{"product_id":"b-grade-takenoko","title":"*B Grade* Takenoko","description":"\u003cp\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eA long time ago at the Japanese Imperial court, the Chinese Emperor offered a giant panda bear as a symbol of peace to the Japanese Emperor. Since then, the Japanese Emperor has entrusted his court members (the players) with the difficult task of caring for the animal by tending to his bamboo garden.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIn Takenoko, the players will cultivate land plots, irrigate them, and grow one of the three species of bamboo (Green, Yellow, and Pink) with the help of the Imperial gardener to maintain this bamboo garden.\u003cbr\u003e\nThey will have to bear with the immoderate hunger of this sacred animal for the juicy and tender bamboo.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe player who manages his land plots best, growing the most bamboo while feeding the delicate appetite of the panda, will win the game.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003ePlayers will cultivate land plots, irrigate them, and grow one of the three species of bamboo Use the help of the Imperial gardener to maintain this bamboo garden Dice rolling game Feed the panda and irrigate the land!\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAges 8+ Box Includes 28 tiles (plots) 90 bamboo sections 20 irrigation channels 9 landscaping cards 46 objective cards 4 individual boards\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003e\n\t\tVIDEO\u003cbr\u003e\n\t\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003ciframe width=\"100%\" height=\"450\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/nXu2PG-cJcE\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"autoplay; encrypted-media\" allowfullscreen\u003e\u003c\/iframe\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\t\t\tBLOG: REVIEW\u003cbr\u003e\n\t\t\tSPOTLIGHT\u003cbr\u003e\n\t\t\tREDDIT\u003cbr\u003e\n\t\t\t\tBLOG: REVIEW\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eTakenoko is a tile laying, \u003ca href=\"\/en-us\/product-category\/board-games\/strategy\"\u003estrategy\u003c\/a\u003e and resource management game designed by Antoine Bauza, published by Bombyx and Matagot Games. It does not strictly fall into any of those categories, but brings some of the best elements from each of those genres together into a captivating experience.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003eTakenoko - The Game\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe setting is Japan, a long, long time ago, and the art style perfectly represents this. Each component of the game contributes to the style whilst being a functional game piece. The narrative sees peace brokered between Japan and China, with the Giant Panda gifted as a symbol of peace and the commercial alliance between the two nations.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe goal is to cultivate beautiful gardens by commanding the Imperial Gardener, while the Giant Panda wistfully devours all the bamboo it can reach. Who doesn’t love bamboo devouring Pandas? The Imperial Gardener, that’s who.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003eComponents\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eTakenoko consists of a considerable number of individual components, all of which are well constructed and visually appealing. It includes two \u003ca href=\"\/en-us\/product-category\/board-games\/miniatures\"\u003eminiatures\u003c\/a\u003e (Imperial Gardener and Giant Panda), tiles for board construction, wooden bamboo shoots, player board, weather \u003ca href=\"\/en-us\/product-category\/board-games\/dice-games\"\u003edice\u003c\/a\u003e, objective cards and a few smaller components to contribute to gameplay.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAll of these lively little components come packaged in a neat box for storage and easy access during setup - with a bright box insert included!\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003eThe Setup\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAt the beginning of the game each player is given the following components:\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eOne Player board to keep track of objectives, actions and resources.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eTwo action chips to indicate intended actions.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eThree objective cards, one of each type (Gardener, Plot and Panda).\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe starting tile is placed in the centre of the playing area, with the Panda and Gardener being placed on the starting tile. The remaining objectives and plot tiles are shuffled and placed faced down to draw from. All remaining components are set aside in various draw piles.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003ePlaying Takenoko\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIn a unique little move, the makers of Takenoko decided that it should be the tallest player who gets to start the game. He or she will then complete the following steps in order:\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eDetermine weather conditions by rolling the weather dice.\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eEach of the six sides of the die represent a unique weather condition that will affect the players turn:\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eGreat sun shines on the bamboo garden.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eA fine rain nourishes the young bamboo shoots.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eA refreshing breeze blows through the bamboo garden.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eThe sky rumbles and lightning strikes - frightening the panda.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eGrey cloud darken the sky. Never mind, it's time to go on and perform some handy work.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e? - Pick the effect of your choice.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThis is the most random aspect of the game, which is good for players who like to have more control over their experience.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003ePerform two unique actions (from a possible five choices) indicated by the action chips.\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe following five actions are available to choose from, and they must always be unique. The only time this is different is if the weather dice allows the player to choose more than two actions, or to perform the same action twice.