Entry 2: My current #1 Favorite Game

Tang Garden is a Zen-like game that will take you to the first golden age of China, where players will progressively build a garden by creating the landscape, placing the scenery and projecting their vision through vertical panoramas. During the construction, noblemen will visit the garden to admire the surroundings and the way the natural elements coexist in the most breathtaking scenery humankind has ever laid their eyes upon. 

                                                                     ~ThunderGryph Games 

      Tang Garden is one of the first games that my wife and I had backed on Kickstarter and at the time it was the most expensive one too (for the complete package). We didn’t back this game right away though; after much internal debate as to whether or not to back the game my gut was to go ahead and take the chance. As a result of this, I was actually able to play online via Tabletop Simulator and fell more and more in love with it. The beauty and design of all the pieces showed me that this game company wants to make sure their products are top-notch. 

      Tang Garden’s production is one that actually frustrated a lot of backers because it was delayed multiple times and delivered over a year past the estimated delivery date (mind you estimated delivery dates not actual release dates are provided on Kickstarter). In that time span though, improvements were made and the production process ran into a few snags but all that paid off in the end. During the time that the game was being made, my wife and I would attend quarterly game swaps (pre-Covid times) and during one we had found KS editions of previous games by ThunderGryph Games so we picked them up and played them so we knew ahead of time that we would be getting a great quality product. 

      Fast forward to delivery day, a huge box came with my name on it (thanks to tracking numbers I knew the moment it arrived). When I got home from work I carefully opened the box to see all the “goodies” inside. My heart jumped for joy when I opened the box and started pulling out my long-awaited game. One thing I did not mention is that a second copy was inside the box as well but in German instead of English; the reason for this was that some people were upset about all the delays so I told them if they didn’t want their copy I would get it… so I did. 

      The first people to play Tang Garden in our home was my wife and I; I don’t recall who won the game, but what I do remember is that instantly it became my favorite. I have since introduced the game to my parents, sister, and many friends. My love for this game is so great that I am even friends online with one of the designers of the game, Francesco (whose other games, by the way, are just as great as this one). 

      Now you may be asking, why do I love it so much? The answer is simple. Replayability. It is a 1-4 player game (solo mode, a big plus). The game mechanics mesh beautifully together which makes the game work in such a way that each game will be different every time you play. The first mechanic being tile laying. Similar to Carcassonne, you must play tiles that have matching edges. Carcassonne was one of my gateway games into that genre and is one that gamers often reference. In Tang Garden you move up on your player boards and/or earn coins (points) based on what matches on the tile you just placed. 

       The second mechanic to mention is set collection. In the game, instead of playing a tile, you have the option to place a decoration onto the board from the decoration cards you draw. There are trees, birdhouses, fish, pavilions, bridges, and flowers. You earn coins at the end of the game based sets you collect and place on the board. For example, coins you earn at the end of game for placing different trees increase for every type of tree placed. 

       Now, I can’t end this with out mentioning two more items from the game that fuels my love for it, the panorama’s and the miniatures. 

       Once you place a tile on the board that contains a landscape token you draw and place one of the panorama’s (large or small). The artwork on each one actually matches up to all the others of the same size. The left and right sides line up to make one large beautiful picture no matter which landscape it is placed by. That being said, you potentially can have 8 different completed panorama’s per game that are completely different each time you play. Each landscape can be placed using either front or back side as well. 

      This ties into the use of the miniatures. Once your player boards reach certain milestones you can place a character into the garden. Each character scores in different ways at the end of the game; some focus on the symbols on the landscapes, some focus on the terrain, and some focus on other characters. You will have a starting character that also aides you in moving up on the player board and/or gaining coins. Again, each game will play differently based on all the factors I have mentioned. 

      The overall aesthetics of the game stands out in such a beautiful way that, to me, no other game can match. The game board is starts plain but gets filled with vibrant color. Oh, one more thing to mention…. There is a game soundtrack that you can download or stream online as you enjoy this game (I also became friends with the composer). It helps set a nice mood for the game and also invokes emotions to “stimulate the senses.”

Tang Garden - Thundergryph Games

Entry 1: Welcome to my "world"

      From the time we were young children until the time we are ready to be put in the grave, “games” (I use that loosely right now) have been part of the human experience that have shaped our lives. You may say something like “I don’t like playing games” or “games are not for me” but hear me out on this topic. 

      I have seen “games” played with my one-year old daughter* in the form of getting her to eat dinner and try new foods. Who has not done the “here comes the airplane” trick to get a child to eat? Is that not a game we play? Playing peek-a-boo is another one that keeps a child interested for a few seconds until something new distracts them. We have also made a “game” for her to teach her to put away her toys. When my wife and I play our board/card and video games our baby girl wants part of the action, but that’s another story.

      As we continue to age, games are used to teach us new things and concepts. From simple matching games to using dice to teach basic addition. I have multiple friends who have even taught their young children Magic: The Gathering because it helps them to read, do math, and use higher thinking skills. Moving along in life, games are played while in courtship with another (don’t tell me that you never play “games” to get something you want, I know it happens). 

      As adults, playing games (now I am talking about board games) is a great way to have social interactions with family members and peers. In my family, we often play games each week after family dinner just so we can enjoy a little more quality time with one another. My dad is not a big gamer unless it is Yahtzee or Trivial Pursuit. We try to find games that he would play more than once and have succeeded a few times; but the key to that is he is willing to try new games and spend time with the family. This is a success for our family. 

      My wife and I gifted a game to a co-worker* so their large extended family could play something together and I have been told they have played it a few times now getting all ages involved. To me, this is a successful game because again it unites a family together. 

      Later in life the social aspect of gaming is just as important as playing “which of my medications did I forget to take today.” Senior and community centers often hold Bingo, Pinochle, or other game events to bring the aging generations together to provide a socialization opportunity. 

      You may be saying that all of this is fine and dandy but this is 2020* and we are dealing with a global pandemic that prevents us from getting together in groups. I can tell you this, the board game industry is thriving more than ever because people are looking for new things to do to help prevent “cabin fever” from settling in. You can only work on your yard or garden so much each week and TV gets boring after a while (yes, not all 200+ channels will have something interesting to watch all the time). People are now turning back to games to occupy time. 

      Most new board games today are still designed for 2-4 or up to 6 players. Great for a lock-down situation in which a family can play together BUT (yes, a big bolded but) people sometimes require alone time after being cooped up for an extended period of time. So game designers are coming up with solo modes for individual play. Some of my new favorite games include solo modes which allows me some personal downtime alone (doesn’t mean with a wife and young child I get it, but it’s the thought that counts). 

      Our game collection has greatly enlarged to the point that we can play a new game and/or expansion to a game every day for more than a year and the collection is still growing more and more. Once our baby girl grows a little older, more children’s learning games (HABA comes to mind) will be added as well to further instill the love we have of games into the next generation. 

      To conclude, I feel that board games will have a lasting effect on society in a way similar to how books have spanned across time and different cultures. People all over the world can play the same games and have discussions and shared experiences. With technology today, we can preview and play games with others globally and still can acquire a physical copy to play at home to enjoy the full gaming experience that board game designers have put their talents into.

*This was originally written in late 2020 so my daughter is nearly 2 years old now; I no longer work with this person but we do attend the same church congregation; and vaccines are being distributed to lessen some of the effects of the pandemic which is still going on.