Welcome to the Photosynthesis Solo Game

Ready to embark on an exciting journey into the world of plants? Join me as we explore the fascinating process of photosynthesis and learn how to play the Photosynthesis Solo Game. Get ready for a fun-filled adventure!

Objective

The goal of the game is to grow your own forest and accumulate as many points as possible. You do this by strategically positioning your trees and collecting sunlight to fuel their growth. The player with the most points at the end of the game wins!

Game Components

Before we get started, let’s go over the components you’ll need for the game:

• Game board: This is where you’ll plant and grow your trees.
• Tree tokens: These represent your trees and come in different sizes.
• Sun segments: These represent sunlight and will be used to grow your trees.
• Scoring tokens: These keep track of your points throughout the game.

Gameplay

Now, let’s dive into the gameplay. Here’s a step-by-step guide on how to play:

1. Step 1: Set Up

Arrange the game board and place the tree tokens on their starting positions. Each player should start with three small trees.

Step 2: Take Turns

Beginning with the starting player, take turns in a clockwise direction. On your turn, you can perform one of three actions:

• Plant a Tree: Place one of your tree tokens on any unoccupied space on the game board. You can only plant trees in spaces that are adjacent to your existing trees or at the edge of the board.
• Grow Trees: Spend sun segments to grow your trees. Each tree has a specific cost for each growth level. Pay the cost and move your tree token to the next available space on the growth track.
• Collect Light Points: At the end of your turn, collect light points based on the position of your trees. The further your tree is from the edge of the board, the more light points you’ll receive.

Step 3: Generate Sunlight

After each player has taken their turn, generate sunlight by placing sun segments on the sun track. The sunlight will move clockwise on the next turn.

Step 4: Score Points

Throughout the game, you’ll score points based on the position and size of your trees. The bigger your trees and the closer they are to the center of the board, the more points you’ll receive.

Step 5: End Game

The game ends after a set number of turns. Count up your points, and the player with the highest score wins!

Conclusion

Now that you know the rules of the game, it’s time to put your knowledge into action. Gather your friends or play solo, and let the game of Photosynthesis begin! Have fun growing your forest and embracing the wonders of nature.

Let me tell you about this cool game called Photosynthesis. You can play it against an opponent named Cynthia. Whether you want to play alone or with friends, Cynthia can be your opponent.

What You’ll Need

• 14 Action cards
• 1 Action Sequence card
• 2 Light Point Tracker cards
• 1 Directional Selection card

To play against Cynthia, you’ll need a set of Action cards, Action Sequence cards, and Light Point Tracker cards for each Cynthia playing.

Playing with Cynthia

The rules for you stay the same, but Cynthia has her own set of rules:

• Cynthia doesn’t have a Player Board. She uses the Light Point Tracker cards to keep track of her Light Points.
• At the beginning of the game, Cynthia starts with 1 Small Tree and 1 Medium Tree already on the board.
• Cynthia has fewer trees and seeds than you.

Cynthia doesn’t have to buy any trees or seeds because she already has them. All the trees and seeds that aren’t on the main board are available to her at all times. Even if Cynthia returns trees and seeds from the main board, they become immediately available again.

The costs for growing trees may be different for Cynthia compared to you.

It’s important to remember that Cynthia still has to follow the rule of only activating each space once per turn. Keep track of which spaces she has already activated during her turn.

Now, let’s talk about some key concepts.

A ring refers to a group of spaces on the main board that have the same number of leaves shown on them.

Sometimes Cynthia will have multiple options for which space to take action on. In these cases, the spaces will be within one ring on the main board. To make the final choice, we use the Directional Selection tiebreaker.

