Ancestree

Ancestree (2017) is a collecting and sequencing game where you compete to build the strongest family tree. You select and link tiles, building your family person by person, scoring points for marriages, wealth and continuous generations. It is a strategic game about carefully using shared resources to grow your heritage, whilst stopping others from doing the same.

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You start by shuffling the Ancestor tiles and dealing six to each player. Each tile represents one person from a specific tribe indicated by a colour and a symbol. During each turn, everyone simultaneously places one tile from their hand face down in front of them, then passes the rest to the next player.

Once everyone has done this, they are flipped over and tactically added to your family tree. Each tile must be linked by completing a leaf or heart shape. You continue until everyone has placed five tiles into their tree.

The twist is that your score relates only to the players on either side of you. Who has the most boasting rights for their family? The tallest chain (Dynasty) for each of the five tribes wins a point. You can also score bonus points by collecting tiles with coins on them. Play continues over three rounds, with players continuing to add to their family tree from the previous rounds.

As you play, the value of combinations rises and after the final round, there is a chance to score bonus points for people in your family who are linked by hearts/marriages. The player who scores the most points in total is the winner.

What starts as a simple tile placement game, quickly becomes a strategic battle to create the strongest family by using resources carefully and keeping your options open, so that you can make the best use of any more valuable resources later in the game.

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Our examiner, Rob Prior, first checked Ancestree 24 months ago. It was re-examined by Jo Robertson and updated 8 weeks ago.