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Get ready to roll some digital dice, because the Steam Board Game Fest has begun, and Dire Wolf games are available at a discount from now until February 2nd!
With online play, solo modes, AI opponents, unique challenge scenarios, achievements to chase, and much more, digital board games are a great way to experience your favorite tabletop classics in new ways outside of game night. Don't miss this chance to add more titles to your virtual shelves!
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Featuring Dune: Imperium, Rise of Ix, and Immortality!
Whether you’re a seasoned warrior seeking to expand your digital Root repertoire or a new player looking to dive into the Woodland for the first time, this is the perfect opportunity to save big on Root Digital and its expansions — especially with the new Hirelings & Landmarks expansion now available!
Root: The Marauder Expansion (10% off)
Root: The Underworld Expansion (30% off)
Root: The Riverfolk Expansion (30% off)
Root: The Clockwork Expansion (30% off)
Root Soundtrack (30% off)
(Note: DLC is cross-platform; buy it once and play it anywhere!)
Clank!, the iconic deck-building board game adventure, challenges you to sneak into a dragon’s lair, steal one of her precious artifacts, and escape – before you’re roasted to a crisp! The Sunken Treasures expansion adds even more venues to plunder, with new dangers lurking underwater!
Enjoy the modern classic Ark Nova at its biggest discount yet! Plan and build a modern, scientifically managed zoo to support conservation projects in the digital adaptation of the acclaimed strategy board game.
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Compete to create the most perfect ecosystem in the award-winning board game journey! Winner of the prestigious Spiel des Jahres board game award, Cascadia is a relaxing and strategic tile-laying game where wildlife and nature exist in beautiful balance.
Munchkin Digital is at its lowest price ever, just in time for the new Pathfinder expansion! Go down to the dungeon. Kick in the door. Kill everything you find. Backstab your friends. Steal the treasure and run. With millions of copies sold around the world, Munchkin is the mega-hit card game about dungeon adventure... with none of that silly roleplaying stuff!
Munchkin Digital - Clerical Errors (30% off)
Munchkin Digital - Unnatural Axe (30% off)
Munchkin Digital - Pixels & Paper Promos (20% off)
Build a village of woodland wonders in this adaptation of the award-winning tabletop board game! Gather resources to build fanciful Constructions and recruit colorful Critters to make your city thrive.
For a simpler version of the game that’s child-friendly and great for newcomers, Welcome to Everdell is also available at a discount!
We have another small patch update, with an adjustment to the Duchy and a bug fix for a known issue. Thank you for your feedback, Woodland warriors!
The Duchy must now move at least one warrior out of the Burrow with Dig if able, to align with upcoming Law of Root clarification.
Spring Uprising warriors should now be able to be placed in the Lost City clearing during setup regardless of clearing selection order.
Today's hotfix addresses a few bugs following the release of the 2.1 update. Thank you as always for your reports, Woodland warriors!
Warriors removed by an Ambush and returned with Feline Physicians should now contribute hits in battle.
Rabbit Scouts should now correctly give you the higher die in battle.
Modified the position of an ability description highlight in the Clockwork tutorial.
A new patch update comes to Root Digital, bringing new changes to the leaderboards and a variety of bug fixes! The new leaderboards will reset every month and only account for online games, allowing for each and every Woodland warrior out there to have a chance to shine! May you be victorious in the many battles to come, and thank you as always for your feedback that helps us to make Root Digital the best version of itself it can be!
Leaderboards will now reset each month, only take online games into account, and award points based on your score at the end of the game. Resigning or being replaced by the AI will result in 0 points. This is the first in a series of updates to support better competitive play infrastructure.
Bird cards are now used when selected for Retinue actions on mobile devices.
Faction info cards are no longer partially obscured by pagination arrows on 4:3 resolutions.
Warriors removed by an ambush and returned via Feline Physicians are now brought back in time to deal hits.
Warrior counts no longer disappear when resuming a game with Clockwork enabled.
Selection for the Hundreds Bitter ability now hides the battle cloud when used mid-battle after an opponent removes warriors with Ambush.
Corvid’s Trick is now cancellable during the second plot selection.
Splitting hits with Riverfolk mercenaries no longer causes warrior icons to lose their ordering.
The correct card is now listed in the action log when discarded for Field Hospital/Feline Physicians to the Lost Souls pile.
Crafting pieces not in the Lost City are now preferred during auto selection.
Recruit actions that reach the supply limit no longer disable undo.
The Gameplay tab in Settings now displays centered contents on all layouts.
Hundreds can now use Swap Meet during Birdsong.
