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Game Info
Year
2012
Collection
Mechanic profile
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Description
Garden Dice is a family strategy game that combines dice rolling, tile laying, and set collection. The game board depicts a garden as a 6x6 grid in which seed and vegetable tiles are placed using dice rolls as coordinates. Players take turns using the dice to plant, water, and harvest five different types of vegetables with differing point values, from the lowly squash to the mighty eggplant.
The game's chaining mechanism allows players to water or harvest multiple tiles using a single action, enabling players to build upon each others' chains. Players can also use bird and rabbit tiles to eat other players' seed and veggie tiles, but not without paying a small penalty. Two other special tiles – the sundial and the scarecrow – allow players to modify dice rolls or protect their own tiles.
The Gnome expansion included in Garden Dice can be added to the base game to give players the ability to adjust the dice rolls for purchasing, watering, and harvesting their vegetables, leading to a more strategic experience.
Bonuses increase the values of tiles as they are harvested, and additional points are awarded at the end of the game for collecting sets. The player with the most points when the last tile is taken wins.
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All mentions
Browse transcript mentions, sentiments, pros/cons, mechanics, topics, quotes, and references.
Total mentions: 7
This page: 7
Sentiment:
pos 5 ·
mix 1 ·
neu 0 ·
neg 0
Showing 1–7 of 7
Video JOgl6gemk-s
Board Game Buzz Discussion at 21:19 sentiment: positive
video_pk 66427 · mention_pk 161775
Click to watch at 21:19 · YouTube ↗
Overall sentiment (raw)
positive
Pros
- Beautiful Rosenberg design language
- Chain movement adds depth
Cons
- Niche appeal for polyomino/tile fans
Thematic elements
- Array
- Uwe Rosenberg tile-placement world
- Strategic tile chaining and objective-driven scoring
Comparison games
none
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
- tile placement — Tile placement with edge slots and chaining to unlock additional tiles/objects.
- Tile stacking / chaining objectives — Tiles can be stacked or chained with objectives that unlock more tiles or scoring options.
Video topics + discussion points
No key topics recorded for this video.
Quotes (from this video)
- I'm so sad about it, but unfortunately I will not be at PAX unplugged this year.
- Aren't we in a great hobby and great? We're in the golden age of gaming, right?
- I love just getting excited over new board games. It makes my heart happy.
- We're in the golden age of gaming, right? Where we have so many great games that are coming out all the time.
- I need this game. I need it to complete my Formage collection.
References (from this video)
No references stored for this video.
Video m1_aqmKfHDo
watch it played Review at 2:45 sentiment: positive
video_pk 65478 · mention_pk 159156
Click to watch at 2:45 · YouTube ↗
Overall sentiment (raw)
positive
Pros
- The theme is fantastic and could be appealing to family members.
- Components appear to be of high quality.
- Player aids clearly explain turn actions and scoring.
Cons
none
Thematic elements
- Gardening
Comparison games
none
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
- action selection — Players use dice results to select actions like buying seeds, planting, and watering.
- Area Control — Players have a section of garden they are growing things in, and can interact with other players' gardens.
- Dice rolling — Players roll dice and use the results to perform actions.
- set collection — Players harvest vegetables which give points at the end of the game.
Video topics + discussion points
No key topics recorded for this video.
Quotes (from this video)
- hi welcome back to watch it played
- our fundraiser is almost over we got about six days I think left at the time of this recording
- one of my favorite gaming podcasts is the secret cabal gaming podcast
- Jamie there one of the hosts uh was really excited about one of the kickstarter projects there sedition Wars which is a game that comes with all kinds of Miniatures and it wasn't it wasn't a cheap game
- it was really interesting to me to get an email from one of our viewers Dawn who thought this game would be a great fit for our show and so he contacted the designer of the game Douglas bass and asked him to send us a copy and Doug agreed
- thank you Jamie from the secret cabal gaming podcast where you gave me kind of fired up about this game in the first place
- I think the theme is going to be fantastic for my family my wife is always trying to get me to do work in the garden which I hate doing and uh maybe I'll be able to get her into the dice Garden instead
References (from this video)
No references stored for this video.
Video vF4chsK19Io
The Board Gaming Doctor Discussion at 0:00 sentiment: positive
video_pk 36704 · mention_pk 110202
Click to watch at 0:00 · YouTube ↗
Overall sentiment (raw)
positive
Pros
- introduces a unique tile-chaining mechanic that allows multiple tiles to be played in a turn
- cozy Rosenberg-style theme with a puzzly, relaxing feel
- compact, small-box design reminiscent of Patchwork lineage
- potential for varied play through open drafting and grid strategies
Cons
- risk of fatigue or fatigue with tile-placement mechanics if overused in the market
- uncertainty about release path (retail vs. Kickstarter) and distribution
- described as more closed than Nova Luna or Framework (less open-ended), which may deter some players
Thematic elements
- garden design and landscape construction with relaxing puzzle vibes
- Garden-themed tile-placement on a square grid centering on building and connecting Garden Lakes
- abstract/puzzle with cozy, thematic framing
Comparison games
- Patchwork
- Nova Luna
- Framework / Applejack
- Tangram City
- New York Zoo
- Seven Wonders Duel
- Clicket Tre
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
- closed drafting — draft and place tiles in an open drafting style to optimize grid coverage
- Compound Scoring — complete objectives to trigger scoring and progress toward victory
- grid-based tile placement — players place pentomino tiles on a square grid to cover areas and complete objectives
- Objective-based scoring — complete objectives to trigger scoring and progress toward victory
- open drafting — draft and place tiles in an open drafting style to optimize grid coverage
- Polyomino — tiles shaped as pentomino pieces used to cover the grid and form patterns
- polyomino/pentomino tiles — tiles shaped as pentomino pieces used to cover the grid and form patterns
- tile chaining — placing a tile can enable chain moves or multiple tiles in a single turn
Video topics + discussion points
No key topics recorded for this video.
