Board Game Arena

Because I would really like to try it!

I saw Photosynthesis in a store over the holidays and thought it looked cool. I didn't buy it then, but I wish I had because then maybe I'd get a chance to play the game!

I'm new to Boardgame Arena, and have never played Photosynthesis before. But I played through the tutorial twice, and was excited to try a game.
...but nobody is ever online playing it.
I can find someone to play Wingspan or Catan at literally any time of day. But Ive tried for 2 evenings now, and have still not been able to play Photosynthesis once!

What gives? Are all the Photosynthesis players only awake when I'm sleeping?

Update: Since I posted this, I've been able to play 3 Real-Time games! One person said they were inspired to play based on this post, lol. Thanks everyone! The game is as fun as I thought! Happy to see more activity in the Real-Time mode so I can get more games in.

[BGA lost my forum post after I clicked submit, so I'm writing more or less the same thing again. If a duplicate shows up later, that's why. But I think it's just gone.]

I play photosynthesis a lot, but I ONLY play turn based games, not real time. Sometimes I play a real time game with friends, but for games with strangers, only turn based. Have you tried turn based games?

The idea is that you start or join a bunch of tables at the same time, then check the site a few times a day (or once a day depending on the pace of turn based game you chose) and make your moves in all the games where it's your turn. I like it much better because I'm not committed to sitting at the computer, doing nothing else, for an hour or longer; I can step away whenever I want, and come back later, because my timer has many hours on it in every game.

For games that fewer people on BGA play, like Photosynthesis, this is also much better because you don't have to depend on people being online at the same time as you are. Start several tables at 2pm, come back at 6pm, and chances are people have joined those tables and it's your move now. I've never had trouble finding players for Photosynthesis for turn based games within a day, so I can always have a lot of tables going and start a couple of new ones when previous games finish.

It's not terribly popular game, but not obscure either - people do play it all right .

I have no idea how big is the pool for realtime players, as I only play it turn-based. And real-time requires short search time, really - there may be not enough players for this.

I have encountered the same problem as the OP. I have, essentially, been queueing for most of three days for a real-time game and the same for a turn-based game. I have only just discovered the game thanks to friends offline and would love to play more.

Relatedly, there used to be a way on the play screen to see how many people were queueing for each game, but when they revamped the screen, it disappeared. Anyone know where to find this list now? Thanks.

I like this game but definitely could use a refresh. In person the board game is super pretty and I love the 3D trees. They make game look and feel very appealing to play.

Cos- wrote: ↑15 March 2024, 17:16 [BGA lost my forum post after I clicked submit, so I'm writing more or less the same thing again. If a duplicate shows up later, that's why. But I think it's just gone.]

Hitting "go back" in my browser repeatedly sometimes gets me back to the editing post screen with my text still in it. But to be sure I often copy a long text before I click Submit because this happens far too often. Probably it's a phpBB-bug.

thebritishsensation wrote: ↑07 August 2024, 12:48 Relatedly, there used to be a way on the play screen to see how many people were queueing for each game, but when they revamped the screen, it disappeared. Anyone know where to find this list now? Thanks.

You should ask that on the main discussions forum, since that's a BGA question not a photosynthesis question. There are a lot lot lot more people on that forum than on this one, so you're more likely to get an answer.

(And no, I don't know)

I've never played before and would like to

TarNZi wrote: ↑25 February 2025, 04:14 I've never played before and would like to

Me too