How to Play

Rhizomata Rulebook

1. The Dual-Self

You control two pawns simultaneously. The Stability Pawn moves ahead for grounded, restrained choices. The Ambition Pawn moves ahead for bold, risky decisions.

2. Visible Consequences

There are no dice. Every Situation Card and Context Card shows the exact consequences of both options before you choose. The tension is not informational—it is moral.

3. The Token Economy

Your choices reward you with Balance or Pressure tokens. These tokens are a permanent record of the kind of actions you took. Choose wisely; they cannot be undone.

No Winners, No Losers

Rhizomata does not end with a score. After tallying your tokens and pawn positions across the two-axis matrix, the game ends with the Archetype Reveal.

You leave the table with a character, not a number: The Sage, The Guardian, The Wanderer, The Rebel, or The Opportunist. The game does not judge you; it simply reflects the record of your own choices.