- BGG rating
- 6.7
Bonsai: Vigorous Growth and Specialists
- 1–4 players
- 40 min
- Complexity 2.3/5
- 2023
- BGG rank
- BGG #1,299
- BGG rating
- 7.2
Bonsai
2023
Rules assistance for Bonsai
Plain-language explanations of turns, card effects and disputed situations, with official source references and saved question history.
- 1–4 players
- 40 min
- 10+
- Complexity 1.8/5
For 1 player
Rules assistant for Bonsai
What would you like to know?
Answers come from the official rulebook, with the page to check.
Bonsai is a board game released in 2023 for 1–4 players, 40 minutes per game, and ages 10 and up. It was designed by Martino Chiacchiera, Rosaria Battiato, and Massimo Borzì and its main mechanics are Race, Tile Placement, and End Game Bonuses.
Expansions
- BGG rating
- 7.7
Bonsai: Wabi Sabi
- 1–5 players
- 40 min
- Complexity 2.0/5
- 2024
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About the game
The Japanese term "bonsai" means "planted in a pot". A bonsai is a living work of art, a perfect miniature plant, identical in all respects to its full-size simile, but several times smaller. In Bonsai, players take on the role of expert bonsai masters intent on growing their own bonsai. Whoever grows the best plant will be appointed to show their Bonsai at the Imperial gardens. On your turn, choose and perform one of these two actions: meditate or cultivate. If you meditate, choose one of the face up cards on the board and take it, along with any Bonsai tiles represented below the card you draw. If you cultivate, you can place in your Bonsai the tiles which are in your personal supply. You can place as many tiles as the total symbols depicted on your Seishi tile and any or all of your Growth cards. Each symbol will let you place one tile of the corresponding type. During the turn in which your bonsai matches or exceeds the requirements of a Goal tile that is still in the middle of the table (i.e., the Goal tile has not been claimed yet by any player), you must immediately choose whether you want to claim that tile or if you want to renounce it in order to try to achieve a harder Goal tile. When the last card from the deck is revealed, the game end is triggered. Each tile in your bonsai is worth a certain number of points. In the solo game you can try the Additional Scenarios that change some rules and goals, and eventually try to beat the Emperor Challenge. —description from the publisher
Categories
Mechanics
Publishers
- Broadway Toys LTD
- Hobby World
- Gémklub
- Ігромаг
- KOSMOS
- DV Games
- Gigamic
- FoxGames
Questions and answers
Bonsai supports 1–4 players according to the catalogue. This range comes from the publisher’s listed player count, so the game can be set up for any group size within it. Some setups, rules and scoring details may still vary by player count, so check your edition’s rulebook for the exact configuration.
The listed playing time for Bonsai is 40 minutes. This is the publisher’s estimate for a full game. The actual duration depends on the group, the player count and familiarity with the rules: first sessions usually run longer, while experienced groups often finish faster. Setup and teaching time are not included in this estimate.
The catalogue lists Bonsai for ages 10 and up. This is the publisher’s recommendation and reflects reading demands, rule complexity and small components rather than theme alone. Younger players can often join with help from an adult, so check the age guidance on your edition and consider your group’s experience with board games.
Bonsai has a complexity rating of 1.8 out of 5 from BoardGameGeek players, which makes it a light game. The rating reflects how much rules knowledge, planning and decision-making a typical game demands. Expect a longer first teach for heavier games, and use a preparation guide before game night.
Bonsai belongs to these categories: Puzzle and Environmental. Its main mechanics are Race, Tile Placement, and End Game Bonuses. Categories describe the theme and setting of a game, while mechanics describe what players actually do on their turns. Each mechanic links to a catalogue hub with similar games, which helps when you want something comparable.
The credited designers of Bonsai are: Martino Chiacchiera, Rosaria Battiato, and Massimo Borzì. These credits come from the published game data and name the people responsible for the game’s design, not its illustrators or publishers. Designer pages on MeepleRules collect other titles by the same designers, which helps when you enjoy a game and want to find similar ones.
The catalogue lists Bonsai as a base game. It can be played on its own with the components in the box and does not require any other title. Expansions, if any exist, add new content or rules on top of it and are listed separately in the catalogue with a link back to this base game.