Crafted cards can now be more easily viewed on your faction information screen.
Hirelings can no longer battle the Spring Uprising.
The Lizard Cult Acolyte HUD element now displays the proper tooltip.
Copying another minister with the Mayor can now be undone.
The Banker minister’s ability can now be fully undone.
Vagabond can now initiate attacks with Eyrie Emigre.
Eyrie's New Roost is now limited by clearings with the fewest enemy warriors.
Forest Patrol’s Battle action can now be skipped.
Various localization fixes.
Today's hotfix brings improvement to the Woodland with fixes for various bugs. Thank you, as always, for your reports, which help us to identify these issues and resolve them as soon as possible!
Marquise, Eyrie, and Keepers warriors once again display their weapons during combat animations.
Fixed an issue where undoing the crafting of Coffin Makers could cause a softlock.
The Hundreds can no longer use League of Adventurous Mice, as they do not have a crafted items box.
Resuming a game should now function correctly for Keepers when returning to a match that was left during a battle and delve action in an empty clearing.
Resolved an issue where undoing warrior movement could prevent opponents from initiating battle against those warriors.
We’ve been hard at work making improvements to Root Digital since the release of Hirelings & Landmarks! Since our last public patch update, we’ve deployed several hotfixes (including a new one today, 2.0.12) addressing various bugs and issues. In today’s notes, you’ll find a list of the many changes we’ve made in these incremental updates, with improvements to undo behavior, streamlining of several corner-case rules, some UI tidying, and a variety of general fixes.
Thank you, Woodland warriors, for your valuable feedback that helps us to continually improve the Root Digital experience!
Advanced Setup now correctly determines the first player.
Rat Smugglers no longer require the Vagabond to have an unused boot to move.
Warm Sun Prophets can no longer move an opponent’s Warlord.
Riverfolk Mercenaries now appear in battle as intended.
Vagabond can now use Cobbler at the start of Evening.
Lizard Cult can no longer recruit using off-suit cards.
Woodland Alliance can now recruit Officers to Bases in the Lost City clearing.
The Exile’s Revenge achievement can now be earned.
Vagabond now exhausts swords correctly when attacking the Hundreds.
Fixed Field Hospital only being usable for a single instance of warriors lost in Async timer games.
Hirelings and Landmarks achievements on Android should now be granted correctly.
The Arbiter should now be able to be enlisted in battle again.
Adset games should now start correctly on the Lake or Mountain maps.
Hundreds should not deal rolled hits when Looting again.
Vagabond should again be able to continue scoring when another Vagabond enters a coalition with them.
Rule will now update after the Spring Uprising’s piece removal ability is used.
Added window for Eyrie to use the Black Market before they add to their Decree.
Fixed Keepers getting prompted for relic movement when the Vagabond forces them to move.
Fixed cards disappearing after cancelling the Dig action before confirming how many warriors to move.
Favor and Partisan cards now damage the Vagabond as intended.
Marquise can now use Field Hospital after losses in the Keep clearing during Async games again.
Keepers are no longer prompted to move relics when being moved by False Orders.
Fixed issue preventing Riverfolk from undoing back into Daylight from Evening.
Vagabond can no longer undo completed quests.
Undo is now available during suit selection when crafting.
Undo is now supported when selecting relics during Move and Recover beyond the first.
Fixed undo not reverting VP gain during a Recover action that didn’t result in retinue loss.
Corvid may now undo the Trick action in cases where it chooses from 3 or more plots.
Fixed undo not being usable after cancelling claiming a Dominance card.
Dominance claims using a Bird card can now be undone.
Undo is now supported after selecting “No” for placing mobs with Jubilant.
Fixed issue where viewing results of a Live timer game reverted the game to the final turn.
The Duchy’s action counter no longer overlaps the turn timer.
Riverfolk Services text banner now minimizes along with the rest of the prompt.
Maximize button now available again after minimizing the Choose Casualties prompt in battle.
The indication Hundreds are using Bitter in battle should no longer be hidden behind the battle UI.
Indication that a Vagabond is damaging items in battle should no longer appear behind the battle UI.
Various localization, text display, and translation fixes.
Onward through the Woodland!
We've released a hotfix addressing various bugs following the release of Hirelings & Landmarks. A huge thanks to the players who have reported these issues so we can continue to make Root Digital the best it can be!
Fixed a number of compatibility issues when moving from the pre-Hirelings version and the post-Hirelings version, particularly around saving and resuming in-progress matches.
Fixed an issue where, moving from the pre-Hirelings version into the post-Hirelings version, players may be unable to place Corvid Plot tokens in online multiplayer games.