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eSelect and place a plot.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eSelect and place or store an irrigation channel.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eMove the gardener.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eMove the panda.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eSelect a new objective.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAt any point during the active player's turn, when an objective is met, this objective can be claimed for victory points. Based on the number of players, the “game end” will be triggered after a pre-defined number of objectives have been completed by a single player. All other players get one final turn to attempt to complete more of their objectives.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003eStrategy\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe gameplay for Takenoko initially struck me as simple and fun (both these points are important aspects for ANY game attempting to get people playing). After playing a couple of games, it became clear that there is a hidden depth to the strategy elements.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe first step is identifying the power plays available within the confines of the rules.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAs you identify each of these power plays, the dynamic of the game shifts. For experienced players, this is where Takenoko can be extremely rewarding. A battle of wits to test your individual skill against your opponents.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eJust make sure everyone is playing at the same intensity\/level or it will become an unpleasant experience for the more casual players.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003eFinal Thoughts\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eTakenoko is a fantastic game to grab from the shelf for a quick-play session, or as a warm-up to your game evening. This game also provides a great gateway to introduce fresh players to the concept(s) of complex \u003ca href=\"\/en-us\/product-category\/board-games\"\u003eboard games\u003c\/a\u003e. This does not mean that Takenoko is not enjoyable for experienced players, because the game can be rewarding for carefully planned strategies.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThis is one of the most visually rewarding gaming experiences in a box you can get. From the comical gardener to the detailed plot tiles, each element will catch your eye in a unique way.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eOverall this is a good game to have in your collection and will always be fun when it's laid out, though it will eventually be relegated to the new player gateway shelf.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\t\t\t\tSPOTLIGHT\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIn the latest of our board game spotlights,\u003ca href=\"http:\/\/www.zatugames.co.uk\"\u003e Zatu Games\u003c\/a\u003e gently teases open its encrusted lids and directs its viewholes at Takenoko, the 2011 release from designer Antoine Bauza and publisher Bombyx.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eThe Game\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eA lot of games grapple with trivial subjects like city construction, disease and the Cold War. It can leave you yearning for a title that centres on life’s more intellectual and taxing truths. In answer to that plaintive call comes \u003ca href=\"\/en-us\/product\/takenoko\"\u003eTakenoko\u003c\/a\u003e, a game in which you feed a chubby panda bamboo.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe concept stems (lol) from a story about the Chinese Emperor giving a large panda to the Japanese Emperor as a symbol of peace, which is far better than the Twix I gave the last person I punched. Players are members of the royal court, tasked with cultivating and tending the creature’s bamboo garden.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe rules are simple: each turn, a player may take two out of five possible actions. They can take an objective card, which will give them a goal to accomplish like growing a specific type of bamboo; draw three plot tiles and place one down, creating land they can later cultivate; use irrigation canals to provide existing tiles with water; move the gardener and his excellent haircut to grow bamboo on existing tiles; or move the panda to eat some of those juicy shoots.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eCompleting objectives gives you points. Having the most points at the end wins you the game for some reason. The objective \u003ca href=\"\/en-us\/product-category\/card-games\"\u003ecard \u003c\/a\u003emechanic makes for an interesting game dynamic. If one player’s card urges them to feed the panda only blue bamboo, while another’s suggests pink, then the obviously the two must compete, ideally in single combat. However, one may have the objective to grow a certain type of bamboo while the other must lay down plots of a specific type, meaning in some instances players’ actions are complementary.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eThe Publisher\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eBombyx are a French company known for competitive word guessing game Wordz and, of course, for Panda gullet stuffer \u003ca href=\"\/en-us\/product\/takenoko-chibis\"\u003eTakenoko\u003c\/a\u003e.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eThe Designer\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAntoine Bauza is perhaps best known for his extremely successful title \u003ca href=\"\/en-us\/product\/7-wonders\"\u003e7 Wonders\u003c\/a\u003e. Originally a student of chemistry and computer science, since turning to game design he has won a number of prestigious awards.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eLike the sound of Takenoko? \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/www.board-game.co.uk\/product\/takenoko\/\"\u003eBuy it right here from Zatu Games!\u003c\/a\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\t\t\t\tREDDIT\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eWe have delved into the world of Reddit once again to see what the gamers are saying about our favourite board games. This time round we asked them to comment on Takenoko and the response was great!