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I couldn’t tend a bonsai. Tweezers, drip-droppers, teeny scissors? No. the nature I curate is big, wild, and able to withstand my less-than-green fingers. Not to mention my zero level of patience.
But. Building a bonsai in this beautiful tile laying, open drafting game is definitely something I can get into. And the solo mode is brilliant in its speed vs synapse sizzle proportions!
Seishi it up!
Solo set up is super simple. It’s the same as the 2 player set up really. So begin by grabbing a starting Seishi tile and a pot. Lay out the board, shuffle the Zen cards (with those specifically for 3 and 4 players removed), and place one face up on each spot with the deck on the far left. Take a wood tile and a leaf tile, and then put the rest within grabbing distance. With the solo campaign in effect, select your chosen chapter and then place the corresponding bonus tile sets to one side.
Building Bonsai!
The game play in solo is simple but super synapse sizzling. Each turn, you still get the choice between Meditate (where you take a card and carry out the actions/bank the multipliers/add the tools to your Seishi) and Cultivate (where you add tiles to your burgeoning bonsai). But now, the game starts making your decision deliciously tense.
When you Meditate, you now have to discard the card to the immediate left of the one you take. If you take the card immediately next to the draw pile, you have to discard the one on the top of the deck. Then the remaining cards slide along, and a new card is placed on the available slot.
When you Cultivate, you have to discard the rightmost card, sliding and refilling as above.
Oh and to win the game, you need to have claimed 2 large and 1 small goal, as well as achieving a minimum score based on what
As you have probably gathered, cards are disappearing fast in this game! And that means the timer to end game is running because it’s all over when the draw pile runs out!
Final Thoughts!
I love playing Bonsai solo. I know I am a greedy gamer, but I prefer to play these puzzly, drafting games solo. Mainly because I can curse and grind my teeth and shake my fist at the deck. Which, to be honest, is preferable to blaming my husband for every hate-drafting move he engineers to simultaneously thwart me and benefit himself!
It’s a great combination of “I need to take this card now because it is going to go forever if I don’t” and “but I need to lay these tiles now because my storage is maxed out”. Meditation is meant to be relaxing, but this game has moments where it is the complete opposite! And that’s great!
The Helpers and Masters, not to mention the Growth and Tool cards are all essential – being able to pick additional tiles as well as place them is how you’ll achieve those end-game goals. But having somewhere to store them, and being able to place the ones you need are just as vital. So, like the botanical artform itself, this game is all about balance.
Ignoring the Parchment cards isn’t wise either, however. In solo you need to achieve a minimums score in addition to the goals. And so far, as I have found, you need to boost the points per category if you are going to achieve any level of skill beyond garden gremlin! haha
Nothing about the solo rule set is difficult to understand or operate. Likewise, no precious time is taken up managing an AI. It is a smooth, conveyor style system where cards and opportunities come and go. It is a game where you know doing x is going to mean denying Y, and I love that.
I probably also don’t need to mention that it is gorgeous on the table. The card art is detailed and delicate. The tiles are small and fairly robust, and everything has a calm, zen like quality as you would expect in a game about the art of bonsai. There’s also a detailed guide to the history of bonsai as well as information about the various types of tree. And whilst this isn’t essential for the game, its addition feels appropriate. Coming to a game with a willingness to learn and humility for something so ancient and eternal means you are ready to be a bonsai master!
