Bloom Town (2019) Board Game

Bloom Town’ is a city-building board game designed by Asger Harding Granerud and Daniel Skjold Pedersen, and published by Sidekick Games in in 2019. The game challenges players to create the most beautiful and bustling town by strategically placing tiles and constructing buildings.

Game Components of Bloom Town

Player Boards: Each player has a personal Town board for placing tiles.

Building Tiles: Five types of buildings (Houses, Commercial buildings, Subways, Parks, Shops) with unique scoring mechanisms.

Community Tiles: Two of each building type, triggering additional scoring when both are revealed.

Bonus Tokens: One-time use tokens for extra actions like doubling scores or triggering additional turns.

Town Square Board: For managing the market of available tiles.

Market Area: Where face-up tiles are drawn from.

Flower Icons: Symbols determining which tile to draw after placement.

How To Setup Bloom Town

To set up Bloom Town, players start by stacking the Building tiles face down in the designated spaces on the Town Square board. The top tile of each stack is then placed face up in the Market area. Each player begins with two random Building tiles and a Bonus token. The Town boards are distributed, and players are ready to start building their cities.

Gameplay Mechanics and Game Objective

Tile Placement: Players choose one tile from their hand to place on their Town board.

Scoring: Tiles score immediately based on their type and connections (e.g., Offices score for connecting Offices in the same row and column).

Drawing Tiles: Players draw a new tile based on the flower icon covered by their placement.

Community Scoring: When the second Community tile of a type is revealed, all players rescore for that building type.

Bonus Actions: Using Bonus tokens to double scores, take extra turns, or trigger Community scoring.

Game End: The game ends when two or three stacks of tiles are depleted; players then score one of their remaining tiles again.

Player Experience

Bloom Town offers a simple yet strategic gameplay experience. Players must balance immediate scoring opportunities with future considerations, such as which tiles to draw and when to use their Bonus tokens. The game is quick, typically lasting 30-40 minutes, making it ideal for families and casual gamers. The artwork is charming, with unique touches like the statue of the Founding mother in the town square. However, the game’s light complexity might make it feel a bit subdued for experienced gamers.

Pros

Simple Rules: Easy to learn and teach.

Family-Friendly: Appropriate for all ages.

Quick Gameplay: Games last 30-40 minutes.

Unique Artwork: Charming and detailed building tiles.

Bonus Actions: Add strategic depth and excitement.

Cons

Light Complexity: May be too simple for experienced gamers.

Color Confusion: Similar colors for blue and purple buildings can cause confusion.

Rescoring Mechanism: Can sometimes feel random or frustrating if Community tiles are revealed too early.

Incomplete City: Players may not fill their entire Town board before the game ends.

Personal Thoughts on Bloom Town

Bloom Town is an excellent choice for families and new gamers looking to dip into the world of board games. It provides a gentle introduction to tile placement and city-building mechanics without overwhelming complexity. While it may not offer the depth that more experienced gamers seek, its charm, simplicity, and quick gameplay make it a solid addition to any casual game collection. If you’re looking for a game that’s easy to teach and fun to play in a short amount of time, Bloom Town is a blooming good choice.

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