
- BGG rank
- BGG #6,819
- BGG rating
- 7.2
DiceWar: Light of Dragons
- 2 players
- 10–30 min
- Complexity 2.6/5
- 2015

2016
Rules assistance for Roots of Mali
Plain-language explanations of turns, card effects and disputed situations, with official source references and saved question history.
For 2 players

What would you like to know?
Answers come from the official rulebook, with the page to check.
Roots of Mali is a board game released in 2016 for 2 players, 10–30 minutes per game, and ages 12 and up. It was designed by Adrian Bolla and Bujar Haskaj and its main mechanics are Player Elimination, Area Movement, and Grid Movement.
Enter a fascinating fantasy world in which mystical tribes are torn apart by internal strife. Fierce power struggles and cunning strategies lead to epic confrontations deciding who has total supremacy in the Warring Lands. Roots of Mali is a remarkable challenge for strategists as players compete against each other with characters represented by dice – despite zero luck being involved! By vanquishing an opposing creature, you gain might points equal to the creature's power level. The first player to collect 10 might points wins, and you score by tactically moving creatures and exercising their special powers to outwit your opponent, eliminating their character dice from the board, which represents the Warring Lands. Roots of Mali is a standalone game that can be combined with its predecessor Light of Dragons for new challenges and even greater replayability. Each tribe consists of six different creatures with unique abilities and distinct power levels. Tribes from both editions can easily be distinguished by the color of their representative dice. —description from the publisher Note: The Roots of Mali expansion can be found here.
Roots of Mali supports 2 players according to the catalogue. This is the publisher’s listed player count, so the game is designed for exactly that number of participants. Variants for other group sizes, if any, are described in the rulebook of your edition, so check it before setting up a different configuration.
The listed playing time for Roots of Mali is 10–30 minutes. This is the publisher’s estimate for a full game. The actual duration depends on the group, the player count and familiarity with the rules: first sessions usually run longer, while experienced groups often finish faster. Setup and teaching time are not included in this estimate.
The catalogue lists Roots of Mali for ages 12 and up. This is the publisher’s recommendation and reflects reading demands, rule complexity and small components rather than theme alone. Younger players can often join with help from an adult, so check the age guidance on your edition and consider your group’s experience with board games.
Roots of Mali has a complexity rating of 3.0 out of 5 from BoardGameGeek players, which makes it a medium-weight game. The rating reflects how much rules knowledge, planning and decision-making a typical game demands. Expect a longer first teach for heavier games, and use a preparation guide before game night.
Roots of Mali belongs to these categories: Fantasy, Dice, and Abstract Strategy. Its main mechanics are Player Elimination, Area Movement, and Grid Movement. Categories describe the theme and setting of a game, while mechanics describe what players actually do on their turns. Each mechanic links to a catalogue hub with similar games, which helps when you want something comparable.
The credited designers of Roots of Mali are: Adrian Bolla and Bujar Haskaj. These credits come from the published game data and name the people responsible for the game’s design, not its illustrators or publishers. Designer pages on MeepleRules collect other titles by the same designers, which helps when you enjoy a game and want to find similar ones.
The catalogue lists Roots of Mali as a base game. It can be played on its own with the components in the box and does not require any other title. Expansions, if any exist, add new content or rules on top of it and are listed separately in the catalogue with a link back to this base game.