Pollen (2023) Board Game – Board Game Guys

Pollen is a board game released in 2023, designed by Beth Sobel and featuring artwork by Allplay. The game falls under the category of area majority/influence with a gardening and nature theme. Players take on the role of insects competing to gather pollen and influence the garden.

Game Components of Pollen

Garden Cards: Each player starts with a deck of 15 cards, marked with symbols of bees, beetles, butterflies, and a wild symbol that counts as all three.

Pollinator Tokens: Tokens showing one or more of the three pollinators (butterflies, bees, and beetles) which are placed and surrounded by garden cards.

Scoring Meeples: Wooden meeples representing the different pollinators, used for scoring.

Glass Insect Tokens: Beautiful, weighty glass tokens used for pollinators.

How To Setup Pollen

To set up *Pollen*, each player shuffles their deck of garden cards and draws a hand of five. The pollinator tokens are placed in a bag, and one token is drawn face up as the “next up” token. The game area is prepared by laying down the first garden cards, ensuring they touch at least one of the pollinator tokens.

Gameplay Mechanics and Game Objective

Plant: Players place a garden card from their hand onto the table, ensuring it touches at least one pollinator token.

Pollinate: Players check for pollinator tokens completely surrounded by garden cards. The player with the majority of influence over the token receives a scoring meeple.

Attract: Players draw a card to end their turn.

Scoring: The game ends when one type of scoring meeple runs out, all players have played all their cards, or the pollinator tokens are gone. The winner is the player with the majority in two of the three insect types. If no player meets this condition, players are eliminated if they do not have the majority in any type, and remaining players score based on their non-majority insects.

Player Experience

Playing *Pollen* is an interactive and strategic experience. The game requires players to pay close attention to their opponents’ moves and plan contingencies. Despite its simple initial rules, *Pollen* involves complex consequences from each decision, making it engaging and sometimes intense. The unique scoring system adds a layer of complexity, discouraging players from focusing solely on one type of bug and encouraging a balanced strategy.

Pros

Highly Interactive: Players must constantly monitor and react to their opponents’ moves.

Beautiful Components: The game features stunning artwork by Beth Sobel and high-quality components, including glass insect tokens.

Strategic Depth: Simple decisions lead to complex consequences, making each game unique and challenging.

Quick to Teach: The game is easy to learn and can be taught quickly.

Cons

Complex Scoring: The scoring system can be confusing at first and requires careful attention to win conditions.

Game Length: The game can be longer with four players, taking around 15 minutes per player.

Intensity: The game is not as relaxed as expected and can become intense, especially when competing for key positions.

Personal Thoughts on Pollen

*Pollen* is ideal for players who enjoy strategic tile-placement games with a high level of interaction. It is suitable for those who appreciate complex game mechanics and are willing to invest time in understanding the unique scoring system. While it is recommended for players aged 11 and up, it will likely appeal more to experienced gamers who enjoy the works of Reiner Knizia. If you’re looking for a game that combines beautiful aesthetics with deep strategic play, *Pollen* is a great addition to your collection.

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