- BGG rank
- BGG #3,724
- BGG rating
- 7.6
Millennia: Tracks of Time
- 1–4 players
- 30–120 min
- Complexity 3.3/5
- 2025
- BGG rank
- BGG #5,909
- BGG rating
- 7.0
Zen Garden
2020
Rules assistance for Zen Garden
Plain-language explanations of turns, card effects and disputed situations, with official source references and saved question history.
- 2–4 players
- 30–40 min
- 8+
- Complexity 1.9/5
For 2 players
Rules assistant for Zen Garden
What would you like to know?
Answers come from the official rulebook, with the page to check.
Zen Garden is a board game released in 2020 for 2–4 players, 30–40 minutes per game, and ages 8 and up. It was designed by Mike Georgiou and its main mechanics are Tile Placement, End Game Bonuses, and Pattern Building.
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About the game
An Emperor's life is stressful and full of tough decisions. He absolutely needs a place of solace where he can relax and recover. A beautiful garden filled with paths, statues, and flora is just what he needs. In Zen Garden, the players assume the role of architects working to build the most beautiful garden for the Emperor. To do this, they need to pay careful attention to the Emperor's preferences, while trying to stay one step ahead of the competition. A turn in Zen Garden is simple: The first player selects one tile from the selection board, pays its cost, then adds it to their garden adjacent to a previously placed tile. Each player does this, then the board is refilled and a new starting player begins the next turn. Zen Garden comes with five preference boards that determine which features of the garden score in that game. The boards selected (and their number) will greatly change the objectives players will strive for in that game. —description from the publisher
Designers
Publishers
- Queen Games
- Lautapelit.fi
Questions and answers
Zen Garden supports 2–4 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 Zen Garden is 30–40 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 Zen Garden for ages 8 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.
Zen Garden has a complexity rating of 1.9 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.
The main mechanics of Zen Garden are Tile Placement, End Game Bonuses, and Pattern Building. Mechanics describe what players actually do on their turns, such as rolling dice, drafting cards or placing workers. Each mechanic links to a catalogue hub with similar games, which helps when you enjoyed Zen Garden and want something comparable.
The credited designers of Zen Garden are: Mike Georgiou. 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 Zen Garden 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.