Resolved a case where players on the pre-Hirelings version could not explore the ruins as the Vagabond in multiplayer games.
Players who resume a save from the pre-Hirelings version on the post-Hirelings version should no longer encounter the Tower not properly granting points.
Lizard Cult should no longer be able to build a 6th Garden of one suit, which caused softlocks.
The ferry no longer disappears in cases where it was used to move the Lizards, Duchy, or Riverfolk.
Players should no longer be able to see unrevealed Plot tokens in Strategic view after the Corvid player revealed them.
Resolved a rare case where the match could crash when playing as the Marquise and choosing which wood to use during an action.
Fixed an issue where Marquise would softlock or not be able to undo when choosing wood to spend.
When the Vagabond uses a Favor card to remove warriors, their relationship with that warriors faction now becomes hostile.
Resolved a case where Keepers Relic icons could be very large when zoomed out.
Other factions should no longer use the Duchy Pickaxes in the ball of violence during combat.
The No Lords Before Me challenge should no longer occasionally end immediately after setup.
The Marquise Faction Info screen should no longer display incorrect building costs.
The Action log should no longer display suits of cards added to the Alliance supporters pile.
Players should no longer be forced to place two Mob tokens during Birdsong if next to the Lost City.
Lizards who begin to reveal Bird Cards for Acolytes should no longer have to reveal them all.
The Woodland is getting wilder! Hirelings & Landmarks arrives with new ways to shape the map, and fresh faces to sway the balance of power!
Alongside the new expansion, we’ve shipped a broad round of polish based on your feedback. You’ll notice tighter rules fidelity with the tabletop game, steadier performance, and smarter opponents — all aimed at improving the overall experience.
Jump in, explore new combos, and tell us what you uncover — your reports have been instrumental in making Root Digital the best it can be!
By popular demand, the Marquise Field Hospital timing now matches tabletop in all modes except online async play.
Added ‘Bluff’ option when creating a game. If enabled, priority is passed to take actions regardless of the contents of players hands. Applies to Ambush, Field Hospital, Feline Physicians, and Rabbit Scouts. Only available in live timer games.
Vagabond and Eyrie AI have been significantly improved, bringing their scores more in line with other base factions.
Automatic camera movement is now optional and disabled by default.
Added a deck count to the supply window.
Added several more hotkeys for common functions and an index listing them in settings.
Added an option to include a Screenshot when submitting feedback.
VFX highlight now appears on the “maximize prompt” button.
“Anytime” actions such as Exposure have been streamlined to minimize unnecessary extra prompt windows.
Marquise can now select any clearing for their first Homeland on the Mountain map.
Marquise no longer counts spent wood for Rule using Soup Kitchens.
Vagabond “Anytime in Birdsong” cards can now be used before Refresh and Slip as intended.
Murine Brokers no longer occasionally grant multiple cards to opponents.
Guessing Exposure incorrectly no longer lets Eyrie skip adding to the Decree.
Correct Expose guesses no longer reveal the card to other players.
Fixed an issue where Marquise was unable to choose all legal homeland locations on the Lake Map.
Keepers in Iron can now choose homeland clearings correctly on the Winter Map.
Improved several areas where AI made strange choices.
Fixed many issues involving the Undo function.
Improved certain areas of the Tutorial which caused confusion.
Dominance animations now show the correct faction backgrounds for the Duchy and the Corvids.
Some assets on the Lake map no longer overlap buildings and tokens.
Warriors no longer appear inside the tower on the Mountain map.
Clouds in Strategic View now blend smoothly.
Vagabond “Quest Completed” animation now plays as expected.
Keepers in Iron relics and Vagabonds no longer cause trees to disappear on the Winter Map.
Trees no longer clip through the Marquise Keep when a Favor card removes the token.
The Duchy Citadel icon now appears the same as it does in tabletop.
On Steam Deck, tapped cards and tooltips now dismiss correctly.
Available faction icons are larger and easier to select on large-UI mobile devices.
Some HUD elements are no longer off-screen on some tablets.
Selecting Bird cards now works correctly when suited cards are also available for the Keepers in Iron on mobile devices.
Gamepad support has been improved.
Vagabond icons now display correctly when using the Ferry on the Lake map in Strategic View.
Expose now highlights the correct clearing in Strategic View.
Wood highlights for Marquise are more visible in Strategic View.
Vagabond targeting to strike a Keepers In Iron relic is now clear when multiple relics are stacked.
A confirmation now appears when ending the Vagabond’s turn with actions remaining.
Increased highlight size to attack the Keep when the model isn’t present.
