Collection Status
Your Rating
Description
A 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.
In 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. They will have to bear with the immoderate hunger of this sacred animal for the juicy and tender bamboo. The player who manages his land plots best, growing the most bamboo while feeding the delicate appetite of the panda, will win the game.
Year Published
2011
Transcript Analysis
Browse transcript mentions, sentiments, pros/cons, mechanics, topics, quotes, and references.
Total mentions: 14
This page: 14
Sentiment:
pos 14 ·
mix 0 ·
neu 0 ·
neg 0
Showing 1–14 of 14
Video lqIhJmvymYI
Adam in Wales analysis at 6:09 sentiment: positive
video_pk 13712 · mention_pk 40038
Click to watch at 6:09
Overall sentiment (raw)
positive
Pros
- accessible and appealing visuals
- easy to learn
Cons
- some players seek deeper strategy
Thematic elements
- set collection/area control with cute visuals
- gardens in Japan with a panda
- light, whimsical
Comparison games
- Carcassonne
- Kingdom Builder
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
- set collection — collect objectives and matching tiles/cards
- tile placement — place garden tiles to complete objectives
Video topics + discussion points
No key topics recorded for this video.
Quotes (from this video)
- I don't know very much about wargames I haven't played many war games
- these games are for adults
- these are the vast majority these are available easily
- abstract strategy games don't really look like that anymore
- these are not children's items they're for adults to have a serious time together
References (from this video)
No references stored for this video.
Video xbibw-ZdCko
Board Game Spotlight game_review at 52:34 sentiment: positive
video_pk 12052 · mention_pk 35329
Click to watch at 52:34
Overall sentiment (raw)
positive
Pros
- Cutest art in gaming
- Fun to play
- Simple game
Cons
- Haven't played in a long time
Thematic elements
- Panda and bamboo management
- Bamboo forest with panda
- Cute nature-themed
Comparison games
none
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
- Bamboo growing — Grow and manage bamboo
- Map building — Build out the map together
- Water building — Build water infrastructure
Video topics + discussion points
No key topics recorded for this video.
Quotes (from this video)
- Agricola is one of those games that you just got to have in your collection if you like euro style games
- Porta is one of my favorite underrated games
- Broom service I absolutely love food service one of the coolest mechanics in board games 100 percent recommend this game it is a hoot
- Barron Park is my favorite polyomino Tetris in a board game game
- Orleans is a top 5 game for me period just one of my favorite games to play ever
- Power grid this was the game that got me into board gaming y'all
- Seven wonders this is a modern-day classic
- Betrayal at house on the hill every game is different
- King of Tokyo one of those games that you have to have in your collection
- If you like board games one or percent recommend this game
References (from this video)
No references stored for this video.
Video ayRMhIac3ms
Going Analog interview at 8:27 sentiment: positive
video_pk 11468 · mention_pk 33725
Click to watch at 8:27
Overall sentiment (raw)
positive
Pros
- beautiful components and thematic charm
- clear, approachable rules
- satisfying spatial planning and resource collection
Cons
- can feel repetitive for some players
- board setup influence on balance may vary with tile distribution
Thematic elements
- gardening, panda care, and decorative bamboo growth
- Imperial Japan, a garden of the emperor where a panda roams and bamboo grows.
- gentle, family-friendly with light competition
Comparison games
- Between Two Cities
- Carpe Diem
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
- multi-objective scoring — Scores derive from multiple simultaneous objectives, requiring balance and planning.
- Resource management — Bamboo tokens of different sizes are collected and grown to feed the panda and score points.
- tile placement — Players place garden tiles to create layouts that maximize scoring and panda feeding options.
Video topics + discussion points
No key topics recorded for this video.
Quotes (from this video)
- I'm very scared I even like I had a nightmare last night I was like I know I'm going to do so bad
- Camel Up does in fact actually play up to eight players
- you didn't fail you job number two man if I gotten eight that would have been perfect
- ark nova but you did quite well
- Baron Park you can add three points and you are now at four points for the game so far
- takenoko the chibies EXP Manion because it's from a panda
References (from this video)
No references stored for this video.
