Earthborne Rangers is a thought-provoking eco journey that leaves a lasting impression

There’s a quiet confidence about Earthborne Rangers — an inherent sense that it has a lot to say, but it’s not shouting about it.

Designed by Andrew Fischer, Brooks Flugaur-Leavitt, Andrew Navaro and both Adam and Brady Sadler, and published by Earthborne Games, Earthborne Rangers is a cooperative narrative card game that invites players into a solarpunk future where humanity is trying to live with the land, not conquer it. Earthborne Rangers is a game about exploration, connection, and choice — and although it doesn’t always hit the highest mechanical note, it rings out resoundingly when it matters most.

Set in a lush valley recovering from ecological collapse, Earthborne Rangers casts players as newly minted Rangers tasked with helping the community, protecting wildlife and uncovering the mysteries of the land. It’s a far cry from the usual post-apocalyptic fare — there are no mutants or bunkers and combat is limited rather than frequent. Instead, you’ll be delivering baskets of juniper biscuits, tracking predators and helping settlers find new homes.

From the moment you open the box, the eco-conscious design philosophy is clear. The components are sustainably sourced, the packaging is minimal, and the artwork is refreshingly organic. Illustrator Brooke Flugaur-Leavitt’s work is a definite highlight, with soft, earthy tones and bold outlines giving the world a grounded, lived-in feel. Cards depict flora, fauna, and characters with warmth and nuance, and the visual identity is consistent throughout. It’s not flashy, but it’s deeply thematic.

Mechanically, Earthborne Rangers is a cooperative card game for 1–4 players. Each player builds a Ranger deck based on four aspects: Awareness, Focus, Spirit, and Fitness. These aspects determine how you interact with the world and the tests that occur frequently throughout — whether you’re sneaking past a predator, climbing a cliff, or persuading a local to help. The game unfolds over a campaign of thirty “days,” each representing a session — although in truth some days end quickly and you’ll get through two or three in a single sitting. 

The narrative is where Earthborne Rangers shines. This isn’t a game that tells a single, linear story — it’s more like a branching narrative experience across a living world. The campaign book offers multiple paths, optional objectives and a sense of freedom rarely seen in card-driven games. You’re not railroaded into missions and you’re free to wander, explore and engage with the valley at your own pace. Events unfold whether you’re ready or not, and the game respects your autonomy. It feels more Breath of the Wild (in the sense that it’s an often aimless and freeform adventure) than Arkham Horror (which is a tight, narrative experience) and that open-endedness is a breath of fresh air.

Cooperative play is handled elegantly. Players share information, coordinate actions, and support each other through challenges. There’s no alpha player problem here — each Ranger deck has unique strengths, and the game encourages collaboration without forcing it. The action economy is tight, and every decision feels meaningful. Whether you’re choosing which path to follow or which test to attempt, the game rewards thoughtful play and thematic immersion.

But for all its strengths, Earthborne Rangers isn’t without its limitations and there is one issue that surprised me. The most notable problem was with the deckbuilding — or rather, the lack of it. While you do construct a deck at the start of the campaign and there are occasional opportunities to swap in new cards, the system is surprisingly static. There’s little incentive to experiment, and few moments where your deck evolves in response to your choices – with the main one being when you successfully achieve something during your day. For a game that emphasizes personal expression and growth, this feels like a missed opportunity, with your thirty card deck perhaps only receiving four or maybe six new cards in a multi-day play session. 

Players coming from games like Marvel Champions or Arkham Horror: The Card Game may find the customization options underwhelming if they are expecting a proper deckbuilder. Rather, in Earthborne Rangers, you’re given a solid foundation, but not much room to tinker. The aspect system does offer some flexibility, but once your deck is built, it largely stays that way. This limits replayability and undermines the sense of progression that the narrative so beautifully builds.

There’s also a degree of mechanical repetition. Many path cards boil down to “perform a test, succeed or fail,” and while the flavor text adds richness, the gameplay loop can feel samey over time. This means that Earthborne Rangers is more about the journey than the challenge, and that’s fine — but players looking for crunchy decision-making or evolving mechanics may find themselves disengaged.

Even with this criticism hanging over it, the issues don’t overshadow what Earthborne Rangers accomplishes. It’s a game with lots of heart, an outstanding visual style and a strong narrative flow. It invites players to slow down, to listen and to care about the decisions they make. It’s about stewardship, not conquest. Where most games try to force moral decisions that often both feel suboptimal or unrealistic, Earthborne Rangers offers subtler choices that perhaps make the players think for longer. 

Ultimately, Earthborne Rangers is a thoughtful, beautifully produced cooperative experience that prioritizes narrative and theme over mechanical complexity. I don’t think that it’s a game for everyone—but for players who want to explore a world rather than conquer it, but who still appreciate and understand how the mechanics of relatively complex modern games work, there’s definitely something here. 

Earthborne Rangers is available now from Zatu Games.