Are you looking for a relaxing solo board game? If so, you've probably heard of Kevin Wilson's jigsaw-like tile placement game, A Gentle Rain. It's quick and easy like your mom's eggs and bakey or your friend's girl dinner. Speaking of friends, I just realized I've never actually heard or read of this game mentioned in any list of recommendations for co-op games. Now, I wonder why that is...
It's a cozy game
"...for one or more minds in need of a soothing reset," according to the box, literally for "1+ players." In some ways, I can see why most people would prefer to play it solo, especially if they're a massive lone wolf, or if the other player is less mindful of where to place tiles… then that might be a tad stressful to a person who takes everything seriously. However, I've played this numerous times solo and with up to two friends. In my experience, it's actually great either way!
Playing solo, you get to be fully immersed in the lake you're growing. You can relax by flipping and placing uniquely-shaped tiles that feel nice to touch. It's almost meditative. On the other hand, if you pick this up with a friend or two and set up a table with drinks (and maybe snacks) of your choice, then you've got a nice setup for a chill, low-barrier game where you can freely chat about anything under the sun. It's easy to teach, and it's a good way to pass time as long as you have the table space for it. It may be a small box, but it still requires a decent table space to play.
How do you play?
The game virtually takes zero set-up time and plays the same whether you're playing solo or co-op:
- You have a stack of 28 shuffled, face-down lake tiles and a pile of eight blossom tokens on the side to grow a lake from.
- On your turn, you draw and place a tile next to an already played one, ensuring that all the adjacent halves of blossoms match colors. The first draw will be your starting tile. Be mindful of how you place your tiles to avoid leaving an empty spot that would require the same color to appear on more than one side as every tile has four different colors. It's only ever happened to me once, but I've had the mischance of discarding a tile I couldn't place!
- When you complete 2x2 squares and make full circle spaces after placing a tile, you place an unplayed token into each circular space, matching one of the completed blossoms around it and witness a blossoming. You might see multiple of them if you're lucky and strategic enough.
- The game ends when you run out of tiles or when all eight tokens have been placed, and you score the number of tokens placed, plus the number of unplayed tiles. It's highly unlikely, but it's possible to get a score of 21.
The goal of the game isn't explicitly stated in the rulebook, only a quick guide on what to do with the little pieces neatly packed in the box and instructions on how to "get comfortable," but from my perspective, it is to admire the view of the lake you so cleverly uncovered. There's no win or lose condition… unless you're into that and make one for yourself, which then adds unnecessary stress, but that defeats the purpose of this supposedly relaxing game.
It's the journey that matters
… not the destination. You can be on your own or you can be with a friend. Either way, enjoy the gentle rain and the blossoms it brings, feel how nice the tiles are and how satisfying it is to place blossom tokens in their spaces, and take some time to notice the cute, little friends that pop up here and there: the ducks, the frogs, and the dragonflies. Just make sure to wear your glasses, if you have them. Also, do play in an adequately lit environment, unlike what I've done a few times before going to bed. Can you blame me? The game just gives off such a relaxing vibe for me—I just had to play it in a cozy, soft-lit room!
Just so you know…
If you're anything like me and have some visual impairment, you may have a slight issue with the colors of the flowers in less than ideal settings and rely on the differences in the patterns of the flowers, because some of the colors, like the orange and red ones, are quite close to each other at first glance. Or, at least, that's my partner's and my experience with my copy of the latest version. From others' images of the game I've seen on BoardGameGeek, they're hard to mistake for each other. Other than that minor issue, I really only have praises for this cozy little game.
It's a game for everyone
I can't think of anyone I know who would dislike A Gentle Rain. It's a beautifully-illustrated, compact, and easy-to-learn puzzle that's wonderful for unwinding or just passing time alone or with a friend. It's a kind of game where you take everything out of the box, start playing, and finish a game in more or less 15 minutes. It's simple and clutter-free, relaxing from start to finish.
