions: Unique Powers, Distinct Playstyles

The Riverfolk Company

The Riverfolk Company are opportunistic merchants who thrive on turmoil and instability. When other factions struggle for control of the woodland, the Riverfolk rise by offering their services for a price.
As the Riverfolk Company, your path to victory lies not in capturing territory, but in capitalizing on crisis.

• Trade and Negotiate: Offer cards, river travel, and mercenaries to the other players—for a fee.

• Control the Waterways: Use the rivers to move freely and expand your reach across the board.

• Grow Through Commerce: Use earned funds to develop your engine and score victory points.

The Riverfolk thrive in games with many players. The more opponents in play, the greater your pool of potential clients—and your power.

The Lizard Cult

The Lizard Cult represents a fanatical sect that seeks to indoctrinate the forest’s disenfranchised. Using discarded cards as offerings, they convert and sacrifice followers to spread their faith.

• Indoctrinate the Forest: Convert enemy warriors into your own zealots.

• Build Gardens: Establish sacred sites in forest clearings to fuel your devotion.

• Play from Discard: Embrace unpredictability by relying on cards discarded by other players.

A challenging faction to master, the Lizard Cult excels in long-term planning and disruptive strategies. They turn discarded resources into devastating spiritual momentum.

New Vagabond Variants – Rivalry in the Forest

The Riverfolk Expansion introduces a Second Vagabond into the fray, allowing for direct competition between wandering loners.

• Compete for Fame and Fortune: Two Vagabonds enter, but only one can be the most legendary.

• New Vagabond Characters: With additional Vagabond variants, you’ll find new gear, new personalities, and new approaches to the mysterious quest of the Vagabond.

• More Asymmetric Fun: Each Vagabond plays differently and interacts with the forest factions in new ways, further enhancing the game’s depth and replayability.

The inclusion of a second Vagabond adds more options for players who enjoy Root’s lone wolf faction, and gives the board game more flexibility in player count and narrative possibilities.

The Mechanical Marquise – Solo and Cooperative Play

Wage war against the Mechanical Marquise, a formidable bot faction that automates the nefarious Marquise de Cat. Whether you’re playing solo or want to test your teamwork in cooperative mode, the Mechanical Marquise brings a brutal industrial force to the game.

• Solo Scenarios: Tackle the game on your own with a challenging AI opponent.

• Cooperative Play: Team up with friends to take down a shared threat.

• Rules for Bot Play: Include clear mechanics and behavior rules to make AI-controlled factions seamless and engaging.

With the Mechanical Marquise in play, you can now enjoy Root: Riverfolk Expansion with 1–6 players—perfect for game nights of all sizes.

Expansion Components and Enhancements

Inside the Riverfolk Expansion, you’ll find high-quality components that match the aesthetic and charm of the base game, including:

• A Faction Board for the Riverfolk Company

• A Faction Board for the Lizard Cult

• Extra Vagabond Meeples and Character Cards

• A Card Holder for managing Riverfolk services

• Three Vagabond Variants

• Cooperative Scenario Rules

• Bot Play Rules

• A complete ruleset designed to integrate seamlessly with the base game

All components are illustrated in the same vibrant, storybook art style by Kyle Ferrin, bringing whimsical character to every card and piece.

More Players, More Drama

The Root: Riverfolk Expansion increases the maximum player count from 4 to 6, allowing even more friends to jump into the forest fray. This expansion is ideal for larger groups and long-time Root fans looking to diversify their game nights.

• Supports 1–6 players

• Increases the number of playable factions

• Adds faction balance and variety

• Encourages negotiation, trade, and interaction at the table

Whether you’re hosting a full 6-player showdown or diving into a solo session against the Mechanical Marquise, this expansion ensures that every playthrough feels fresh, dynamic, and delightfully treacherous.

Why the Riverfolk Expansion is a Must-Have

The Riverfolk Expansion doesn’t just add more content to Root—it redefines how the game can be played. By introducing trade mechanics, spiritual conversion, and AI opponents, it invites a broader audience and more complex inter-faction relationships.

It’s perfect for fans who want to:

• Explore new asymmetric challenges

• Expand Root’s strategic depth

• Add solo and cooperative gameplay options

• Increase player count for bigger games

• Customize their play experience with new Vagabond characters

If you’ve already discovered the magic of Root: A Game of Woodland Might and Right, this expansion is your ticket to even more dangerous woodland paths, richer interactions, and unpredictable politics.

Root and Riverfolk – A Legacy of Asymmetry

Root has earned acclaim for its asymmetrical design, high replay value, and deep strategic layers. The Riverfolk Expansion continues that legacy with two fully realized factions that challenge conventional board game norms and encourage creative play.

This expansion deepens the forest war with:

• Complex engine building for the Riverfolk

• Evolving spiritual dominance with the Lizard Cult

• Enhanced solo and cooperative play

• A wider variety of faction dynamics and victory paths

Whether you're recruiting forces, hatching conspiracies, or completing your own secret quests, the Root: Riverfolk Expansion will keep you coming back to the table—again and again.

Root: Riverfolk Expansion is not just an add-on; it's a transformation of the Root board game experience. Add it to your collection and let your next adventure in the great woodland begin with rivers, zealots, and cunning traders.

Leder Games invites you to shape the forest’s future—one negotiation, revolt, or trade at a time.