1. To start the Directional Selection, follow the arrow on the center of the Directional Selection card until you reach the first space on the ring you’re interested in.
2. Take a look at the bottom left corner of the current Action card. There, you’ll find the black Directional Selection icon with an arrow and a number.
3. Based on the arrow, follow the valid spaces on the ring in a clockwise or counter-clockwise direction. Only consider spaces that are still open for the action, and haven’t been eliminated due to the general rules or tiebreakers.
4. Count the valid spaces until you reach the number indicated on the Directional Selection icon. This might mean counting the same space more than once.
5. The space you end up on is the space where you take action.
6. If you land on a space with an opponent’s piece, you get to send their piece back to the starting point.
7. If you’re lucky enough to land on a space with a ladder, you get to move ahead to a higher-numbered space.
8. But, if you land on a snake, you have to slide down to a lower-numbered space.
9. The game continues until one player reaches or exceeds the last numbered space.
10. That player is crowned the winner.

Checking Future Light Points

There are times when you need to perform a Future Light Points Check. During this check, the current state of the game remains unchanged.

Think of it as a “what if?” scenario.

To perform a Future Light Points Check:

• Imagine the changes to the game state described in the action.
• Picture the Sun Segment moving to the next section and a Photosynthesis phase taking place.
• Count how many Light Points the relevant player or players would collect.

If the Revolution number is involved in the action, use the current number, even if the check would “move” the Sun Segment to a section of a new Revolution.

Setting Up

For a regular game, get all your components ready: the main board, Scoring tokens, the Sun Segment, and the Revolution Counters.

First, let’s orient the board according to the image below. Make sure to tuck the Directional Selection card under the edge that is farthest from you.

Now, we need to randomly determine who will go first.

Okay, let’s go through the setup procedure for each Cynthia:

Place the 2 Light Point Tracker cards on the table, one that goes from 0 to 14 and the other from 15 to 20. Then, put Cynthia’s Light Point Tracker on space “0”.

Next, give Cynthia the following items:

• 3 Seeds
• 3 Small Trees
• 3 Medium Trees
• 2 Large Trees

Any remaining seeds and trees should be put back into the box, as they will not be used.

Finally, place the Action Sequence card on the table.

Alright, here’s what you need to do. Take those cards with the Revolution 1 and 2 icons and put them face-down. Mix them up a bit and put them on the table. That’s your Action deck.

Now, when Cynthia starts, she puts down a Small Tree first, like always. Then, she puts down a Medium Tree next.

Here’s what you do for each tree:

1. Get ready to follow these steps:

– Pick up a tree card.

– Put the card on the board.

– Do the action shown on the card.

– Put the card in a discard pile.

2. Repeat these steps until you run out of cards in the Action deck.

That’s it! You’re ready to go. Have fun!

When starting the game, I need to find the right spaces to plant my trees. I can only choose empty spaces on the outer ring that are not next to any trees. It’s important to keep this in mind so that my trees have enough space to grow.

After I’ve chosen the spaces, I draw 1 Action card. I can use the white Setup Directional Selection icon on the card to help me decide where to plant my tree. I look at the bottom center of the card, on the trunk, and count the valid spaces on the outer ring of the main board.

Once I’ve decided on a space, I place Cynthia’s tree there. This will be the starting point for my tree to grow and expand.

In a 4-player game setup, I will follow the same steps as above. However, if there are no more valid spaces left, I can plant trees next to the trees that are already in place. This allows me to keep expanding my forest even when space is limited.

Game Play

The Photosynthesis Phase

When the game begins, I find myself immersed in a world where I can witness the wonders of nature firsthand. The Photosynthesis Phase is where the magic begins. I take on the role of a young plant, ready to grow and thrive in this vibrant ecosystem.

In this phase, I must collect sunlight to produce energy for myself. I extend my leaves to catch the rays of the sun and convert them into valuable resources. It’s fascinating to see how plants, like me, can turn sunlight into food through the process of photosynthesis.

As I gather sunlight, I am also tasked with strategically positioning myself to block the sun’s rays from reaching my opponents. By casting my shade over them, I limit their ability to collect sunlight and stunt their growth. It’s a delicate balance of seeking out the light while also strategically blocking my opponents.

