“Someone is sitting in the shade today, because someone planted a tree a long time ago.” - Warren Buffett.

Arboretum is an upcoming card game from Z-Man Games that has players creating paths of trees to score points. It sounds like an idyllic theme, but from a post on Z-Man Games’s site, it sounds like planting trees might get a little cutthroat.

In this 2-4 player card game, each person is trying to create paths of trees. Cards have two important details: The type of tree (there are 10 total) and a number. Your path must continually increase in number value and you must end with the same type of tree you laid down to begin the path. If you start with a Maple number 2, you can lay out any other number of trees on your turn as long as the number is always increasing (3, then 5, then 8, etc.). And your path, to be complete, has to end with another Maple.

To make things a little more complex, you have to have a maple card in your hand at the end of the game to score the path. And, to prove that even planting trees is competitive business, if an opponent has a higher numbered card of that tree type, they can block you from scoring.

Here’s what makes Arboretum sound really interesting. Each player has her own discard pile. And on your turn, you draw two cards, either from the draw deck or from another player’s discards. This means you have to be careful what you discard, because you don’t want to help your opponent. After all, that tree you jettisoned in the second round could be the one that blocks you from scoring your elaborate maple path. Editor's note: I only know one type of tree.

Arboretum arrives on March 20, 2015 for $20 (US).