Botanicus Components Overview and Impressions
If a board game has plants or flowers my wife is definitely going to be interested in giving it a go – Botanicus is that kind of game, where you are planting flowers in your garden attempting to finish tasks and scoring the most points. Published by Asmodee, you knew there was going to be some environmentally conscious production decisions made, and they do not disappoint.
A lot of games now are moving away from plastic baggies within the box, and opting for either cardboard inserts, or in the case of Botanicus, cardboard tuck boxes that will hold all the various game pieces. There is a lot of cardboard in Botanicus and it took a little while to punch. All the pieces came out easily, though, and all have places to be stored within the various tuck boxes.
One of the cool cardboard features is that level 4 plants, the highest level in the game, are all unique and give your garden a bit more of a table presence. There is also a glossary of all the different plants in the back of the rulebook, so if you are curious to know which plants you are placing in your garden, you can find out there!
Speaking of the rulebook, this is one of the better rulebooks I’ve seen in 2024. The layout is very logical, with an overview of the game and what actions you can take on your turn, followed by a breakdown of all the different tracks on the central board and the icons you’ll encounter throughout. We were able to learn and play a beginner game of Botanicus with 4 players in about an hour and fifteen minutes, and when we examined the expert rules, we assumed that wouldn’t really tack on that much extra.
The game pieces for each player are made of wood, and while they lack screen printing that might give them a bit more of a premium feel, they are very useful and a nice addition to the game. I specifically like the little wooden animals that each player has access too, those look phenomenal!
Overall, I’m very impressed with the production value of Botanicus. The cardboard is all nice and thick, the small attention to detail throughout is great to see in what I assume is a fairly price conscious release. If you love gardening and enjoy a better than average production at a good price, Botanicus might be the game for you!