Everything Nice About Tiny Mice and a Floriferous Garden
Settle into a lovely and relaxing garden to pick and arrange beautiful flowers beside a pesky guest with Floriferous.
Happy Spring! I took a break from my battling ants to return to a much more relaxing springtime scene. Namely, the beautiful garden present in Floriferous. Such a fun time! The combination of public and private goals mix well with the choice of which flowers to pick. I always find myself puzzling through it all as the crow causes silly mayhem!
Double Disclaimer
My prototype copy is slightly improved now with wooden components and solo opponent cards that are closer to the final product, but please keep in mind that this is not the finished version. Additionally, I’m proud to be the sales manager at Pencil First Games! Everything presented here is my own opinion, though keep all of this in mind.
Game Overview
Game Name: Floriferous
Publication Year: Unreleased (2021)
Designers: Eduardo Baraf, Steve Finn, and Keith Matejka
Artists: Clémentine Campardou and Kim Robinson
Publisher: Pencil First Games
Solo Mode: Included in the Base Game
It’s simply a joy to set this one up. Flowers make up the majority of the compact play area, yet bounty and desire cards provide different kinds of goals. Don’t forget the stones and the inevitable stealing of the perfect card! Play is quick, yet satisfying and ready for another attempt.
First Play
February 6, 2021
Complexity
2
Latest Play
August 29, 2024
Expansions
0
Setup Time
Almost None
Lifetime Plays
60
Play Time
10 Minutes
High Score
43 (S) and 63 (E)
Game Area
20" x 20"
Low Score
15 (S) and 49 (E)
Gardening Friends
This time, I wasn’t alone in my suffering at the hands of the pesky guest! A trio of Calico Critters stopped by to admire the lovely flowers that towered over them.
With the box top and bottom in the background, it should be pretty clear how tiny these mice are! Let’s just say I went overboard and have another trio sitting elsewhere…
My games have oddly been leading to identical critters in my house after playing. Ants, spiders… Not the mice!
I set these adorable friends off to the side so I could head out into the garden and keep them far from the crow.
A Pleasant First Day
As my opening day came to an end, I had a nice collection to start with. This early on, taking chances can be a true hit or miss. I seemed to be on the right track, though!
Not pictured are the bounty cards, or public goals. I had to figure out a way to make some progress on that front.
Victory points for completing public goals decrease as the days go on. They start out at 5 victory points and go down to just 2 victory points. Early completions are crucial.
Yet the flowers and bugs don’t always cooperate, much like in real life. They’re quite wild and independent!
Putting It Together
The second day was rather nice as I focused on poppies and had a nice bonus going. Plus a stone and arrangement!
What happened to my purple mum? Oh, let me tell you. The pesky guest decided to claim a lot of stones and I ended up losing that lovely bloom. Pesky guest, indeed!
I wasn’t in an amazing position, yet this was shaping up to be well-balanced. It’s key to collect flowers while picking up relevant desire cards from the garden.
Was I on the right path? It was down to the final day and I had a feeling the crow was going to be watching me…
The Final Arrangement
See that crow over there?! I knew I was being watched. In fact, I lost out on 10 victory points because I wasn’t willing to spill my tea to stop the pesky guest. Bad choice!
Although if anyone watched the Team PFG Live Play the other day, it’s pretty clear that I will claim that tea. Mine!
I didn’t have as many synergies as I wanted, yet this was still a generally acceptable outing. Far from excellent.
That’s another thing I enjoy here: I can always think of ways I could have done better or adjusted my strategy. It’s all still very relaxing, but not a dull walk in the park.
Happy Garden Surprises
This game features bugs on a fair number of cards. I’ve never been a fan of these tiny creatures, although I can appreciate all they do. ‘Tis my own ongoing issue!
However, the illustrations are so lovely. In fact, I knew just who would scurry across the table! Not another Calico Critter… My little crystal ladybug who was made for this!
My tea party gloves looked perfect with all of the little dots and spots. I think this ladybug will show up again soon.
Although I can’t quite get behind celebrating bugs on my game table, hurray for these friendly visitors!
Lest We Forget
An element I rarely ever cover is card backs. They just kind of exist, and I’ve seen the best of the best along with… Some other candidates that will not be featured.
Every deck has a different pattern and color. They’re easy to tell apart and the crow is simply amazing up close!
There are so many details that were given attention. It’s so relaxing to lay out the cards, and any face-down cards blend in perfectly with the garden environment.
As the certified Breaker of Wallets, I wish I could say this was terrible. But… I fear some breaking is in my future!
Session Overview
Play Number: 49-52
Solo Mode: Included in the Base Game
Play Details: Standard Mode
Outcome: 30, 27, 35, and 34 (4 Losses)
I knew the mice weren’t done yet! As I finished up, they were quite excited to find pawns in their clothing colors. Even better? The pattern on the pink flower tokens was very familiar. See if you can spot the way this ties into them all! Hint: Your eyes might not be the best sense to use: I hear you can see another way. So adorable! Calico Critters will definitely be visiting this garden again.
%
60 Plays
Affordability
Price & Value
10
Functionality
Challenges & Mechanics
10
Originality
Design & Theme
5
Quality
Components & Rules
10
Reusability
Achievement & Enjoyment
7
Variability
Distinctness & Randomness
7
+ Pros (Positives)
- Everything flows beautifully together with a theme, artwork, and mechanics that all meld together perfectly.
- Play time flies by in about 10-15 minutes for the solo mode, providing a quick but satisfying kind of puzzle.
- It’s very subjective to label a game as relaxing or cozy, but it’s difficult to feel stressed out while playing.
- The solo opponent, in the form of the pesky guest, is easy to run and rather comical in the way it throws stones.
- All of the cards and components utilize unique colors and shapes to be more accessible and easier to use.
- Each piece of watercolor artwork is simply beautiful and breathtaking with adorable bugs nestled on petals.
– Cons (Negatives)
- The highest scores typically come from a certain degree of exceptional luck with the order of the garden cards.
- For some reason, remembering to place stones on the right cards is a step that can be a little easy to forget.
- It’s quite minor, but the removal of the 5 statue cards from the solo mode takes away some wonderful artwork.
- The solo opponent can wreak havoc on a strategy even with the once-per-play ability to block its action.
Victory Conditions
Score 40+ Points (S) or 60+ Points (E)
- Overall Goal Progress 60%
Goals and Milestones
Complete all 3 bounty cards on day 1.
Score at least 40 points in the standard mode.
Score at least 60 points in the extended mode.
Score at least 45 points in the standard mode.
Score at least 65 points in the extended mode.
Continue the Conversation
Are you looking forward to Floriferous? It’s nearly time for it to appear on Kickstarter, and I’m so very excited to watch its journey from crowdfunding to release. This has been the perfect way to start enjoying spring and all the beauty a few simple flowers can bring. Do you have any other games like this? Keep an eye out for lots more content soon!
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