It’s time to become the best gardener
Unusual gardens immediately reminded me of two games that I have in my collection. First of all, with My treasures , because in both of these board games the key to scoring is the arrangement of elements in rows and columns. In addition, the new game from FoxGames also reminds me of a Walk through Burano , because it’s up to us how we score!
But getting to the bottom of it, how is it played? On your turn, you choose either a green card in your hand and choose one of the four (we start the game with three cards in your hand) and add it to your garden (area three by three), or choose a reward card and place it in the top row or in the column on the left pages. The green cards show trees, decorative architecture, ponds, but most importantly, each of them also has flowers in three colors and three types (except for lawns, which I will mention in a moment). To place an item in a three by three square, it must match in color or type with all adjacent cards! At the end of the game, all ponds score (give 2 VPs), and all reward cards are resolved. We can get points for the arrangement of trees on cards, for the colors of flowers,
It is worth noting that you can also catch negative points! At first glance, we have a lot of randomness here, but fortunately for losing one point, you can either clear the pool of cards to be drawn, or place a green card on the previously placed one, which is normally not allowed. The lawns are also a kind of facilitation, because you do not have to look at the neighborhood when laying them, and in the later phase of the game you can put another element on them with impunity.
Taking care of a garden is a demanding challenge
I especially like the reward cards in the Extraordinary Gardens . The idea that we should decide what a given column or row will score is great. Especially since the requirements are diverse and you can come across interesting challenges. Sometimes it is difficult to get some cards together, especially since some of them give negative points. I also appreciate that a special action has been added, because it allows you to slightly influence randomness once per game. Summarizing the advantages, I can say that I had a very nice time both playing in a larger line-up and solo. I was able to strain my gray cells, and I was able to enjoy the beautiful illustrations on the cards.
Does the game have any disadvantages? Unfortunately, something will be found. First of all, fate can sometimes be too hard. To add a card, its type or color must match all the adjacent elements, which can be very troublesome towards the end of the game and instead of playing it, we will constantly discard one card and wait for the one that matches the combination to appear. I didn’t play five people, but in my opinion, with such a line-up, there will be no prize cards sooner, which may end the game too quickly. Since each player needs six to complete, and there are only thirty of them, it is enough for someone to place this card on the reward already played, and there will be no more for someone!
I mentioned the scoring variety earlier. Unfortunately, this is also not so perfect, because as many as nine cards are about the same! So, for example, 3 VPs for a red rose and that’s it. Honestly, I enjoy creating a layout with, for example, trees. The Reward for Planting Trees offers four points for any one tree, and for six – 6 VP. Where’s the catch? There is minus one point for having two to four trees. There is a lot more excitement with this type of scoring!
Welcome to Hultajewo
The workmanship, especially the graphics, impresses from the first contact. The beautiful cover and the wonderful illustrations on the cards catch the eye, although a greater variety of graphics could be needed. On some, only the types or colors of flowers change. It’s really a small matter. The most regrettable thing is that, unlike the ponds with the 2 VP symbol (we get them at the end of the game), the architecture cards do not say that a reward is drawn after placing them. We forgot about it all the time in the first few games. At the end, I would also stick to the title. In my opinion, you could come up with something more catchy, but I appreciate the ingenuity of the names of the cards (Hultajewo, Wielka Lipa, Lilia Kwiecień award *).
Is it worth fighting for them? Dalia Pączkowska an award?
I have a problem with Unusual Gardens , because it is a typical example of a good, pleasant game that does not stand out from other games. What only distinguishes this item is its insane graphic design. For me, it is a strong average, which does not change the fact that I will always be happy to play this position, because it is fast and pleasant. It can be frustrating at times of randomness, especially when playing solo, but I still have a lot of fun. So – for the whole – from me a strong seven!
* In my opinion, the word reward should be placed before the name, not as in the example.
