Making its way to the States in January, from dV Giochi, is the tree growing game Bonsai. In the game, players take on the roles of bonsai masters aiming to nurture and trim the best tree. Bonsai is for one to four players, ages 8+, plays in around 40 minutes. No MSRP info is available just yet but the game will arrive early next year following a Spiel ’22 debut.
About the game:
Make your own miniature tree grow before your eyes with Bonsai, an eye-catching tile placement game for 1 to 4 players aged 8 and up. In this strategic board game, players take on the role of expert bonsai masters intent on growing their own bonsai. Whoever grows the best plant will be appointed to show their Bonsai at the Imperial gardens.
In each turn, players can Meditate or Cultivate. “Meditating” consists of taking one of the face-up cards on the board, together with any tiles shown below the card they draw. These Bonsai tiles represent wood, flowers, leaves, or fruits. “Cultivating” consists of taking the tiles they already own and placing them on their Bonsai, following the placement rules. Players can place as many tiles as the total number of symbols depicted on their Seishi tile and any or all of their Growth cards. The goal of the game is to optimize these placements in order to score more points. During the game, players may also claim a Goal tile to score additional points.
The “Tokonama” game variant adds 5 scenarios, to offer a more strategic game experience. Thanks to the solo-mode, Bonsai can also be played as a single-player board game. The art of bonsai seeks to find harmony between man and nature. That’s why the DV Games team decided to minimize the environmental impact of this game by providing FSC certification, to ensure that game components come from responsibly managed forests, and by planting 4,000 new trees in sub-Saharan Africa, in partnership with Trees for The Future.