The Life Cycle Phase

Once I have gathered enough sunlight and resources, it’s time to enter the Life Cycle Phase. Here, I am faced with decisions about how to allocate my resources for optimal growth. I can choose to grow taller, to reach new heights and capture more sunlight. Or I can use my resources to create seeds, ensuring the future survival of my species.

But I must also be mindful of the ever-changing seasons. As the game progresses, the seasons change, bringing new challenges and opportunities. I must adapt my strategy to the changing environment, making decisions that will help me thrive in the face of adversity.

The Strategies

To succeed in this game, I must be strategic in my actions. I must think ahead, considering the long-term consequences of my decisions. It’s not just about collecting as much sunlight as possible in the moment, but about planning for the future and ensuring the survival and growth of my plant.

I must also be aware of my opponents and their actions. I can observe their strategies and use that knowledge to my advantage. If I see an opponent focusing solely on capturing sunlight, I can strategically block their path and limit their resources. It’s a game of both collaboration and competition, where every action has a consequence.

The Goal

The ultimate goal in this game is to thrive and survive. It’s about finding the perfect balance between gathering sunlight for energy and strategically blocking opponents. It’s about making the right decisions at the right time, adapting to the changing seasons, and outsmarting my opponents.

By embracing the fascinating process of photosynthesis and understanding the delicate balance of nature, I can truly appreciate the beauty and complexity of the plant world. This game allows me to step into the shoes of a plant, experience its challenges and triumphs, and gain a deeper understanding of the remarkable process that sustains life on our planet.

• Like any other player, I also receive Light Points.
• When the third Sun Revolution begins, we have to mix up all the Action cards and rotate the deck so that the Revolution 3 icon is visible on the top half. Then, we place the deck face down on the table.

My Turn

When it’s my turn, I draw 1 Action card from the deck and put it to the right of the Action Sequence card. We only look at the left half of the card, where we find different parameters for each action. If the Action deck is empty, we shuffle all the cards again and form a new deck.

Now, let’s start with the top action on the Action Sequence card and see if I can perform it. If I can’t, we move on to the next action. We continue this process until I either perform an action or we reach the end of the card. Remember, I can only perform a maximum of 1 action per card.

As I continue drawing cards, I can do one action for each card until one of three conditions is met:

• If Cynthia has no Light Points left,
• If Cynthia has used up all of her spaces,
• If Cynthia is unable to perform any action with a card.

When any of these conditions are met, Cynthia’s turn ends.

There are a few reasons why Cynthia might not be able to perform an action:

• She doesn’t have enough Light Points,
• There is no matching seed or tree available,
• There is no matching seed or tree on the board to grow a tree,
• All valid spaces for the action have already been used this turn.

Actions

I. Collect

Cost: 4 Light Points.

When I play as Cynthia, I have the power to end the life-cycle of a Large Tree. For each of my Large Trees on the board, I have to consider a few things. First, I perform a Future Light Points Check, assuming the tree was removed.

If I would collect an equal or greater amount of Light Points compared to the number shown on the current Sun Revolution Counter plus the number on the Action card, then the Tree is valid for the action. However, if I would collect less Light Points, then the tree cannot be targeted for the action.

Revolution 3:

During Revolution 3, there’s an additional rule for Cynthia. If she has both of her Large Trees on the main board, she also ends the life-cycle of a Large Tree. This takes precedence over the result of the Future Light Points Check.

If there are multiple valid Large Trees on the board, we use the following tiebreakers to determine which one remains:

Tiebreakers:

• Choose the valid space that is closest to the center of the board.
• To figure out which tree will give Cynthia more Future Light Points after it’s removed, I need to perform a Future Light Points Check.
• Then, I’ll use Directional Selection to make my decision.

II. Grow Tree

CostPoints
Grow to Small Tree:	2 Light Points
Grow to Medium Tree:	4 Light Points
Grow to Large Tree:	6 Light Points

When you consult the tree icon on the Action card, you’ll see three tree sizes displayed in a specific order. Start with the smallest tree on the left and check if Cynthia can grow that tree. If she can, go ahead and perform the action. If not, move on to the next tree size shown on the icon. If necessary, proceed to the third and final tree size.

