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Photosynthesis Under The Moonlight - Expansion to Photosynthesis Original Game- Family or Adult Strategy Board Game for 2 to 4 Players. Recommended for Ages 10 and Up.
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Return this item for free
Free returns are available for the shipping address you chose. You can return the item for any reason in new and unused condition: no shipping charges
Learn more about free returns.- Go to your orders and start the return
- Select the return method
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Brand | BLUE ORANGE GAMES |
Material | Paper |
Theme | Animal,Forest |
Genre | Strategy |
Number of Players | 2 to 4 |
About this item
- STRATEGY TABLETOP BOARD GAME: Photosynthesis is one of the best environmental tactical board games referring to the life cycle of trees, for science and biology enthusiasts. This best-selling board game has an amazing table presence with an ever-changing forest made of high-quality cardboard pieces.
- EXPANSION- Under the Moonlight is the first expansion of the original Photosynthesis game. You need the original game to play with the expansion.
- Enhance the world of Photosynthesis with the Under the Moonlight expansion! The moon turns in the opposite direction of the sun and casts its moonlight into the woods. Strategically position your animal by the moonstones, activate their capabilities at the right time, and be careful to not stay too long in the shadow of the Great Elder Tree! Players collect lunar points for their new forest animal to activate special powers.
- Which one of the 8 animals will be yours? The boar collects trees, the hedgehog plants seeds, the fox steals and moves seed around, the owl turns lunar points into sun points…
- ECO FRIENDLY: Blue Orange is sensitive to the protection of planet earth and to climate change challenges and only uses recycled materials to manufacture Photosynthesis.
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Product information
Product Dimensions | 1.6 x 5.15 x 10.4 inches |
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Item Weight | 13.6 ounces |
Country of Origin | China |
ASIN | B08H52FSBG |
Item model number | 05401 |
Manufacturer recommended age | 10 years and up |
Best Sellers Rank | #41,107 in Toys & Games (See Top 100 in Toys & Games) #1,256 in Board Games (Toys & Games) |
Customer Reviews |
4.8 out of 5 stars |
Is Discontinued By Manufacturer | No |
Release date | October 15, 2020 |
Language | English |
Manufacturer | Blue Orange Games |
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Product Description
Enhance the world of Photosynthesis with the Under the Moonlight expansion! The moon turns in the opposite direction of the sun and casts its moonlight into the woods. Players collect lunar points for their new forest animal to activate special powers. Which one of the 8 animals will be yours? The boar collects trees, the hedgehog plants seeds, the fox steals and moves seed around, the owl turns lunar points into sun points… Strategically position your animal by the moonstones, activate their capabilities at the right time, and be careful to not stay too long in the shadow of the Great Elder Tree! This expansion requires the base game Photosynthesis to play.
Important information
Safety Information
Small Parts- Not for Children under 3 years old
From the manufacturer
Enhance the world of Photosynthesis with the Under the Moonlight expansion!
The moon turns in the opposite direction of the sun and casts its moonlight into the woods.
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Players collect lunar points for their new forest animal to activate special powers. Which one of the 8 animals will be yours? The boar collects trees, the hedgehog plants seeds, the fox steals and moves seed around, the owl turns lunar points into sun points… |
Strategically position your animal by the moonstones, activate their capabilities at the right time, and be careful to not stay too long by the Great Elder Tree! His massive shadow will keep you from earning light and solar points! |
This expansion requires the base game Photosynthesis to play. |
The Under The Moonlight expansion includes:
1 Great Elder Tree, 1 Full Moon/ Half-Moon token, 1 Moon Phase tracker, 8 Animal meeples (wooden/both sides printed), 4 Lunar Point trackers,1 Dam tile (for the beaver), 8 Baby Turtle tokens, 3 Moonstones and Illustrated Rules.
What's in the box
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Photosynthesis Board Game Review After 3 Years
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Great Game For The Entire Family And Friends!
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Customer reviews
Customer Reviews, including Product Star Ratings help customers to learn more about the product and decide whether it is the right product for them.
To calculate the overall star rating and percentage breakdown by star, we don’t use a simple average. Instead, our system considers things like how recent a review is and if the reviewer bought the item on Amazon. It also analyzed reviews to verify trustworthiness.
Learn more how customers reviews work on AmazonCustomers say
Customers say the board game is easy to assemble and understandable. They also appreciate the high quality construction and durable components. Customers describe the game as fast paced and exciting. They mention that watching the tree change is stressful and enchanting. Customers also like the gift, and entertainment value. However, some customers have issues with damage and disagree on strategy.
AI-generated from the text of customer reviews
Customers find the game intriguing, awesome, and fun. They also appreciate the interesting game mechanic and the well designed game. Overall, customers recommend the game for yourself or as a gift.
