Alice’s Garden (2020) Board Game

Alice’s Garden is a novel-based board game released in 2020 by Lifestyle Boardgames Ltd. Designed by Ikhwan Kwon and illustrated by Eugenia Smolenceva, this game offers players a unique experience of territory building in a whimsical garden setting inspired by the classic tale of Alice in Wonderland.
## Game Components of Alice’s Garden
– 4 Player Boards
– 6 Bags containing tiles (5 types of 4-square polyominoes, each type in its own bag with 13 tiles, and a sixth bag with 30 one-square bonus tiles)
– 95 Game Tiles
– 1st Player Token
– Score Sheets
– Complete Instructions

## How To Setup Alice’s Garden
To set up the game, each player receives a player board, and the six bags of tiles are prepared. The first player is determined, and the game begins with the first player drawing tiles from one of the bags based on the number of players plus one extra tile for the first round.

## Gameplay Mechanics and Game Objective
– **Tile Placement**: Players take turns drawing and placing tiles on their 6×8 grid player boards.
– **Tile Selection**: The first player chooses a bag, draws tiles equal to the number of players plus one, and each player takes one tile to place on their board.
– **Bonus Tiles**: Players can earn bonus tiles by placing gardener icons orthogonally adjacent to each other.
– **Scoring**:
– **Chess Pieces**: 5 points for each chess piece in the two columns with the chessboard pattern.
– **Roses**: Score 1/4/9/16/25 points for each contiguous area of 1/2/3/4/5+ roses.
– **Mushrooms**: 8 points for each column with 2+ mushrooms.
– **Trees**: Score points equal to the largest number of spaces between two trees in each row.
– **Penalties**: 5 points for each empty space and each bonus tile not placed.
– **Game End**: The game ends when a player cannot place a tile from the supply. The player with the most points wins.

## Player Experience
Alice’s Garden offers a light strategy gameplay experience with easy-to-learn tile placement mechanics. The game is recommended for ages 8 and up and supports 1-4 players. The vibrant artwork, inspired by Wonderland, adds to the game’s charm and appeal, especially for fans of Alice in Wonderland. Players must balance fulfilling the Queen’s various demands while optimizing their tile placements to maximize scores.

### Pros
– **Engaging Theme**: The game’s Wonderland theme and artwork are highly engaging.
– **Simple yet Strategic**: Easy to learn, but with enough depth for strategic play.
– **Family-Friendly**: Suitable for players as young as 8 years old.
– **Solo Play Option**: Can be played solo, adding to its versatility.

### Cons
– **Penalty System**: The penalty for empty spaces and unplaced bonus tiles can be harsh.
– **Dependence on Tile Draw**: The game’s progression and strategy heavily depend on the tiles drawn.
– **No Tiebreaker**: The lack of a tiebreaker can lead to ties, which might be unsatisfying for some players.

## Personal Thoughts on Alice’s Garden
Alice’s Garden is an excellent choice for families and casual gamers who enjoy tile-laying games with a whimsical theme. It is particularly appealing to those who appreciate the Alice in Wonderland universe and are looking for a light, strategic game that can be played in under an hour. However, for experienced gamers seeking complex strategies, this game might be too simplistic. Overall, it strikes a nice balance between simplicity and strategic depth, making it a fun addition to any game collection.

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