If there is more than one tree on the main board that needs to be grown, we’ll use these tiebreakers in order until only one tree is left.

Tiebreakers:

1. Look for a valid space closest to the center.

2. Perform a Future Light Points Check, assuming the tree has already grown. Choose the tree that will increase Cynthia’s Light Points the most.

3. * Perform a Future Light Points Check, assuming the tree has already grown. Choose the tree that will leave Cynthia’s opponents with the least amount of Light Points.

4. Use Directional Selection.

Tiebreaker 3 is an interesting feature that you can choose to use when playing a game. It adds an extra layer of complexity and strategy to the game, but you don’t have to use it if you don’t want to.

When I play against Cynthia, I will be playing against all the other players, including another Cynthia if there is one. It’s a bit tricky because I have to keep track of what everyone else is doing.

III. Plant Seed

You need 1 Light Point to perform the action of planting a seed. It’s a simple action, but it can have a big impact on the game.

Hey there! Let’s talk about counting the spaces on the board where Cynthia has a tree or seed. It’s a pretty cool concept, so stick with me.

So, here’s the deal. We have this thing called the Sun Revolution Counter. It shows us which revolution we’re on. Keep an eye on that, okay?

Now, my buddy Cynthia wants to plant a seed. And guess what? The number of spaces where she has a tree or seed needs to be less than the number on the Sun Revolution Counter plus the number on the Action card.

Let me break it down for you. Let’s say the Sun Revolution Counter shows “3”. That means Cynthia needs to have fewer than 3 spaces with a tree or seed in order to plant a seed. Easy-peasy, right?

Now, during Revolution 3, things get a little different. No matter what the Sun Revolution Counter says, Cynthia always needs to have fewer than 3 spaces with a tree or seed to plant a seed. It’s like a special rule just for Revolution 3.

Alright, I hope that makes sense. Count those spaces, keep an eye on the Sun Revolution Counter, and help Cynthia plant those seeds!

When I play the Action card, I look for the ring icon that indicates where Cynthia prefers to plant a Seed. It’s important to start from the left and move to the right, searching for the first ring that has an available space for the Seed.

If there’s more than one valid space on the ring, I use the following tiebreakers in order, until only one space remains:

Tiebreakers:

• I choose the space with the most empty spaces around it.
• I use Directional Selection.

Tree Of Origin

When Cynthia plants a Seed, I also need to determine its tree of origin. The space where the Seed is planted follows the normal activation rules.

If there are multiple trees from which the Seed could have been planted, I use the following tiebreakers until only one tree remains:

Tiebreakers:

• I choose the smallest tree.
• I choose the tree on the outermost ring.
• I use Directional Selection.

The End of the Game

Once we reach the final turn, I will bring an end to the life-cycle of any Large Trees that I have on the board. I’ll collect a Scoring Token for the tree that is closest to the center. The best part is that I don’t have to spend any Light Points to do this.

If there are two of me playing the game, we will collect Scoring Tokens in the order that we are playing.

Scoring

We will count up the values on my collected Scoring Tokens, but keep in mind that I don’t get any points for the Light Points that I have left.

Changing the Difficulty

If you want to make the game easier, you can choose any or all of these options:

• Don’t end the life-cycle of a Large Tree after the final turn.
• Increase the cost of the Grow Tree action for me by 1 Light Point.
• Instead of starting the game with 1 Small Tree and 1 Medium Tree, I will already have 2 Small Trees on the main board.

If you want to make the game more challenging, you can try some of these options:

• Cynthia can reduce the cost of the Grow Tree action by 1 Light Point.
• During Scoring, Cynthia will earn points based on the size of each of her remaining trees:

Small Tree:	1 Point
Medium Tree:	2 Points
Large Tree:	3 Points

Advanced Variation

4th Sun Revolution

If you want an even more challenging game, try the 4th Sun Revolution variant. Instead of shuffling and rotating the Action deck at the start of Revolution 3, do it at the start of Revolution 4.