"...The game is so intriguing, in fact, that my wife (who normally does not get involved in our gaming sessions) wanted to play the game over and..." Read more
"...Let me tell you, the strategy to this game is NOT simple. This is area control at its finest...." Read more
"...Non-gamer friendly - this game is clear, well laid out, has one major resource system, 4 major action systems, and 2 environmental mechanics - it is..." Read more
"...understandable and enjoyed by most eight year olds, but the strategy is in depth enough that your going to want to play it even without the kids!..." Read more
Customers find the board game fairly easy to learn and understandable. They also say the rules are simple and easy to pick up. Customers also say that the game is not super difficult for hard core gamers, but challenging enough. They say the trees are separated by color, making future set up easy.
"...Because it's based on nature, I found the rules very easy to pick up; just do what a tree would do, and you'll be fine...." Read more
"...4 major action systems, and 2 environmental mechanics - it is easy to understand, quick to learn, and fun to jump into.The Bad..." Read more
"...can easily store all the assembled trees separated by color so future set up is easy...." Read more
"...This game is simple enough to be understandable and enjoyed by most eight year olds, but the strategy is in depth enough that your going to want to..." Read more
Customers like the quality of the board game. They mention that it's family friendly, has beautiful art, and high quality construction. They also say that the components are great, and the game is durable. Customers also appreciate the original mechanics and solid rules. They say that it looks good and plays pretty well.
"...All the components are high quality and very well done. All four sets of trees are different and colored beautifully!..." Read more
"...readable board and tiles to the obvious stand out, the trees, each unique and aesthetically thrilling as the forest begins to populate the board...." Read more
"...Completely different than most games. Strategic and a joy to play. Great components...." Read more
"...High rate for friendly game playBeautiful artHigh quality constructionVery family friendly !..." Read more
Customers like the pace of the board game. They say it's fast paced, easy to learn, and moves quickly. Some customers also mention that the game is low impact and has a high rate for friendly game play. However, some customers say that the timing of game play is deceptively hard to master.
"...Game time runs at around 45 - 70 minutes, but it seems to go very fast...." Read more
"...captivating, easy to learn and play, accessible to new gamers and fairly quick...." Read more
"...on YouTube to get you started that's what we did and it made it really fast and easy." Read more
"...Low mental impactHigh rate for friendly game playBeautiful artHigh quality constructionVery family friendly !..." Read more
Customers find the board game exciting. They say the gameplay is engaging, captivating, and interesting. They also say the game makes them think ahead, making it a brain-burner. Customers also say that the game has a unique feeling game mechanic that allows for overall enjoyable.
"...Story - the theme, art, and gameplay all feed into a rich storytelling experience...." Read more
"...Low mental impactHigh rate for friendly game playBeautiful artHigh quality constructionVery family friendly !..." Read more
"...What's nice is the playing field is always shifting...." Read more
"...it says on the box, but you will have an amazing time and a very unique experience." Read more
Customers find the board game a great gift for board game lovers, family fun, and plant lovers. They also say it's a new addition to their board game collection and an excellent addition to all gaming collections.
"This is the perfect gift for board game lovers. The box is beautiful and it’s fun to play!" Read more
"...Also it’s really cute and a perfect gift for any plant lover you know!Update: I bought this game again...." Read more
"...I would say it is an excellent addition to all gaming collection in the like of chess, checkers, and other classic games that are less story driven." Read more
"Beautiful game board fairly easy to learn and play. Makes a great gift." Read more
Customers are mixed about the strategy. Some find it fun and simple, while others say it's a bit limited. They also say the game forces them to think radially and has swiftly shifting tactical resource management.
"...game is clear, well laid out, has one major resource system, 4 major action systems, and 2 environmental mechanics - it is easy to understand, quick..." Read more
"I love this game. Completely different than most games. Strategic and a joy to play. Great components...." Read more
"...The only thing is the strategy is more complex, so she had a hard time understanding where to place trees and why she would place them in those..." Read more
"...the game goes differently every time because there are so many different strategies to use...." Read more
Customers are dissatisfied with the damage of the board game. They mention that the box was damaged, some of the trees were damaged, and the bottom of the box had been ripped. The top of the game box also had a dent.
"...The game box came a bit tattered. Almost as if it was damaged during shipment. This is not a big deal to me though...." Read more
"Simple and fun board game. It's a pity that the outer box was slightly dented when received!" Read more
"Just to start off, I wanna say that I received my box damaged on the side...." Read more
"...its a fault of the manufacturer or Amazon, is that the inside box was damaged on three sides...." Read more
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All the art work is beautiful. All the components are high quality and very well done. All four sets of trees are different and colored beautifully! You have Oak, Maple, Cedar/Evergreen, and one other deciduous tree with which I am not familiar. All the colors are brilliant and spectacular. My only quibble would be that a lot of the tree pieces do not fit together tightly (so they fall apart), but since this can be fixed with a very small dot of glue, I don't see it as a big concern (clarification: all the trees come in two pieces that you fit together perpendicularly so they will stand up).
The theme is very fun and intriguing; growing your trees from seedlings to full grown large trees is enormous fun. Strategically placing your trees to get the most growth and light points provides just the perfect element of strategy and tactics to the game. The game is so intriguing, in fact, that my wife (who normally does not get involved in our gaming sessions) wanted to play the game over and over!
