Backyard Builders Treehouse: The Return of Old Memories
Build new rooms to capture wonder and imagination high above the ground in Backyard Builders Treehouse.
My local board game swap is always a fun event that happens about twice a year! Several months ago, I was perusing a table for probably the fifth time when I spotted Backyard Builders Treehouse. I never heard of it, saw it didn’t have a solo mode… But loved the artwork and the nearly free price tag! So at last, I got to work building this out on my table.
Game Overview
Game Name: Backyard Builders Treehouse
Publication Year: 2016
Designer: David Short
Artists: Vincent Dutrait and Peter Wocken
Publisher: Crash Games
Solo Mode: Unofficial Solo Variant
Quick decisions add new rooms to an ever-growing treehouse that travels up, up, and away! Simple choices involve matching colors or values, and it certainly lives on the lightweight side. Yet achieving a high solo score isn’t a guarantee, and the final treehouse always looks amazing!
First Play
November 5, 2022
Complexity
1
Latest Play
November 5, 2022
Expansions
1
Setup Time
Almost None
Lifetime Plays
8
Play Time
5 Minutes
High Score
51
Game Area
12" x 32"
Low Score
45
Simple and Charming
There really aren’t many rules with this solo variant: Draw 2 cards and choose 1 to add the next set of rooms. With very few placement restrictions, it all moves quickly!
Actually, I might be a little generous in calling these choices: It’s always easy to figure out the better card.
I initially thought this would be mindless and repetitive… And it sort of was. Yet I found myself drawn to the art and the challenge of trying to get a few more victory points.
There are also additional solo variants to increase the difficulty down the road… But is that what I want to do?
Expert Builders
A couple of skilled Calico Critters stopped by to help with the building! This first player marker was even too big for them, although they had so many ideas.
Luck and simple choices might be a bad combination, yet I enjoyed the simple charm of placing a total of 8 cards.
A lot of cards aren’t used in solo, though, including the amazing purple cards with birds. At least there’s some hope with another solo variant that I’ll have to try!
Despite the simplicity, I realized it was exactly what I needed after a very tiring day. No stress here!
Perfect Popcorn
There was no question that I had the perfect spot to drive my favorite vehicle… Enter the popcorn tricycle! It definitely fit in with the aesthetics and theme.
I also recognized that part of my initial draw to this game comes from an old childhood memory… The Treehouse.
It was a very simple computer game that featured adorable animals, collectibles, games, and sounds. Oh, memories! Yet what fun I had with my dad and brother.
Some of that nostalgia came through with this artwork that showed all sorts of imaginative adventures. Lovely!
Just Hanging Out!
One of the main songs from my old favorite is simply a song that repeats, “Hanging out, at the treehouse!” So I made it so with these happy little squirrels. Ha!
The game itself is very short on gameplay and challenges with this simple solo variant… Simply perfect.
It’s amazing how some games bring back unrelated but wonderful memories that otherwise sit around, waiting to be remembered. My virtual treehouse was my only one.
I’m so glad I randomly stumbled across this game. A lovely memory came back to me when I least expected it!
The Power of Gaming Memories
Initially, I thought the main draw of this game was the artwork. And possibly the very low price tag. Ha! Yet it was quite a surprise to realize that it tied into a very old computer game. I spent hours exploring every little detail. For what it’s worth, there was a roll-and-move game with dice and some very basic board game concepts. Definitely intrigued me!
Nowadays, I often don’t look at new board game memories. They seem too new, yet there are certainly plays and games in general that I remember for various reasons. Fun is such a subjective measure, but I think some of that comes down to forming gaming memories. Maybe that’s a personal observation: I don’t know if it holds true for most players.
It also ties into loving a board game. At times, comments question why anyone could like such a bad game or point out all of the negatives. Sometimes, we just love the games we do from our past experiences. It’s that simple! I won’t try to convince myself that this game has great gameplay choices, yet it’s still a game I’ll enjoy for the nostalgic element.
Session Overview
Play Number: 1-8
Solo Mode: Unofficial Solo Variant
Outcome: 51, 45, 44, 46, 46, 49, 47, 50 (2 Wins, 6 Losses)
As I said before, this wasn’t a particularly challenging experience… Yet I enjoyed it! I hoped for the best with each draw, and nearly managed to avoid flipping to the wild side during a few plays. I might keep this around simply for this solo variant, or explore a couple of more difficult options down the road. No matter the case, I’m simply so excited to have a game that can bring back some lovely childhood memories. Treehouses are wonderful!
%
1 Play
Affordability
Price & Value
8
Functionality
Challenges & Mechanics
7
Originality
Design & Theme
5
Quality
Components & Rules
9
Reusability
Achievement & Enjoyment
6
Variability
Distinctness & Randomness
2
+ Pros (Positives)
- The artwork is absolutely charming and perfectly fits the theme with scenes of imagination and adventure.
- Choices are easy and fairly obvious, but this helps cement the game as a very lightweight option on some days.
- Several unofficial solo variants exist and can offer different kinds of experiences and challenges.
- Matching colors and numbers makes for very quick gameplay that feels relaxing and calming with repetition.
- All of the little scenes and bright colors bring forth a sense of wonder that hearkens back to childhood memories.
- Even with duplicate artwork, every room still somehow feels unique based on the surrounding rooms.
– Cons (Negatives)
- There aren’t any real decisions, and the best choice during each turn is typically obvious within seconds.
- An entire suit isn’t utilized with low player counts, which leaves out artwork and a more difficult challenge.
- Building the cards vertically feels thematic, but leads to a lot of unnecessary stretching in the last rounds.
- As beautiful as the magnetic box is, it’s about twice as large as it needs to be to store a small number of cards.
Victory Conditions
Score 50+ Points
- Overall Goal Progress 33%
Goals and Milestones
Score at least 50 points.
Score at least 55 points.
Win at least 1 game without using a wild card.
Continue the Conversation
In the very unlikely instance, have you played Backyard Builders Treehouse? It seems to be a very unknown sort of game, yet it was a stroke of luck that brought me to it. What other solo games bring back fond memories? I look forward to relaxing with the simple building process again, or possibly digging into some other solo variants. Such a great time!
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