\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThere were around 50 comments for me to choose from for this piece, both for and against the game, and here are the ones I chose:\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eThe Good\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eRSburg says:\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003e\"I think it's a lovely gateway game. It does what it does. Great appeal to the eye. Expansion is lovely. Makes the game not overly complex. The extra rules provided in the expansion are nice. They balance the game out.\"\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eCaTaxAuditor says:\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003e\"It's fun if you're in the mood to dance tiny pandas around a colorful garden and piece together cute little bamboo stalks. If you're looking for a game that is deep, competitive, and will stand up to high level play day in and day out, there are other options. But you're not always looking for steak. Sometimes popcorn is what you're looking for.\"\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eDatLancedJack Says:\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003e\"I played it for the first time very recently and it shot up as a must buy for me. Showing people who don't normally play this game is just asking them to ooh and aww over the various pieces and to watch that light flick on behind their eyes when they, very quickly, get it? Incredibly satisfying.\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003e\"It's not about to become an analysis in tactical masterpiece or strategy development but it's incredibly fun and that's all I really want my games to be.\"\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003emeatwhisper says:\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003e\"Beautiful and fun little game that is great to use as a gateway game or as something to play with people who aren't \"hardcore\" gamers. The bits and colorful tiles make it a pleasing little game for most people.\"\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003ebenbernards agrees:\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003e\"I love it. One of my favorite gateway games.\"\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eThe Bad\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003etydelwav Says:\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003e\"I was so enamored with this game when I first saw, and played it, for the first time... but that love quickly turned to hate. One of my most despised game mechanics is when point cards are drawn randomly. Not just that, EVERYTHING in this game is random!\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003e\"Random die roll, random location draw, random card draw... worst of all, every other player is messing up your plans on their turn, and they don't even know it. I just find myself continually frustrated when playing, despite that adorable chubby panda smile.\"\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003ePrWNed Says:\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003e\"Personally I find it to be too luck dependent. The objective cards you draw and the weather die together basically decide whether you win or lose the game and these are entirely luck based. My fiancé once almost exclusively rolled the 3 actions symbol on the weather die giving him a huge advantage. \u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003e\"I also think that with the full player count, there's so much chaos that you can't really plan your turn in advance. For these reasons, I don't enjoy the game as much and will be looking to sell my copy of the game.\"\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eG8kpr Says:\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003e\"Overall, the game is merely ok in my opinion, but got a lot of hype from TableTop. I find it's usually pretty easy to accomplish goals and there never feels to be worry over what to do or what other players are doing.\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003e\"I find it only really shines with 4 players, I wouldn't play with anything less, it's just dull with 2 players.\"\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eImprovise \u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eRadicalDog Says:\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003e\"Takenoko is built to be house-ruled. Fact is, there's a huge swing in how well you draw on the objective cards; it works much better if you do it Ticket-to-Ride-style and lay out 4 publicly to be grabbed by people, or letting people draw 2 and choose, etc. By house-ruling in a decision on what specific objective you go for, the game gets a lot better. Wish something like this was done by the original designer.\"\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eRSburg agrees:\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003e\"This game needs house rules. If you do not want that, it's fine. I personally think with house rules, this game is better. So even before the expansion I already used the set bonus, because of an unbalance in goal cards.\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003e\"I even tried to make the landscape cards a bit better to score them without irrigation and if they are irrigated they're +2 points extra. That was a bit too fiddly to explain (for a gateway game) so I let that one go.\"\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eBuy Takenoko\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIf you are interested in playing Takenoko, you can buy the game from \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/www.board-game.co.uk\/product\/takenoko\/\"\u003eour online store now!\u003c\/a\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\tRead More \u0026gt;\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e*Please note that all items within our outlet section contain a level of damage to the packaging, which in no way effects game play. B Grade products will arrive without cellophane and have sustained varying levels of exterior damage, this may include dents and creases. Full descriptions of our grades can be found on our \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/www.board-game.co.uk\/outlet\/\"\u003eOutlet page\u003c\/a\u003e, for more information please check our \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/www.board-game.co.uk\/terms-conditions\/\"\u003eterms and conditions\u003c\/a\u003e.\u003c\/p\u003e\n","brand":"ASMODEE","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":56049604624762,"sku":"OUTLET-ZBG-ASMTAK01EN-2-B","price":26.04,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0916\/9970\/8282\/files\/B-Grade-Takenoko.jpg?v=1760982708","url":"https:\/\/zatu.com\/en-us\/products\/b-grade-takenoko","provider":"Zatu Games","version":"1.0","type":"link"}