Takenoko

⭐7,5 / 10                  👥 2-4 players                        🕗 45 minutes             👨‍👩‍👧‍👦8+

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Game play

Goal:  In Takenoko the players task is to maintain the Bamboo garden of the emperor and take care of the Panda that is living in this garden. De player must cultivate and irrigate the plots and make sure the bamboo grows. But watch out for the hungry panda that will eat the bamboo sometime faster than it can grow. The players who can grow the most bamboo and feed the Panda will win the game.

How to play?

🐼 The players each take a turn and carry out two tasks. This will continue until one player triggers the end of the game (7 to 9 assignments are complete, depending on the number of players). After that one final round will be played.

🐼 The first task is to determine the weather condition. This is done by rolling the weather dice. Each side of the dice represent a different weather forecast and thereby an effect.

1. Sun: Player will get an extra action in the next task
2. Rain: Grow Bamboo on a plot of his choice.
3. Wind: Player can carry out the same action twice in the next task
4. Storm: Move the panda to a plot of choice, the panda will eat bamboo
5. Cloudy: choose a improvement from the supply
6. ?: Player may choose the weather condition of his choice

🐼 The second task in a players turn is to choose two actions from the five actions possible. It is not possible to choose the same action twice, except when the weather condition is Wind. The following actions are possible:

1. Plots: Player takes 3 plots and choose one.
2. Water channel: take a water channel from the supply, can directly be used or placed on player board.
3. Gardener: Move the gardener in a direction of the players choice. On the plot where the gardener ends will grow bamboo. Also on the adjacent plots of the same colour
4. Panda: Moce the panda in a direction of the players choice. the panda will eat bamboo on the plot where it ends.
5. Assignment: Pick an assignment and add to the players hand

🐼 There are some improvements that can be used on the plots during the game. Some plots will already have improvements. A player can place an improvement on a plot (with no bamboo) of his choice. There are three different kind of improvements. First one is a fence, so the panda can no longer eat the bamboo of that plot. Second is fertilizer,the bamboo on this plot will grow twice the speed. And the last possibility is a water feature, this will make the plot irrigated.

🐼 To win the game the player must complete the assignments. Assignments can be completed during the players turn. There are three different assignments (plot, gardener or panda). Each assignment is worth a couple of points. The player with the most points out of the completed assignments will win the game.

💡 Our opinion

Takenoko is a nice family game with no complicated rules. It is easy to play so very suitable for childeren to play along. The components look good. The miniatures of the gardener and the panda really contribute to the game.
Players can get in the way of each other but mostly you will play to complete you own assignments. The game is best played with three players.

Our score

⭐7,5 / 10