Was it fun?
Yes, I really enjoyed playing the game, and the visuals were also enjoyable.
What were the player interactions?
There weren’t many player interactions in my opinion, but we did have to rotate taking turns and pass the player token around, but it was based on individual points
How long did it take to learn?
It literally took us a whole hour to learn how to play. We could NOT understand the written instructions so after 45 excruciating minutes we looked up a video.
What was the most frustrating moment or aspect of what you just played?
The instructions was the most frustrating part of the game, besides that it was very enjoyable.
What was your favorite moment or aspect of what you just played?
My favorite part of the game was the whole concept and how you had to grow your tree with light points. I thought it was very cute and creative.
Was there anything you wanted to do that you couldn’t?
I wanted to buy and grow my trees all in one turn but you had to do those actions in completely different turns, and we have a limited amount of turns, so you have to play strategically.
If you had a magic wand to wave, and you could change, add, or remove anything
from the experience, what would it be?
I would change the instructions. They were very hard to comprehend, and I don’t know if it was very wordy or disorganized, but we had a hard time. I would also add a key with all the parts labeled.
Is this a game you would play again? Yes _____ No ______ Why
Yes, because I ultimately enjoyed the experience and I want to try different strategies to get the most points.
Analyze the game using the 3 act structure.
The first act was the set up where we all picked our tree type and we set up our first trees on the board, and established who went first (the youngest player). Then the second act was us starting to plant trees, rotating the sun around the board, and starting to gather points by chopping trees. Lastly the third act is when the sun goes around the board for the third time and players add up all their points from the chopped trees, and their remaining light points.
What are the collaborative and or competitive aspects of the game?
There wasn’t much collaboration, but it also didn’t feel like strong competition, since there are no direct interactions between players that affect each other’s status, but the only aspects of competitiveness were blocking trees so others can’t score points and the point system as a whole because the one with most points wins.
What is the game’s metaphor and which of the game’s mechanics stand out?
The game’s metaphor is the natural process of photosynthesis, represented through the growth and life cycles of different types of trees. The mechanics that stood out most were the strategic placement of trees on the board, the personalized player boards used to purchase trees and track light points, and the rotating sun, which controlled the pace and flow of the game.