
- BGG rank
- BGG #19,844
- BGG rating
- 6.7
The Patrons of Venice
- 3–5 players
- 90 min
- Complexity 3.3/5
- 2004

2004
Rules assistance for Garden Competition
Plain-language explanations of turns, card effects and disputed situations, with official source references and saved question history.

What would you like to know?
Answers come from the official rulebook, with the page to check.
Garden Competition is a board game released in 2004 for 3–5 players, 60 minutes per game, and ages 10 and up. It was designed by Ken Stevens and its main mechanics are Tile Placement, Modular Board, and Simulation.
Welcome to the Garden Competition, where you play a neighbourhood student cultivating a garden in the hopes of winning this year’s gardening competition. Compete against the other players for the favour of your neighbours and for limited flowers at the nursery. Each player knows some of the flowers and colours the judge is looking for, but no player knows everything the judge is looking for. Try to guess the parts you don’t know by watching the behaviour of the other players. The judge also has some secret criteria that only she knows, which you can learn about by taking her out for a cup of coffee.
Garden Competition supports 3–5 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 Garden Competition is 60 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 Garden Competition 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.
Garden Competition has a complexity rating of 2.8 out of 5 from BoardGameGeek players, which makes it a medium-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.
Garden Competition belongs to these categories: Economic, Bluffing, and Farming. Its main mechanics are Tile Placement, Modular Board, and Simulation. 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 Garden Competition are: Ken Stevens. 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 Garden Competition 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.