Save and Exit / Resign now return you to the correct Local/Online screen.
Vagabond is now able to review their quests during item damage selection.
Eyrie faction information no longer covers clearings in Strategic View on affected screens.
The Marquise Keep clearing is now more clearly indicated when playing with Adset.
Lost Souls and revealed Lizard cards can now be opened while the Sway Ministers screen is minimized.
The restore prompt button no longer overlaps constructed card icons.
Improved expanded rules for Marquise wood cost visualization.
Field Hospitals prompts no longer block Riverfolk purchase prompts at turn start.
Winter map icons no longer cover neighboring clearing costs.
Improved the clickable region to attack buildings on the Winter Map.
Fixed an issue where the prompt to use a Partisan card wouldn’t appear during combat.
Added additional entries to the Action Log, and improved several existing entries.
The Pacifist (Heroic) challenge description has been clarified.
Fixed several areas where localization was incorrect or missing.
Additional game settings now display when viewing lobbies.
Chat no longer cuts off the last line at certain resolutions.
Cards are no longer dealt face down to players after being discarded by the AI in Pass and Play.
Fixed several potential errors which would have resulted in softlocks.
The Woodland is an old and storied place, and many secrets lay hidden within the thick underbrush of the woods… until now! A Lost City, an Elder Treetop, a Legendary Forge, and even a buzzing Black Market have all come to light. Learn more about these new wonders of the forest in our newest preview article for Hirelings & Landmarks!
Hirelings & Landmarks is coming to Steam on October 20th, with mobile platforms and Nintendo Switch to follow thereafter! The forest roars to life in this new expansion for Root Digital, bringing mischievous mercenaries and new wonders to the Woodland!
With all 13 Hirelings from the tabletop game coming to Root Digital, in the new Hirelings & Landmarks expansion, some introductions are in order! Let’s take a look at some of the Hirelings making their way to the forest, and how their unique skills and abilities will transform your games of woodland warfare!
Hirelings & Landmarks is coming soon to Root Digital on October 20th (with mobile platforms and Nintendo Switch to follow), bringing a whole new layer of cunning, chaos, and cutthroat alliances to the Woodland!
We’ve talked before about how Hirelings are neutral mini-factions — think bands of wandering mercenaries — that aren’t controlled by any single player at the start. Instead, they’re up for grabs, ready to be hired by the craftiest commanders in the Woodland. But be warned: Hirelings are fickle in nature, and you’ll only command their loyalty for so long before they offer their services to someone else!
When you play with Hirelings, exactly three of them will join the game, either in Promoted or Demoted form, depending on player count. Promoted Hirelings are active participants in the Woodland with pieces on the board and their own unique rules, while Demoted Hirelings are simpler in nature — little to no board presence, but they do offer unique abilities to the players who control them.
Hirelings will often feel like miniaturized versions of their parent factions. The Forest Patrol, representing the Marquise, puts cats into every clearing, frequently moves and battles, and can quickly bring defeated troops back to the board. Sound familiar?
Promoted Hirelings are particularly impactful for two-player games, because their presence brings the Woodland to life in ways previously only possible at higher player counts. With pieces scattered across the board, shifting allegiances, and new opportunities for battles to rage all over the forest, every match — no matter how many players — can feel like a full game of Root!
It’s a two-player game with the Duchy versus the Keepers, and yet there are cats all over the map! Hirelings ensure that every game of Root is teeming with life. Can you spot the other Hirelings present on this board?
Of course, adding that many pieces to the board would make an actual full game of Root feel pretty crowded, and that’s why you’ll find more Promoted Hirelings in games with lower player counts, and more Demoted Hirelings in games with higher player counts. For every player added beyond the second, one of the three Hirelings will be in their Demoted form. Demoted Hirelings usually don’t have a board presence, but they do bring heightened intrigue by providing passive abilities that can pass between players throughout the game.
Here we see Feline Physicians, the Demoted version of the Marquise Hireling. This Demoted Hireling doesn’t put pieces on the board, but it nonetheless evokes the spirit of the Marquise by granting the Field Hospitals ability to whoever controls them.
Hirelings begin the game uncontrolled, each one ready to offer their services once a certain number of points has been reached by any player. The first Hireling joins the fray at four points, the second at eight points, and the third at 12 points. The player\ who reach these checkpoints first will gain initial control over a Hireling — but these little guys lose motivation quickly, so don’t be surprised if their loyalty is short-lived!
The first player to reach four points gets the first dibs on picking a Hireling. The next Hireling unlocks when any player reaches eight points, and then 12.