For those of you who have not delved into the world of Euro-gaming, do not worry. I would put the rules complexity at around Monopoly. In fact, the rules are so easy to understand that our 7 year old daughter can play. The only thing is the strategy is more complex, so she had a hard time understanding where to place trees and why she would place them in those locations. Our 10 year old daughter had no issues with the strategy portion. The game box says for ages 8+. This is probably true if your 8 year old is especially sharp and observant, otherwise I would say 10+.
Game time runs at around 45 - 70 minutes, but it seems to go very fast. Once everyone understands the rules, you could probably complete a game in 30 minutes. The game does allow you to extend the game one full "day" which adds another 15 minutes or so and changes the strategy a bit.
You can play this game 2 player, but it does make it a bit too easy (too big of a play area with no interference from other players). My wife and I played several 2 player games. The game says to leave out the highest point (4-leaf) rewards -which only come from the middle of the board. Since you cannot reap the benefit of that space of the board, we decided to add a full grown, large tree (from a non-player color) to the center of the board (this affects light points and tree placement strategy). We also added 3 small trees in three of the outside ring (1-leaf) corners. Using the optional rule for tree growth along with these house rules made a VERY challenging 2-player game.
Replayability is very good, but players do seem to settle into a set strategy once they know the game. If you on the fence on whether or not to get this game, don't! It is simply a stunning game with a very fun theme that will bring your family together for some fun moments!
Much like its titular chemical reaction, Photosynthesis is an complex, brilliant game.
If I had to classify Photosynthesis, I would describe it as an action based, economy driven, area control game. Photosynthesis is all about planting seeds, growing trees, having those trees topple down to give you points, and starting all over again, all while fighting for the limited sunlight of the forest.
The rules of Photosynthesis are actually simple. At its core, there is a organic component and a economy game mechanic. First, the organic side of things follows a nice pattern. Seeds are 1, trees are 1-2-3, then four to score. To break down what that means: To plant a seed, it always costs one light point. Next, the trees follow a simple 1-2-3//S-M-L breakdown; light points earned, shadows cast, seed-spread range, and cost are all 1-2-3, based on tree size. If you want to score, its 4 light points.
Second, there is the economy game mechanic side of things. For obviously mechanical purposes, you need to purchase trees and seeds off your board, place them into your "available area," and THEN and only then can you use them in the organic process of planting and growing. It's the only un-thematic thing of the whole game, but the necessity is obvious to balance the game against the first player simply running board.
Each turn, these two core components are carried out via actions. At the start of a turn, players collect light points from their trees. This is affected by shadows, which move based on the sun's position (it moves each turn). Players then use those points to take actions: grow, plant, harvest (organic), or purchase (economy).
Because it's based on nature, I found the rules very easy to pick up; just do what a tree would do, and you'll be fine. It's all relatively simple.
Until your eight year old daughter throws a seed over your tree, blocks the sun two turns later, slows your plans down, then your realize you can slow HER down by growing a taller tree, only to have your wife harvest a tree and allow sunlight in where you didn't expect it, which lets the brat-child make a bigger tree ahead of you, and you have to write the whole plot of land off to focus on another part of the forest.
Let me tell you, the strategy to this game is NOT simple. This is area control at its finest. Your choices at any particular area hurt your opponents, probably will hurt you, might help you if you didn't hurt yourself too badly, and affect other areas as well. It's brilliant. The potential to harm yourself is especially brilliant.
That said, there is an obvious mechanic problem with Photosynthesis that needs to be addressed. This is abstract strategy at its finest, which means of course that you will have analysis paralysis at its slowest. [Example: I just spent 5 minutes contemplating how the payoff from reaching the middle space may be mitigated entirely by the shadow effects that hit your own trees.] In paralysis situations, I find that theme makes or breaks the game for a group. For me, I can stare at trees and plot my forest (pun entirely intended). You may not enjoy that nearly as much. In fact, I doubt my wife will play this a ton with me because she likes high-interaction games. Be forewarned!
I don't want to end on a grumpy note, so before I sign off for this review, let me also say that the storage is atrocious. The trees fit in the assigned areas, but not well. You are stacking them, and they are so stinking pretty (see below) that I have concerns about that. On top of that, the player boards and the game mat are smaller than their assigned area, so things constantly shake around in the box. My solution: use another box. Bottom line is that you can make it work, but you'll probably be happier with your own concoction.
As a final note, the art to this game needs as much recognition as I can give it. The coloring is phenomenal. There are small birds and foxes on most of the trees. The deciduous trees get the green, orange and yellow, with the conifer having a nice blue hue that rings of northern snows. Each tree type has unique art for its seed. Most importantly, all the trees are 3D. This game is an absolute joy to look at. I will try to bring this out as often as possible on cold wintery days.
In Photosynthesis, the forest truly comes to life. May the best forester win....