Bonsai is a calm, aesthetically beautiful game in which players become masters of shaping bonsai trees. The word bonsai means “planted in a pot,” which in the game is expressed through creating a miniature tree that you gradually shape and nurture. The goal is to grow the most beautiful bonsai, worthy of being presented in the Imperial gardens.

Each player builds their own tree arrangement using tiles representing wood, leaves, flowers, and fruit. The game creates a sense of meditative crafting, aligned with Japanese philosophy of patience and harmony.

The core of the game is based on tile placement and smart card management. There are two main actions: meditate or cultivate.
Meditate: the player takes one of the revealed cards on the table as well as the tiles shown beneath it — these are the materials needed to grow the bonsai.
Cultivate: the player places collected tiles onto their bonsai, placing as many as allowed by the symbols on their growth cards.

During the game, three public goal tiles are placed in the center of the table, each with three levels of difficulty (e.g., a required number of wood tiles). When a player achieves a goal, they must immediately decide whether to claim it (and receive points) or decline it in order to try reaching a more difficult goal. The game ends when the last card of the deck is revealed. Each tile (wood, leaves, flowers, fruit) is worth a certain number of points, and additional points are earned through completed goals.

Bonsai offers a lovely balance of relaxation, strategy, and artistic creation. 🌳