Video 2hex6zUiAc0
Unknown Channel top_10_list at 1:14 sentiment: positive
video_pk 10672 · mention_pk 31496
Click to watch at 1:14
Overall sentiment (raw)
positive
Pros
- charming theme
- quick to teach and play
Cons
none
Thematic elements
- panda and gardener managing bamboo
- imperial panda garden in Japan
- family-friendly, light strategy
Comparison games
none
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
- pattern-building / objective cards — achieve goals by arranging patterns and completing tasks
- tile placement — build a garden by placing terrain tiles
Video topics + discussion points
No key topics recorded for this video.
Quotes (from this video)
- this is the sort of game that should be in just about every starting collection and that's sushi go
- a well-designed simple game is a thing of beauty and I think we should appreciate
- designing a good gateway game anyone can pick up and play is an art form in some ways
References (from this video)
No references stored for this video.
Video QNa3zspaZwg
No Rolls Bard playthrough at 1:58 sentiment: positive
video_pk 8650 · mention_pk 25482
Click to watch at 1:58
Overall sentiment (raw)
positive
Pros
- Engaging theme and artwork
- Accessible for families
- Good balance of strategy and luck
Cons
- Scaling considerations with player count
Thematic elements
- Growth, bamboo, garden tile placement
- Garden in Japan with a panda
- Lighthearted, family-friendly
Comparison games
- Carcassonne
- Camel Up
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
- resource management / set collection — Players collect bamboo and perform actions to satisfy panda and gardener goals.
- tile placement — Tiles are placed to create a garden grid and to enable actions.
Video topics + discussion points
No key topics recorded for this video.
Quotes (from this video)
- it's a dangerous game we've got this
- a perfectly balanced game
- the queen from chess
- take two pieces now in four turns
- Elementary my dear Moth
- Beaver... oh horror, the Beaver!
References (from this video)
No references stored for this video.
Video bJ5RjGXJsrs
boardgames 4k general_discussion at 4:57 sentiment: positive
video_pk 6388 · mention_pk 18869
Click to watch at 4:57
Overall sentiment (raw)
positive
Pros
- accessible for families
- beautiful components
Cons
- can feel light for some players
Thematic elements
- pandas, bamboo, and garden expansion
- feudal Japan with panda gardener theme
- family-friendly, light strategy
Comparison games
- A Feast for Odin
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
- tile placement and resource collection — players place tiles to grow bamboo and move the panda around
Video topics + discussion points
No key topics recorded for this video.
Quotes (from this video)
- probably the greatest party game of all time
- it's a betting racing game
- this is basically one huge massive rondell of a game
- I hate painted miniatures
References (from this video)
No references stored for this video.
Video OJUFN0w5670
Adam's Board Game Wales analysis at 8:21 sentiment: positive
video_pk 6196 · mention_pk 18333
Click to watch at 8:21
Overall sentiment (raw)
positive
Pros
- beautiful thematic integration
- indirect interaction via shared garden and objectives
Cons
- probable indirect blocking effects
- takenoko's engine can feel punishing for new players
Thematic elements
- blending tile placement with objective fulfillment
- Japanese garden with panda and gardener
- light, charming thematic integration
Comparison games
none
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
- tile placement — Players place garden tiles to grow a garden and activate objectives.
- tile placement interaction — Tiles placed by all players influence others indirectly through shared garden.
- variable end conditions — Hidden/secret/objective cards guide players toward different goals.
Video topics + discussion points
No key topics recorded for this video.
Quotes (from this video)
- the interaction essentially comes from sitting around a table and working on this puzzle together and then comparing your relative skill
- it's interesting to see where Cooperative games are going now
- these are the true solo games you could play by yourself with no problems at all
References (from this video)
No references stored for this video.
