I’ve been on a nature themed board game kick for a while and FloraVista (coming to Kickstarter this May) is another game in this genre all about cultivating the best garden. From designers Carey Drake and Lanny Gross, we got a chance to try the prototype and I am excited to see the final version!
In FloraVista, you play as one of eight historic botanists over twelve rounds (seasons) and score points after playing matching pairs of regions and flowers. The player with the most cultivation points wins.
The final version will have 120 plant cards, 8 specialists, 56 one region cards, 56 dual regin cards, a calendar card, a year token, a season token, and of course a rulebook.
How’s It Play?
Players set up the game by placing the Calendar in the center of the table, putting the Year Token on Year One, and the Season Token on Spring. Next, shuffle the Specialist Cards and deal one to each player, returning any unused cards to the box. Then, shuffle the Plant Cards, deal five to each player, place three face-up in the Community Garden, and set the remaining cards aside as the Draw Pile.
Shuffle the Region Cards, deal five to each player, place three face-up below the Plant Cards in the Community Garden, and form the Region Draw Pile with the rest. Each player discards four of their ten Plant or Region Cards to create their six-card starting hand. Finally, the player who most recently planted something will take the Player 1 Token and go first.
Each round, players can draw cards, plant matching pairs, and end the player season. At the start of each Season, players can draw two Plant or Region Cards from the Community Garden or the Draw Piles, replacing any drawn from the Garden to maintain three cards. This is done on the first turn of each Season. Players take turns planting Matching Pairs, starting with the Player 1 Token holder. They plant as many pairs as they want each Season, but may not always have any to plant.
When a player is done planting, they can End their Season, but not all players must do so at the same time. Once all players have ended their Season, the Player 1 Token is passed clockwise, and the Season and Year Tokens are advanced.
Planting a matching pair occurs when the highlighted season of the plant card (top left on the plant card) matches the current season on the calendar, but players must also have a region card matching the region on the Plant Card.
FloraVista does require additional strategy. For example, at the start of each season, all regions are available, but once a player puts their first matching pair down, that region belongs to them and no one can plant in that region during the season in a 2-4 player game. In a 5-6 game, two players can own a region.
Players can also swap regions with another player by taking a region card from their hand and taking it from a matching pair in another player’s garden. If done, the player must immediately plant the matching pair with the new card.
When all players have passed, the season ends. The community garden is cleared and replenished with new cards and the game continues until all 12 seasons have been played and Winter of Year 3 is over.
Players add up all their cultivation points from plant cards and bonus points from their specialist card and the person with the most wins!
The Verdict
One of the best aspects of FloraVista is learning about the specialists and the fun facts on the plant cards. The art is also lovely, and the variety in plants and regions keeps the game engaging and quick. Swapping region cards is also really fun, especially if you have no matching pairs at all, but you still have to think long-term since seasons have to match too!
I found the game really easy to teach and entertaining to play and since it can accomodate up to 6 players, this is perfect for parties or larger gatherings, without needing extensive teach time. Games also go pretty quickly once you know how to play and if you strategize quickly making this a great game to take with you!
The Kickstarter will launch in May, but you can also learn more at FarOutFox!
Review copy and images courtesy of FarOutFox
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