Bonsai

Categories: Environmental

Mechanics: Open Drafting, Solo/Solitaire Game, Tile Placement

Players: 1–4

Ages: 10+

Playtime: 40 Min

The Japanese term "bonsai" means "planted in a pot." A bonsai is a living work of art, a perfect miniature plant that mirrors its full-sized counterpart in every way but on a much smaller scale.

In Bonsai, players assume the role of expert bonsai masters, each striving to grow the most beautiful bonsai. The player who cultivates the best bonsai will be honored with the opportunity to showcase their creation in the Imperial gardens.

On your turn, you can choose one of two actions: Meditate or Cultivate.

• If you Meditate, you select one of the face-up cards on the board and take it, along with any Bonsai tiles represented below the card you draw.
• If you Cultivate, you place tiles from your personal supply into your bonsai. You can place as many tiles as the total number of symbols shown on your Seishi tile and any of your Growth cards. Each symbol allows you to place one tile of the corresponding type.

When your bonsai matches or exceeds the requirements of a Goal tile that is still available in the center of the table, you must immediately decide whether to claim that tile or pass it up in hopes of achieving a more challenging Goal tile.

The game ends when the last card from the deck is revealed. Each tile in your bonsai is worth a certain number of points, and the player with the highest score wins.

In the solo game, you can explore Additional Scenarios that introduce new rules and goals, and ultimately test your skills against the Emperor Challenge.