The duration of a Hireling’s “contract” is determined by the control die. You’ll roll this die when you gain control of a Hireling, and it will determine how long you get to enjoy the company of your newfound mercenary. After that, you’ll have to give them up to a player of your choice! So, if you roll a “2,” that means you’ll have two rounds of hired help before you have to hand them off. Use that time wisely!
Hirelings favor the underdogs of the Woodland. See how the pips on the control die are red and gold? The leading player only counts the gold pips, while other players count all of them. This means that you’ll generally control Hirelings for less time if you’re in the lead!
Whether online or offline, you can include Hirelings (and Landmarks) in your games of Root Digital by toggling the “Advanced Setup” option. Here are some additional details:
Hirelings and their Parent Factions Cannot Share the Same Game: If a player chooses the Eyrie Dynasties as their faction, then the Eyrie’s associated Hireling (the Last Dynasty) cannot be included in the game, and vice versa.
Hirelings are Randomly Chosen From a Lot of Your Choosing: You can cross out the Hirelings you don’t want to include, and the game will randomly draw from the remaining lot. That means, if you want to play with three specific Hirelings, simply turn off all the others. This also applies to Landmarks!
Hirelings bring a fresh dose of variance and player interaction to your games of Root Digital, adding excitement without steep learning curves, and making every match feel fresh with brand new twists. Between the countless ways you can mix factions and Hirelings, endless replayability awaits!
Hirelings & Landmarks is coming to Root Digital on Steam on October 20th, with mobile and Nintendo Switch releases to follow thereafter. In our next preview, we’ll be taking a closer look at the Hirelings themselves and their many abilities. Join us on Bluesky, Facebook, or Discord to stay updated!
And last but not least, be sure to Wishlist the new expansion today!
Critters of the Woodland, gather ‘round: the Hirelings & Landmarks expansion is coming soon to Root Digital!
Hirelings bring a whole new layer of cunning alliances and shifting loyalties to your digital battles. These opportunistic critters — feisty Forest Patrols, raucous Rabbit Scouts, conniving Corvid Spies, and more — join the fray as hirable allies! Additionally, Landmarks make their way to Root Digital, adding new points of interest to the Woodland!
In any game where Hirelings are included, exactly three of them will join your game. They can be added to games of any player count, in either Promoted or Demoted form.
Promoted Hirelings: These Hirelings act as minor factions who can be temporarily swayed to your side, each with their own map presence and unique abilities. This has a massive impact on the feeling of two-player games, with Hirelings filling out the Woodland and lighting the map abuzz with the familiar flavors of your favorite factions. The fewer players you have, the more Promoted Hirelings will join you!
Demoted Hirelings: For each player you add beyond the second, one of the three included Hirelings will join the game in their Demoted form. Demoted Hirelings have less presence on the map (if any at all), and instead typically grant a special passive ability to the player that controls them.
Hirelings pass their services from player to player throughout the game, bringing a whole new layer of dynamic strategy to your games of Root Digital!
13 Hirelings — each with a Promoted and Demoted variant — are joining the fray. The ten factions in Root Digital each have an associated Hireling, along with three neutral Hirelings. It’s important to note that a faction cannot be represented by both a Hireling and a player in the same game, so if a player chooses, say, the Lord of the Hundreds as their faction, it means the corresponding Hireling — the Flame Bearers— will be absent from the game. This ensures plenty of variety in the Woodland every match you play!
Landmarks also come to Root Digital in this expansion, bringing new locations to the board, each with unique effects that shake up gameplay with new strategic challenges and tactical possibilities. Best of all, they work with each of Root's maps!
Barter for anything you need at the Black Market!
Benefit from the unity of fox, mouse, and rabbitkind in the fabled Lost City!
Craft a masterwork at the Legendary Forge!
Sit proud upon the grand throne in the Elder Treetop!
Expand your reign by securing control of the mighty Tower!
Travel swiftly across the Woodland by boarding the Ferry!
Ready to hire some help and claim your throne? The Hirelings & Landmarks expansion is coming soon to Root Digital — be sure to Wishlist it today!
We’ll be taking a look at the contents of this expansion — and introducing you to many of the Hirelings coming your way — in upcoming preview articles. To stay updated, tune into our Woodland whispers by following us on Bluesky or joining the Dire Wolf Discord!
About
This page aggregates Steam news feeds, patch notes, and developer announcements for Root, sourced from official Steam community posts.
Major updates, balance changes, and seasonal events often correlate with player-count spikes — cross-reference announcements here with the live charts on the main Root statistics page.
Articles link back to Steam for full changelogs. SteamScope refreshes news entries as new posts are published to the game's Steam hub.