Video --kWaNv_Wlc
Three Minute Board Games top_10_list at 3:16 sentiment: positive
video_pk 5448 · mention_pk 16231
Click to watch at 3:16
Overall sentiment (raw)
positive
Pros
- Sweet
- Simple
- Very well put together
- Escapist
Cons
none
Thematic elements
- Gardener vs hungry panda
- Japanese imperial garden
- Cute garden management
Comparison games
none
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
- set collection — Completing objective cards
- tile placement — Growing bamboo garden
Video topics + discussion points
No key topics recorded for this video.
Quotes (from this video)
- Do not adjust your set
- This list is quite different to last year's and I think that mostly reflects what an absolute 2020 has been
- My subjective opinion is biased skewed irrational and probably wrong
- It is very political all war games are political
- So say we all
- What am I doing with my life
- Squishy squishy squish squish squish
References (from this video)
No references stored for this video.
Video RGthsyPZ1Mw
RFG Family top_10_list at 33:49 sentiment: positive
video_pk 5290 · mention_pk 15735
Click to watch at 33:49
Overall sentiment (raw)
positive
Pros
- Accessible gateway game
- Beautiful theme and components
Cons
- Can feel repetitive over long sessions
Thematic elements
- Cute, approachable farming/gardening and panda antics
- Imperial garden in Japan with a playful panda
- Lighthearted, family-friendly theme with accessible play
Comparison games
none
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
- Action selection / planning — Choose actions that affect growth, panda movement, and garden expansion.
- set collection / resource management — Gamble for bamboo, carrots, and panda actions to score points.
- tile placement — Place garden tiles to grow a growing garden layout.
Video topics + discussion points
No key topics recorded for this video.
Quotes (from this video)
- Above and Below love that game and that came out in 2015.
- the art is so gorgeous
- we love champions of midgard so much we got all the expansions
- quadropolis you've got some hand management you've got your toys and you're building up your metropolis
- it's a great gateway it's cute and fun
- Yamatai... it's a beautiful board; production values are amazing
References (from this video)
No references stored for this video.
Video U725y9I-msE
Three Minute Ball Games general_discussion at 0:00 sentiment: positive
video_pk 4405 · mention_pk 12892
Click to watch at 0:00
Overall sentiment (raw)
positive
Pros
- Beautiful art and charming, accessible theme
- Family-friendly and easy to teach
- Clear interaction between panda and gardener creates playful tension
- Board evolves with play, offering meaningful choices
Cons
- Fairly lightweight; may not satisfy heavy gamers seeking deep strategy
- Some objective decks can skew scoring difficulty
Thematic elements
- panda, gardener, bamboo growth, garden management
- Imperial Japan and Imperial China landscape around a royal palace garden
- whimsical, family-friendly, light
Comparison games
- Tokaido
- Yokohama
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
- dice-driven bonuses — weather die on each turn provides a special bonus to actions.
- resource and area management — manage irrigation, bamboo color, and space to maximize scoring.
- set collection — players aim to complete objective cards by collecting and placing tiles for scoring.
- tile placement — the garden expands as tiles are placed, opening new bamboo growth opportunities.
Video topics + discussion points
No key topics recorded for this video.
Quotes (from this video)
- Takenoko is a beautiful and brilliant looking game about the simplest of things
- the best thing about this game is moving the panda around while going nomnomnomnomnom
- it's low complexity and family friendly so an ideal game for parents to play with kids or adult gamers who just want something a bit more relaxed and silly to play
- not every game needs extra mechanics and subsystems to be better
- for most folks it's superfluous
References (from this video)
No references stored for this video.
Video CHbq5VX6-u0
Adam in Wales top_10_list at 21:00 sentiment: positive
video_pk 3054 · mention_pk 8913
Click to watch at 21:00
Overall sentiment (raw)
positive
Pros
- Stunning, tactile production
- beautiful garden aesthetics
Cons
- German release delay noted; moment may have passed for some juries
Thematic elements
- garden-building and bamboo growth
- Japanese garden with panda and gardener
- family-friendly, tactile
Comparison games
- Carcassonne
- Quoridor
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
- resource management / objective fulfillment — grow bamboo and fulfill gardener/panda objectives
- tile placement — place garden tiles to form layouts
Video topics + discussion points
No key topics recorded for this video.
