Asmodee | Takenoko | Board Game | Ages 8+ | 2-4 Players | 45 Minute Playing Time

Product Information

Once the weather die is resolved, a player gets 2 actions on their turn, each of which must be different. These actions can be: placing a garden plot tile, collecting an irrigation token, using the gardener, moving the panda or drawing an objective card. Players mark off their actions on their play mat as they use them with their wooden discs. Note: A player may still complete other objectives during the turn in which he triggers the final round.

To fulfill this objective, the configuration shown on the card must be reflected in the bamboo garden. Next time you are in your friendly local game store (FLGS), take a look at Takenoko. The box visuals and weight should give you a great idea of what’s in store for you at your gaming table. Give this gem a try today and watch out for the panda. This is one of the most visually rewarding gaming experiences in a box you can get. From the comical gardener to the detailed plot tiles, each element will catch your eye in a unique way. The broad but lightweight collection of mechanics makes Takenoko a wonderful gateway game—a title that is fit for introducing young and new gamers to the ins and outs of the hobby without setting their thinking caps ablaze. From opening the box to scanning the finished product, Takenoko dips the player’s toes in the pond of what is possible in the heavier fare with modular maps, changing landscapes, resource management, and a few enjoyable low-consequence decisions. This is a game that suggests there is more to be done in tabletop gaming.

This doesn’t count as an action. At any time during your turn you can complete an objective card if the conditions on the card are met. Once you have completed the objective you place the card face up in front of you. You can complete more than one objective card in your turn if you want to. Improvements The first player to complete the required number of objectives triggers the final round and receives the Emperor card, scoring 2 bonus points. The other players have a final turn. After they finish, the highest score wins. If the score is tied, the tie breaker is the number of points on panda objectives. If the score is still tied then all tied players win.

Plot objectives are completed when the garden configuration shown on the card is reflected in the garden with all the component plots irrigated. Gardener objectives are completed when a matching bamboo towers of the matching colour and base is reflected in the garden. Panda objectives are completed by returning the matching amount of bamboo from your reserve to the supply. Note: the plots next to the special pond and those with the watershed improvement are automatically irrigated! A bamboo section is immediately added. Regardless of color, some plots have built-in Improvements. Place the special "pond tile" at the center of the playing surface. Place the gardener and the panda figurines on this plot. Mix the remaining Land Plot tiles to form a draw pile, face down. At any point during the active player’s turn, when an objective is met, this objective can be claimed for victory points. Based on the number of players, the “game end” will be triggered after a pre-defined number of objectives have been completed by a single player. All other players get one final turn to attempt to complete more of their objectives. Strategy If you’d like to read more about Takenoko, we have a How to Play blog available here. We also have Takenoko Chibis– the version with even more pandas!I already mentioned the comic, but I have to revisit the concept, because Takenoko boasts one of my favorite rulebooks. It is the only book in our collection that the kids fight over when the game opens. The illustrations are sweet and humorous, and they immediately draw players into the game’s narrative. Throughout the book, the gardener’s frustration comes alive as he teaches the rules and wrestles his enormous cuddly friend. Theme goes a long way in winning me over, and these characters have personality. There is also a bit of a tug-of-war between the gardener and the panda. The gardener grows and the panda destroys. This is another way a player can effect another player’s objectives. You might spend a good amount of time growing the green bamboo, only to have the panda zip on over and eat it. This helps keep the game in a great balance where one strategy can’t dominate the game. Each of the other players actions can influence what you were planning on doing your turn. It is this bit of balance that helps to make Takenoko such a great game. Each player gets 2 actions per turn and are marked off on their playe rmat with these action markers. Reminder: a player can only have a maximum of 5 cards. If a player has five cards in his hand he can not draw a sixth one. He must complete at least one objective before drawing again. Final Score: 4.5 Stars – A high thematic, light euro game that’s accessible to just about everyone. What’s not to love? In Takenoko, each player has two actions to take on each turn. You can chose from five options and you cannot repeat an action - so both actions must be different. To specify which actions you are going to take you must place your action chips on the corresponding spots on your player board.