Loam (2023)

Overview

Loam is a set-matching strategy game about building healthy soils. You are a plant, who for obvious reasons is into that sort of thing. You also have a lot more power and agency over your environment than humans often give you credit for. Use chemical inputs to sculpt the soil’s weird and wonderful biodiversity to assemble vibrant ecological communities.

The goal of Loam is to build the healthiest possible soil by creating the most balanced and biodiverse ecosystem possible. To do this, you use inputs to place creatures in your root zone. Each creature you attract adds certain stats to your soil profile!

Every turn, you must play all three of your inputs. Inputs are action cards that allow you to place creatures in your root zone, alter the soil, or draw creature cards to your hand. Once you've played all three, your turn ends.

At end of game, all players calculate the points each community is worth, as well as their balance bonus. Highest score wins!

—description from the publisher