Growing Mr. Cabbagehead’s Garden Under Leticia’s Gaze
Watch over a growing vegetable garden while the owner is away and the neighbors scheme in Mr. Cabbagehead’s Garden.
Yes, vegetable people can be cozy. Ha ha! I was excited to return to Mr. Cabbagehead’s Garden for the sheer delight and laughs over the artwork. It’s ironic to be planting all sorts of vegetables, only to have calamity ensue with pilfering neighbors… Who are also made of vegetables. This is a quirky and silly sort of theme supported by fantastic gameplay!
Game Overview
Game Name: Mr. Cabbagehead’s Garden
Publication Year: 2016
Designer: Todd Sanders
Artist: Todd Sanders
Publisher: LudiCreations
Solo Mode: Included in the Base Game
As the garden fills up with vegetables, neighbors threaten to pop in while Mr. Cabbagehead goes on holiday. Managing the worst outcomes is part of the puzzle, and sometimes, the pesky local vegetables merely quarrel at the gate! It’s a fun and cheerful sort of solo puzzle with lots of variety.
First Play
December 29, 2018
Complexity
2
Latest Play
September 13, 2025
Expansions
4
Setup Time
Almost None
Lifetime Plays
36
Play Time
15 Minutes
High Score
124
Game Area
16" x 20"
Low Score
48
Quieting the Noise
A-ha! One of the greatest feelings during gameplay is having a couple of neighbors tied for the most number of their tokens. Why? Nothing happens except for a squabble!
These tokens come out during the season based on the vegetables that aren’t planted, which adds a neat layer of strategy onto each decision. Must protect that garden!
However, it’s not easy to thwart these thieving neighbors. In those cases, understanding their abilities is a key element.
I was a little rusty, yet quickly settled into gameplay again. In fact, this first outing was looking like my best yet!
Just Shy of the Blue…
No joke: I missed the top scoring tier and a blue ribbon by a single victory point. Oh, no! This was still my best score ever and I couldn’t believe how well I managed everything.
Oh, but they were still pretty terrible in general. It was interesting to pick up a strategy of drawing a lot of tokens to try to build up the quarreling between them all.
You know Lord Carrotbody had a real issue with Bernard Betterave’s face, otherwise known as a carrot mockery.
Ha ha! There is a wonderful puzzle to work through, yet my favorite parts are the stories, laughs, and feigned gasps.
Making Decisions
Each round features a trio of vegetables to choose from. Only one may be planted, but the remaining ones determine how many neighbor tokens will be added to the mix.
Sometimes, a single neighbor has a bunch of tokens drawn early on. If that ability won’t trigger or has a very mild consequence, I don’t fret over the neighbor tokens.
But when I need to stop them all, there is a difficult choice between bettering the garden or reducing the risks.
Since there are so many neighbors, too, each play can be very different. Sometimes, they almost work together!
Roses and Pests
I always play with the modules that introduce roses and the dreaded grasshoppers. The roses are very situational, and it’s typical that I’ll only place 1 or 2 of these cards. Pretty!
The grasshoppers are more dynamic and interesting. They can be awful when they hop into the garden, yet they also dilute the neighbor tokens… Which can be good or bad!
During this play, I was quite pleased with all of this ruta baga! Beans and radishes also added to the garden.
I couldn’t quite replicate my initial luck, but I didn’t mind about low scores… I had vegetable people to laugh at! Ha!
Managing Multiple Puzzles from a Few Angles
If this game only involved planting a vegetable garden, it still might be fun, but would feel like a pure optimization puzzle for me. The addition of the neighbors and keeping their abilities in mind is excellent! I like having to think about a few different pieces that are intertwined, but require different sorts of problem solving. Must avoid the vegetable people. Ha!
This also got me thinking about the games that are very focused on a single layer or mechanic, and others that can get overwhelming with so much going on. It’s hard to find that balance, as a game with only one main element runs the risk of feeling repetitive or simple. Game design is a challenge! Yet I love how this one feels just right in terms of the challenge.
Through the Seasons
After a handful of plays, I realized that I had almost enough neighbors to split them up into 4 groups… And so it was that I imagined Mr. Cabbagehead went on many holidays.
During early spring, it was another battle against ol’ Carrotbody. He was a tough one, clearly distracted by his rivalry with even ol’er Betterave. Squabbles at the gate!
