Stem & Branch
Stem & Branch is an approachable & fast playing card game inspired by the animals and elements of the 60-year Eastern zodiac calendar. It was lovingly crafted for families and gamers alike in hopes of creating a rewarding and fun way to enjoy the depth of the Eastern zodiac.
You and the other players will compete or cooperate to rebuild the calendar from beginning to end with the guidance of your unique spirit animals. You win by contributing the most years by the end of the game through the support of the animals.
How it plays
The game's deck represents the 60-year calendar, with each card symbolizing a single year. Every card features a unique combination of an animal and element, each with different costs and uses. Players rebuild the calendar by drawing from a revealed set of cards and playing cards from their hand into a shared calendar tableau.
Card costs relate to the animal's level and element type, and are paid by discarding matching cards. Animals already in the calendar can also support cards of their matching element, reducing costs. In cooperative play, players work together to help all the animals ascend before the cards run out. In competitive play, players vie for control of animal statues, aiming to contribute the most years to the animals' journeys.
Meet the team behind the game
Game design & development - Michael Orion
Michael is the founder of Rolling Wizards Studios, wearing many hats to to help bring games to life. He has been a student of game design for over 30 years and currently resides in Vietnam with his family.
You can follow his adventures on his Instagram or Facebook page.
Illustrations - Minh Nguyễn
Minh is an artist and animator-in-training located in Saigon. He loves seeing people do what they love, it's definitely one of his big motivations to draw & make art. He is still figuring out what else he wants to love, aside from reading fiction and good bowls of Phở, but for now that will do. He’s probably making a game with snow and sunrise in it somewhere as we speak.
Here's a glimpse of Minh’s work: Behance profile
Graphic Design & Typography - Lưu Trang
Lưu is an lettering artist and a graphic designer based in Saigon, Vietnam. She began her lettering journey by creating one lettering artwork everyday for 6 months. Since then, she’s been exploring her aesthetic through shapes of letters as well as how Vietnamese and its tone marks can be expressed beautifully in different compositions. For her, any chance to work with letters is a very valuable experience. More of her work can be found here on Instagram
Sculptor & Graphic Design - Toàn Nguyễn
Toàn is a 3d artist & sculptor, crafting fantasy worlds inspired by folklore & mythology. He continually refines his skills, blending digital and traditional techniques. He wants his art to transport viewers to mystical realms, where legendary creatures and ancient tales come alive.
