Petrichor (2018) Board Game – Board Game Guys

Petrichor is a board game that was released in 2018 by designer David Chircop and published by APE Games. The game falls under the categories of environmental and farming, where players take on the role of cloud spirits competing to influence the weather and help their seeds grow into plants. With its unique theme and gameplay mechanics, Petrichor offers players a strategic and immersive gaming experience.

Game Components of Petrichor

Clouds: 3D cardboard clouds with slots for raindrop tokens and lightning bolt tokens.

Raindrop Tokens: Brightly colored glass beads representing rain.

Crop Tiles: A variety of tiles, each with its own scoring conditions, labeled by their Latin names.

Weather Cards: Cards that allow players to perform actions such as starting new clouds, adding drops, moving clouds, or raining drops onto the field.

Voting Tokens: Used for determining weather effects.

Harvest Dice: Track the progress towards harvest.

Player Boards and Tokens: For tracking player actions and scores.

Expansions: Include additional tiles and mechanics, such as the *Petrichor: Flowers*, *Petrichor: Honeybee*, and *Petrichor: Cows* expansions.

How To Setup Petrichor

To set up *Petrichor*, players first arrange the crop tiles randomly to form the playing area known as the Fields. Each player selects a set of starting cards and places their cloud tokens. The harvest dice are set to their starting positions, and the weather tokens are prepared. The game can be played over either four or six rounds, depending on the desired game length.

Gameplay Mechanics and Game Objective

Action Phase: Players take turns playing cards to start new clouds, add drops to existing clouds, move clouds, or make it rain.

Weather Phase: Players vote on the weather effect for the round, which can influence cloud movements and rain distribution.

Harvest Phase: If the harvest dice reach zero, the crops are evaluated based on their scoring conditions, and points are awarded.

Objective: Players aim to score the most points by having the most influence (rain drops) on the various fields during the harvest phase.

Player Experience

Playing *Petrichor* is a strategic and interactive experience. The game requires players to think ahead, as some crops need multiple rounds to score their full potential. The gameplay is highly influenced by the actions of other players, making it a game of area majority battles both in the sky and on the ground. With its beautiful components and thematic integration, *Petrichor* offers a unique and satisfying experience, especially with three players, where the game balance and competition are optimal.

Pros

Thematic Integration: The game mechanics are well-tied to the theme of controlling clouds and weather.

Strategic Depth: Requires strategic planning and foresight.

High-Quality Components: Beautiful art and tactile satisfaction from the glass beads and 3D clouds.

Interactive Gameplay: High player interaction, especially with three players.

Replayability: Random setup of crop tiles and variable player powers in expansions ensure different sessions each time.

Cons

Complexity: The rules explanation can take some time, but the game becomes clearer after the first round.

Player Count: Best with three players; two players can result in less competition, and four players can make planning harder.

Length: Some players may find the six-round game too long, preferring the four-round version.

Personal Thoughts on Petrichor

*Petrichor* is ideal for fans of area control and strategic planning games. It offers a unique blend of tactical and long-term strategic decisions, making it appealing to those who enjoy games that require careful planning. The game’s thematic execution and high-quality components add to its charm, making it a standout in the board game market. However, it may not be the best fit for those seeking quick, light-hearted games or those who prefer games with less direct player interaction. For those who appreciate a game that feels like a spring afternoon in the woods, *Petrichor* is definitely worth exploring.

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