Quotes (from this video)
- Garden Lake offers a relaxing rewarding experience building Garden Lakes with pentomino tiles
- This is like a tile placement game a small box version of a game rather from Rosenberg rather than like a black forest or bigger box game
- I'm excited to see how Garden Lake fares and how well it stands apart from its predecessors
- I do find the uniqueness in each of those games typically they have very cozy themes as well to go along with the puzzling nature that they provide
- if this is going to go straight to retail or if it's going to go through Kickstarter
References (from this video)
No references stored for this video.
Video g9cI1G81rUE
The Dice Tower Review at 0:07
video_pk 35790 · mention_pk 107043
Click to watch at 0:07 · YouTube ↗
Pros
none
Cons
none
Thematic elements
- Array
- Array
- Abstract tile placement with pattern formation via double-sided tiles
- Array
- Garden pond environment with koi and lily pads; tile-laying during garden-building
- Array
- Array
- Array
- mixed
Comparison games
none
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
Mechanics unknown.
Video topics + discussion points
No key topics recorded for this video.
Quotes (from this video)
- Garden Lake is a new tile laying game from Uwe Rosenberg.
- These tiles are hard.
- Do not expect to fill your whole board in.
- It's a 6 out of 10 for me.
- I thought this was just okay.
References (from this video)
No references stored for this video.
Video WTPiiNXE42Q
The Dice Tower Review at 27:17 sentiment: mixed
video_pk 33452 · mention_pk 99434
Click to watch at 27:17 · YouTube ↗
Overall sentiment (raw)
mixed
Pros
- Novel tile shapes; ambitious tile interactions; solid Rosenberg pedigree
Cons
- Complex shapes slow pace; difficult to plan; some find components visually challenging
Thematic elements
- tile-laying with pattern development
- koi pond garden; abstract nature through tile play
- abstract
Comparison games
none
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
- dual-sided tiles with color/flower variants — Tiles show different motif sides; placement triggers score opportunities.
- pattern matching and end-game bonuses — End-game bonuses for completing exact shapes and color distributions.
- shape-surround engine — Surround pieces to unlock a matching tile; limit saving one tile at a time.
- tile laying and rotation — Draw from ends or neighbor; place tiles, flip to reveal and adjust board.
Video topics + discussion points
No key topics recorded for this video.
Quotes (from this video)
- This is a very, very simple deduction game.
- This is an amusing game. I like the theme of it.
- The theme here is actually pretty strong.
- It's an assault on the eyes.
- I thought this was just okay.
References (from this video)
No references stored for this video.
Video fGMeq9WNdlA
Board Game Garden Discussion at 9:16 sentiment: positive
video_pk 31064 · mention_pk 161832
Click to watch at 9:16 · YouTube ↗
Overall sentiment (raw)
positive
Pros
- engaging solo experience
- accessible rules and approachable gameplay
- varied board configurations add replay value
- pleasant artwork and theme
Cons
- potential analysis paralysis in multiplayer
- tile-fit decisions can stall progress in group play
Thematic elements
- tile placement and garden-building
- garden/forest environment with ponds and fish scoring
- gentle, cozy farming/gardening vibe
Comparison games
- Tedoku
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
- decorations / board variants — decorations and alternate boards alter scoring and placement dynamics
- set collection / scoring — points come from fish tiles and other garden features; multiple scoring opportunities
- tile placement — polyomino-like tiles placed to fill the board and unlock new tiles
Video topics + discussion points
No key topics recorded for this video.
Quotes (from this video)
- It's a nice casual little tile placement game.
- I fear that this game would be very, very analysis paralysis inducing when playing multiplayer.
- This is a cute little compact game that I can play solo and two-player with friends.
- This one is a banger, guys.
- I think I might come back to this again and again.
References (from this video)
No references stored for this video.
Video 3ZotVhMZ3Ag
The Secret Cabal Gaming Podcast Top List at 13:48 sentiment: positive
video_pk 11599 · mention_pk 34082
Click to watch at 13:48 · YouTube ↗
Overall sentiment (raw)
positive
Pros
- Excellent family-friendly design and teachability
- Stellar production quality
- Cascade mechanic adds interaction and strategy
- Strong value in print quality and component feel
Cons
- Currently out of print / high secondary market price
- Reprint would help accessibility
Thematic elements
- Casual farm/garden management with cascading watering mechanics
- Garden planning and cultivation
- Family-weight, accessible engine with a cascading interaction
Comparison games
none
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
- Cascade watering — Watering one plant can cascade to others, affecting both players' gardens.
- Dice drafting / rolling — Players roll four dice to take actions each turn.
- End-game scoring via vegetables — Harvested produce determines final scores.
- spatial placement — Board layout and placement influence watering and scoring opportunities.
Video topics + discussion points
No key topics recorded for this video.
Quotes (from this video)
- I gotta say I was so surprised how much I loved it
- this game is just so much fun because there's a ton of coordination in this game
- it's a cooperative game that takes place on a space station
- I highly recommend checking it out
- this game is criminal, it's criminal how this game is named
References (from this video)
No references stored for this video.
Transcript Navigation
Showing 1–7 of 7