Quotes (from this video)
- it's a fantastic alternative to Scrabble
- it's not heavy on the awards
- a real simple introductory card drafting game
- this is a fantastic alternative to Scrabble
- the garden is home to an antagonistic Gardener and Panda
References (from this video)
No references stored for this video.
Video GEHJl2-Mr2g
Retired weekly_game_roundup at 0:29 sentiment: positive
video_pk 2882 · mention_pk 8449
Click to watch at 0:29
Overall sentiment (raw)
positive
Pros
- Table presence is strong and attractive
- Approachable rules with satisfying decisions
- Great family-weight appeal
Cons
- Luck can influence tile draws
- Some players may desire deeper strategy
Thematic elements
- horticulture and animal care
- Meadowed garden in Japan with a panda
- light-hearted, colorful
Comparison games
none
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
- arbitrary goal cards — draw cards with objectives to score by fulfilling conditions
- Area Control — achieve dominance on scoring areas through tile layouts
- set collection — collecting specific garden tiles and cards for points
- tile placement — laying hexes to grow a panda garden landscape
Video topics + discussion points
No key topics recorded for this video.
Quotes (from this video)
- the taverns of thieventhal really cool game
- i definitely recommend that too
- look out for a review next week it's still being funded on game phone at the moment
- very nice table presence
- unleashed again
- there is a review on the channel right now
- card game day night i will have a review for that soon
- borrow a little sort of game i will play through on the channel soon too
References (from this video)
No references stored for this video.
Video mW0xh_ytGVY
Our Family Plays Games top_10_list at 17:36 sentiment: positive
video_pk 2238 · mention_pk 6522
Click to watch at 17:36
Overall sentiment (raw)
positive
Pros
- adorable panda meeple
- cute bamboo components
- beautiful colorful tiles
- fully painted gardener action figure
- great gateway game
- simple to learn tile placement
- fun gardening vs panda-eating mechanic
- solid gameplay
Cons
none
Thematic elements
- bamboo
- panda
- gardening
- nature
Comparison games
none
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
Mechanics unknown.
Video topics + discussion points
No key topics recorded for this video.
Quotes (from this video)
- if components are done with love and extra attention, I just love that a lot
- cute can be defined in a lot of ways - it could be the little meeples, the board, or the mechanics
- the artwork is just adorable and I just fell in love with it
- I would have bought it just for the panda
- everyone's dealt these roof cards and you're trying to get rid of those
References (from this video)
No references stored for this video.
Video cKisxyc3rPg
Board Game Wales general_discussion at 8:40 sentiment: positive
video_pk 1090 · mention_pk 3151
Click to watch at 8:40
Overall sentiment (raw)
positive
Pros
- Beautiful components and aesthetic appeal
- Accessible yet strategic
Cons
- Expensive collector variants
- Strategic depth may vary by player count
Thematic elements
- Pandas, bamboo, and garden-building
- Gardens, pandas, and gardeners
- Calm, tactile, strategic
Comparison games
- Crocodile
- Love Letter
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
- resource collection — Players collect bamboo and achieve goals via tile placement.
- Tile placement / area control — Players place garden tiles to optimize paths and panda actions.
Video topics + discussion points
No key topics recorded for this video.
Quotes (from this video)
- it's so silly isn't it it's so light it's so humorous
- let me show you how it works in flick up
- we're taking different themes we're mashing them together to create these games
- pandemic the cure is the best
- takenoko chibies is really good
- it's going to look fantastic
- Buffy the Vampire Slayer themed version of legendary would be all over it
- Dominion was the pure deck builder
References (from this video)
No references stored for this video.
Transcript Navigation
Showing 1–14 of 14