Strolling Down the Cozy, Bustling Streets of Tenby
Build a delightful, seaside town with a variety of buildings and sights to admire in a cozy outing set in Tenby.
It’s a rare occasion when I borrow a game rather than buy it right away, yet my friend kindly lent me a copy of Tenby to try out the solo mode! Playing with multiple players added to my interest, and it seemed like there was a lot left to discover. The pleasant atmosphere and mini-game of searching for the little details seemed excellent… Over to my solo table!
Game Overview
Game Name: Tenby
Publication Year: 2025
Designer: Benjie Talbott
Artist: Benjie Talbott
Publisher: Cosy Cub Games
Solo Mode: Included in the Base Game
Over 10 rounds, the streets of the town take shape by picking cards and laying them out from left to right. A lot of scoring opportunities exist, along with various sources! Residents and landmarks offer unique elements, as do the adorable names of businesses and hotels. And happy clouds!
First Play
March 10, 2026
Complexity
2
Latest Play
March 11, 2026
Expansions
1
Setup Time
5 Minutes
Lifetime Plays
2
Play Time
20 Minutes
High Score
144
Game Area
32" x 22"
Low Score
136
Delightful Appearance
All of the components are wonderful, from the wooden tokens to the cards. It’s clear a lot of love went into this one, and I enjoyed the crisp appearance of many features.
My experience with the multiplayer game set me up to quickly dive into this solo mode, although the rulebook is rather lengthy and wordy. It was intimidating at first.
Yet the overall flow of gameplay is quite simple, involving an action selection system tied to turn order.
Many different solo modes are included, so I started with the easiest scenario to see if it would work out for me.
Tiny, Tiny Icons
Yes, there is an immediate problem with one of my streets… And I didn’t notice it until after I cleared up this play. No worries: I didn’t win, so cheating was not involved. Ha ha!
The icons were so small, though. The issue is with the middle street, which has 2 landmarks. Side-by-side, too, which should have been obvious, but I didn’t see it.
I liked some elements of gameplay, yet the tedious nature of constantly looking for small details and counting was a lot.
Features were hard to find sometimes, too. The seagulls blended in, and I did a recount when I missed a bin.
Fun Business Names
The shops, hotels, and businesses had some of the cutest names! I laughed over many of these and welcomed their arrival in my town. Such a fun detail to spot everywhere!
Alas, I really struggled with doing more than constantly counting or evaluating for scoring. Final scoring was a chore, too, and I often found an error or accidental mistake.
For instance, I didn’t match up the edges of the cards one time. Again, I still lost so it didn’t benefit me… But, ugh.
There is a wonderfully pleasant atmosphere here, though, and I found a few fun moments, particularly in the names!
Residential Concerns
While it was a bit tedious to score every individual card, the residents provided top-level objectives. My streets might have similar appearances, or different kinds of goals.
Still, not all of these were beneficial. Binoculars rarely showed up in the deck. It was a lot to think about and took away the joy of a little seaside town. Very cute, though!
I was reminded of Walking in Burano, which has some issues, but is one I love. Maybe this was too similar?
In any event, I still had some fun and appreciated having a chance to build out the streets of this adorable little town!
When a Seemingly Great Game Isn’t the Right One
I’ve played solo games pretty much all the time for almost a decade at this point, which means I’m usually pretty good at recognizing the ones that will work out well. Those who follow along typically read about my enjoyment of all sorts of games! The ones that don’t match up are few and far between, mainly because I don’t enjoy finding out a game isn’t for me.
That’s bound to happen, and I’ve grown to accept that honesty. Giving games second and third chances has taken its toll over the years… I trust myself and my opinions! So it was a sad moment when I realized these icons were too small for me, and the focus on constantly working out scoring opportunities didn’t offer the fun challenge I hoped to discover.
Sometimes, it’s not meant to be. And that’s not the game’s fault, as I think there is an audience who will enjoy this one to no end! Always take my comments as they’re intended: As a solo game journal of sorts with random comments that boil down to be entirely subjective. You may very well find out that this is the right one for you, which is awesome!
Session Overview
Play Number: 1 & 2
Solo Mode: Included in the Base Game
Play Details: Cliff Climb Scenario
Outcome: 144, 136 (2 Losses)
I wasn’t too far off from the victory threshold! It was nice to put together these different streets. Some things definitely stacked for extra bonuses, but I struggled with the tiny details. That’s on me and a personal note to keep in mind for the future. Chances are I did something wrong during my multiplayer game, too! There is a lovely setting to enjoy here, though, and I can see it being a nice choice for others.
%
1 Play
Affordability
Price & Value
7
Functionality
Challenges & Mechanics
7
Originality
Design & Theme
6
Quality
Components & Rules
6
Reusability
Achievement & Enjoyment
5
Variability
Distinctness & Randomness
7
+ Pros (Positives)
- All of the artwork is adorable with a very breezy and open feeling to the seaside town that flows through the streets.
- Business names are clever and funny, offering a few laughs each time one of these cards is flipped over.
- Turn order is an interesting idea against the solo opponent, and managing the cards to discard is very simple.
- Gameplay moves along pretty quickly and only lasts a total of 10 rounds, yet the final town is often quite large.
- Multiple ways to play solo are included with different difficulty levels and entirely new mechanics to explore.
- It can be very fun to find ways to move cards around with bonus actions, which can help with final scoring.
– Cons (Negatives)
- Icons on the cards are small and the little details offer a mini-game to find them, but these can be difficult to see.
- Counting and scoring take up a lot of time, both during gameplay and at game end, which isn’t particularly exciting.
- Most of the rules are easy to understand, but the rulebooks are lengthy with a lot of words that can be overwhelming.
- A fair amount of luck is involved with maximizing scoring from every card, so there can be a lack of good options.
Victory Conditions
Meet the Scenario Victory Threshold
- Overall Goal Progress 0%
Goals and Milestones
Win the Cliff Climb scenario.
Continue the Conversation
What is your favorite aspect of Tenby? Have you created a bustling town across multiple streets, or only focused on a single route? Although this one didn’t work for me personally, I still had some fun moments as I built up the town! There are a lot of cute elements to find in the artwork, and making the most of the scoring opportunities can be a lovely challenge.
You might also enjoy Walking In Burano 🙂
I love that one! It’s been a few years since I played, but I looked back at my photos and remember how cozy it is. Such a wonderful little game!