In Renature, each player has dominoes with animals on them and a number of different plants. On your turn, you place a domino from your hand so that it matches all its neighbors. Then, you may place a plant beside it in an area. You gain points based on the size and number of plants there, and hopefully later again when the area is scored – either because it is surrounded by dominoes or at the end of the game.
The best players know how to manage their hands to form a long term strategy and adapt to surprises, how to figure out and block their opponents’ designs, and how heavily to commit to each of the many tense contests that occur across the board.