It was still a pretty poor showing overall, and maybe I taunted Lord Carrotbody with a bunch of carrots. Maybe…
However, I was more excited to move onto playing against entirely different neighbors and coming up with their tales.
Late Spring Holidays
Well. Let’s just say that when Mr. Cabbagehead spent a good part of late spring on holiday, things went poorly.
Granted, I was very proud of that pepper plot I grew from nothing! But the turnips turned on me and the neighbors were absolutely insufferable. Like the Ferwig-Radishers.
You better believe they arrived and caused all manner of trouble for me! I had vegetables threatening to disappear.
At least I collected all of the lovely bees by the end. I actually have the upgraded wooden meeples, but I love the artwork on the tokens. Thank goodness there aren’t vegetable bees.
Meeting Leticia
Since the last time I played much too long ago, a few other expansions have arrived. I realized that Leticia Colewort had never graced this garden with her presence. Welcome!
Wait a second. Hold on there. Leticia is the worst! The. WORST! Ha ha! I actually loved her ability to bring a random neighbor’s ability into play. Totally unpredictable and fun.
But from a storytelling standpoint, she is clearly my new nemesis. Leticia. Stop it! Leticia? Get out of the garden. Ha!
My scores showed no signs of improvement, although I was in the best of moods and couldn’t stop laughing. Leticia!
Turning the Tables
Now, when I get accosted by a vegetable person, there’s only one solution: Send in a bunch of Calico Critters dressed up as vegetable people to give them a stern talkin’ to!
This is how a bell pepper, cherry tomato, and eggplant stopped Leticia in her tracks somewhere near a grand selection of beans. This was no garden to be trifling with!
Leticia Colewort will definitely return. She’s not going anywhere, except onto Mr. Cabbagehead’s property. Ha ha!
Such a fun time! Even with a lot of plays in succession, I enjoyed the choices and couldn’t get enough of the art.
Session Overview
Play Number: 31-36
Expansion: Many (Donty, Karl, Leticia, & Maisy)
Solo Mode: Included in the Base Game
Play Details: Grasshoppers & Romancing Eudora Modules
Outcome: 124, 96, 58, 73, 93, 80 (1 Win & 5 Losses)
Oh, dear. It was Leticia who wreaked havoc during all of the summertime holidays! Mr. Cabbagehead was quite distraught over the news, but at least he had some roses to offer Eudora. I’ll just have to work on my skills at thwarting a new nemesis. This game is such a great experience each time with a little story, quick play time, and clever puzzle!
%
30 Plays
Affordability
Price & Value
10
Functionality
Challenges & Mechanics
10
Originality
Design & Theme
10
Quality
Components & Rules
10
Reusability
Achievement & Enjoyment
10
Variability
Distinctness & Randomness
7
+ Pros (Positives)
- A whimsical and quirky atmosphere comes through the artwork, which is delightful and fun to get immersed in.
- Gameplay moves quickly with important but quick decisions and just enough choices to feel interesting.
- Different combinations of neighbors offer plenty of variety, especially with the way some work together.
- Managing to draw the same number of neighbor tokens during a round is very satisfying, as no ability is triggered.
- There is a lighthearted atmosphere to play so that even horrible scores leave room for laughter and comedic blame.
- Choosing which vegetable to plant each turn isn’t just about the best one, but also how it will impact the neighbors.
– Cons (Negatives)
- A fair amount of luck is involved with earning the highest scores, although this adds a little comedy to gameplay.
- The text on the neighbor tiles is very small and difficult to read at a glance, but most abilities can be memorized.
- Some of the garden awards almost feel like traps, and it can take a little time to understand the best ways to score.
- Neighbor tokens can be hard to mitigate in some circumstances, and some rounds will result in the worst penalties.
Victory Conditions
Score 100+ Points
- Overall Goal Progress 75%
Goals and Milestones
Earn every award at least 1 time.
Score at least 115 points.
Score at least 120 points.
Score at least 125 points.
Continue the Conversation
What is your favorite part of Mr. Cabbagehead’s Garden? Is there a neighbor who quickly became your nemesis? Leticia Colewort is that for me… And I love that fact! There is a wonderful puzzle at the core of gameplay, but what makes this stand out are the little stories filled with silliness. I’m still hunting for that blue ribbon one of these days. Blame Leticia. Ha!
A wonderful return to the Village!
Absolutely! Thank you again for such a wonderful game!