Botany

When a dear friend loans you a game (looking at you, SW), then asks you to review it, and when that prompts you to start the thing you've been thinking about doing for awhile - it only makes sense that your first post would be about that game.

Cue, Botany: a stunning game by Amy and Dusty Droz (published by Dux Somnium) that incorporates player movement and card collection into a point accumulating competition.

Botany advertises 1-5 players starting at age 10, with a play time of 45-90 minutes.

Let's step into the review.

Quality - 8/10 - The game boasts cards, coins, player mats, a double-sided game board, and more. It has a linen finish on the rule book, game board, and cards, and the box is embossed. The quality of all of these products is both good and is conducive to play. It seems to be the right level of durability for the game style.

Artwork - 9/10 - As previously mentioned, Botany is stunning. Whether it be the gold foil throughout the game or the additional artwork on the back of the game board, estate mats, and box cover, Botany has incorporated a cohesive game into its gorgeous layout. This game is both pleasing to the eye and intuitive in how the art directs the player to the game functions. There are so many little touches that make this game beautiful without being cluttered or distracting. Each player's pawns are unique in their shape. The map is so enjoyable to visually explore. Each card has a new surprise as you uncover new species of plant life. An incredible job by Amy Droz (graphic design).

Theme - 8/10 - As plant hunters in the Victorian era, players will traverse the globe (game board/map), attempting to collect the most valuable specimens they can find. They will need to manage their finances to fund their expeditions, return to their estate to add their gathered specimens to their collection, and grow their collection with the help of new features built in their estate garden - all while exploring the world as various events (positive and negative) happen around them. I found this theme to be unique and very enjoyable, both in concept and in application. The game mechanics align well with the theme, and there do not seem to be any isolated components or mechanics that are unaccounted for in the story of the game.

Learnability - 6/10 - While the 19-page rule book might seem daunting in its size, the large text within allows for a fairly quick read. I scored Botany just above average in this category because while it was easy to read through the instructions, I do feel as if they could have been a bit more concise and a bit more clear. Botany does have a player turn reference card, which is helpful, but I think it could have incorporated that same quick reference strategy in the structure of the rule book in a way that would have aided clarification throughout the game's play. The setup directions could also be more concise to allow for a quicker and easier game start. There were also a few small occurrences where I was unable to find clarity on a ruling, such as the difference between estate funds and expedition funds, and when to spend or collect in each account.

Weight - 6/10 - The main goal for Botany players is to travel the map to collect plant specimens. This is accompanied by several other aspects of game play that allow players to try to sneak in extra points here and there. Events, character abilities, estate garden upgrades, fund management, single-use items, and bonus point objectives all contribute to the side tasks a player can dip their toes into. These extras, for the most part, seem satisfactory to me (though the bonus scoring cards could have used more variety and player agency). It's the main objective for me that was lacking depth. Conceptually, traveling through the world to collect specimens is brilliant. In practice, it felt fairly one-dimensional and monotonous. As I played, I found my actions weren't really guided by strategy, but were led more by whatever cards I had in my hand due to luck of the draw. I would have liked to have greater decision in my choices in a way that could have a broader influence on the game's outcome.

Engagement - 6/10 - As much as Botany is enjoyable to look at and interact with, I did find that it started to feel a bit repetitive as the rounds passed. I didn't feel that rush towards the end of a game that draws you to try to eke out every last point that you can in an effort to surpass your opponent(s). It felt more like I was simply following instructions of how the game played until I reached the natural conclusion of its end, with a fate determined more by luck than by strategy.

Decisions - 5/10 - Because of the random luck of which specimen cards were drawn, I found myself hoping for more agency in the strategy of which paths to pursue. Thought, the extra side objectives did help to satisfy some of that desire. Overall, I would have enjoyed being able to select a more specific plan or route of play, perhaps based on my unique character ability, the bonus scoring card objectives, or the one-time use card abilities drawn at the beginning of the game.

Mechanics - 7/10 - Botany uses several different game mechanics that seem to work together well. I found myself thinking of childhood games of Risk as a traveled the game board map. I enjoyed the card collection aspects of gather specimens from specific regions. The expedition cards that offer single-use or other abilities often came with a dice role that, while it could have been more challenging, was honestly just fun. Overall, an enjoyable combination of mechanics that could be improved mainly by increasing player agency.

Solo Play - 7/10 - I always love the opportunity to compete with an AI or Automa over player against a chart of score levels or against my previous high score in a game. Botany introduces an AI called Lady Abigail Inglesby, a character with her own unique ability that shapes her play so that it is competitive with your own growth throughout the game. Managing Lady Abigail's turns did grow monotonous and predictable after a few founds, but I found myself beginning to plan my strategy around that as much as I could. In a way, it was nice to not be distracted by the complexity of managing another player. In another way, I would have liked it to be a little less predictable.

Shared Play - 7/10 - With the right group, I think this game would be very doable to sit down at a table and pick up after a few minutes learning. While I have not yet played it with others, I imagine the unpredictability of more players (that you aren't managing) would solve some of the issues I saw with lack of agency in the solo game.

Replay Value - 7/10 - I mean, this game is beautiful. I would play it again just to look at more of the cards. I definitely would consider another solo play, just to try to explore more of the side strategies. i would also be curious to know how it played in a small group setting. But, I might find this one back on my shelf after 3-4 plays.

In summary, I was pleased with Botany. I think there is a little depth missing for solo play, but it does work well as a quick pick up with moderate play. It left me curious about what it would be like to play it with others. And all in all, I might just pull it out again simply to admire the details of its design.

Overall Rating 3.5/5.0

Keep playing, friends.