Review: Succulent (Renegade)

Gardening is calm and patient work that demands skill, planning, and an eye for color and design. Yet among some people, it’s practically a competitive sport.

Succulent from Renegade Game Studios captures all of those aspects with a clever game that’s easy to learn, plays in under and hour, and offers varying challenges that will keep players coming back for more.

So grab your favorite gardening gloves and your bucket of tools. It’s time to dig into the top five things you need to know about Succulent.

Resources, Tiles, and More

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Although Renegade calls Succulent a game of tile laying and resource management, we think they have that backwards.

It’s really a game of resource management and goal completion, driven by a tile laying mechanic. (One of us is still learning this the hard way. The other is his son, who figured it out right from the start and keeps winning every time we play.)

The tiles in this game represent three sizes of flower beds, and the resources are five colors of plant cuttings. Every time you place a flower bed, you gain one, two, or three cuttings (and maybe some water droplets, but more about those later). By collecting and cashing in combinations of cuttings, you claim project cards which drive your victory points in the game.

Gardening the Plots

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Begin the game by shuffling and laying out a grid of eight large garden plots. The six outer plots start face down (they’ll be turned over during the game); the two in the center are available at the start.

Each plot shows a random array of 12 flowers, some with a water drop on them. To claim cuttings of the flowers, you play a flower bed tile over them, setting the tile so the flower images show through the holes.

Looking at the Projects

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The majority of your victory points will come from turning in cuttings and completing project cards.

The game starts with five or six cards face-up, depending on the number of players. Each card displays a row of clippings at the top representing the card’s “cost.” To claim that card, just turn in the right combination of clippings.

The center of the card shows how it scores victory points for you at the end of the game. Cards deliver either a set or variable number of victory points, so pay close attention to the icons here because they drive part of your strategy.

Some cards also give you an immediate bonus such as a spare clipping or the chance to play an extra flower bed.

Putting Your Gardener to Work

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The bottom of each card shows the outline of one or two flower beds. You start the game with only two beds. To get more, place your gardener piece on one of the face-up project cards, then claim the displayed combination of beds.

You gardener also comes into play when claiming project cards. If you claim a project card with your gardener on it, you get a special bonus: A large water droplet. But if you claim a project with an opponent’s gardener on it, that player gets the large droplet instead.

Collecting Water Droplets

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During setup, each player receives their own unique greenhouse board. The boards show the five types of plants with either two, three, or four water droplet spaces next to each one.

As you play flower beds and claim project cards, you’ll sometimes also get water droplets. Large droplets are permanent, staying in your greenhouse and earning victory points at the end of the game.

Small droplets are temporary, but easier to get. If you fill up all of the droplet spaces next to a particular flower in your greenhouse with any combination of large and small droplets, you can trade the small droplets to the bank for a cutting of that color when you claim a project card.

Verdict

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Succulent delivers a great game experience driven by well-balanced tension. Do you place a bed to claim a particular combination of cuttings or do you put your gardener on one of the project cards to get more flower beds for future turns?

A big part of the game’s strategy involves managing your inventory of clippings and flower beds (especially the small beds — seriously, you’ll thank me later) so you can make the most of unexpected bonus opportunities.

The whole water drop mechanic earns special kudos from us. It fits the theme perfectly, adds some interesting nuances to the choices you make, and can give your final score an important bonus.

Game play moves quickly. It can involve multiple players on every turn, so everyone around the table stays engaged. The combination of random garden plots, greenhouses, and available project cards ensures a unique strategic challenge every time you play. Enjoy!