The Bonsai Diary: Tracing the Life and Growth of a Seedling
Follow the life of a bonsai in a unique tracing and solo journaling adventure as it grows from page to page in The Bonsai Diary.
I first learned of The Bonsai Diary from its designer, and I was intrigued from the start! Solo journaling RPGs can be excellent, yet this promises a more unique experience. Tracing through the pages with brush strokes, which can simply come from a pen or marker, follows the life of a bonsai, complete with writing prompts! Onto a new, quiet sort of journey.
Spoiler Alert
There are tracing and writing prompts on each page. This post covers the first few without revealing too much about the journaling aspect, but be aware that there’s a little more than a general overview. Surprises can pop up and although knowing about them may not exactly qualify as a spoiler, just be aware that these pages always appear in the same order.
Game Overview
Game Name: The Bonsai Diary
Publication Year: 2023
Designer: Gene Koo
Artist: Gene Koo
Publisher: Self-Published
Solo Mode: Designed for Solo (Included in the Base Game)
Across many pages, a little tree grows from a seedling. It has an artistic and creative side with the way the bonsai develops with brush strokes, yet there are also prompts to journal about with each moment. It’s a very introspective and meditative journey that’s often deeper than… Roots? Ha!
Tracing Through Pages
There is a physical version available to buy, or a PDF that can be printed out. Just be aware that you will need to ensure it prints out double-sided on slightly transparent paper.
In other words, this isn’t designed to be printed on hefty cardstock… You need to be able to see through the pages.
Luckily, my pile of standard printer paper has been waiting to be used for a new project. Here it was! I eagerly flipped to the first page with the very start of this bonsai’s life.
What a cute and lonely sort of seedling! This is the start of it all, and the initial foundation for all that is to come.
Once Upon a Time…
The rules recommend starting off playing as yourself or a persona you create. I figured I would create a character, yet quickly shifted over to play as myself to start with.
My trusty Once Upon a Time: The Storytelling Card Game collection came in handy. These work so well for me! I love the artwork and the fun ways I interpret the words.
It was interesting to start this diary and make up a story for how I found the seedling. What would the future hold?
Not to spoil this one, yet it’s made very clear that a bonsai can live for hundreds of years, and the years are tracked.
Imagining the Future
One thing that took me by surprise was how thoughtful this journey is. It’s about reflecting and enjoying some quiet moments, but there are a lot of deep questions to consider.
It isn’t even like the game itself asks anything directly most of the time. Rather, it’s through the writing prompts that more seems to be evaluated in a very introspective sense.
I drew a few cards to give me a few ideas for what the future might hold for this seedling. So many water references!
And it seemed like it would be all about its history and being remembered. But would I? Like I said, very deep thoughts!
A Makeshift Container
Behold, some amazing drawing skills. Ha ha! What should be most apparent is the way the previous page is ghosted through the current page, providing the lines to trace.
That single line is definitely a tiny tree seedling! And then I know what the more pressing question is… What kind of container did I plant this seedling in at first?
Yes: That is a teapot. Ha ha! There is a rectangle outline I could have used, but this was my “makeshift” container.
I was excited by the possibilities as I started. So much to enjoy with a combination of drawing and writing!
Surprises in the Little Things We Discover
When I first heard about this game, I thought it would be more akin to a meditative writing exercise… Which isn’t totally wrong! But what I found was something that provided a unique experience around tracing lines, adding simple drawings, and thinking about life. The journaling prompts are deceptively simple, too. They open the door for deeper thoughts.
It was nice to slowly work through these pages. There is no need to rush. I enjoy being able to slow down every now and then, and this game actively encourages that. Additionally, it invites creativity in whatever form that may take. I leaned into trying my hand at simple drawings, which helped to enhance the prompts. It’s like storytelling through art!
But there’s no need to be artistic, which I appreciate. The focus is on the life and journey of the bonsai. Some tracings might not turn out all that good, yet I see them as snapshots at any one time. There’s always another page!
Why a Teapot?
Although my imagination could have taken me in any direction for this first prompt, I decided to rely on a card draw to get some inspiration. Another water reference!
I actually have an old teapot nearby my solo table as a bit of decoration, so that seemed like the fitting match here.
The idea of the seedling going on a journey seemed very accurate, and technically, the teapot itself was acquired through its own sort of journey. Quite interesting!
This was only the beginning, and I found myself quietly slowing down. There is no need to rush through the game.
Repotting Joy
My first opportunity to trace my bonsai added another stroke, thereby making it a little bit larger. Look at it grow!
I was also really excited about the possibility of repotting it. This required no cards… I knew exactly what I wanted to do.
Enter another decorative teapot, and one of my favorite little things! It’s simply a cheerful scene of a thatched house and I took the opportunity to attempt to draw just a bit.
Not that I’m any sort of artist, yet I felt like the game invited me to have a little fun exploring more than just tracing. No artistic skills required, though! It was simple, quiet joy.
My Best Teapot Yet
And then it happened… I turned the page and took on what I considered to be a bigger challenge. You might think I had another teapot sitting around, because why not? Ha ha!
Instead, this is actually the other side of this teapot, with a slightly different scene and a faded post office label.
Again, I’m no artist, yet I was rather proud of how this turned out. And my bonsai seedling! It grew again, and I followed the instructions to attempt to add foliage.
I still love looking at this little drawing. The writing prompts were also excellent, yet this might say it all.
Writing as a Diary
I’m not sharing a lot of the details around the writing prompts, partially due to spoilers, but also because these can be very personal. Its use of the word diary is accurate!
This is a game that encourages slow play. I went through a few pages at once during a day, but then found myself completing a single page once every few days.
Interestingly, this created space to think about the game even more. When I wasn’t playing, I thought of it.
And it was excellent! There was no pressure, and I could go at my own pace. Yet there were still many pages ahead.
A Lesson in Pruning
It was going to be a tough act to follow my wonderful little drawing, so I swapped the teapot to the other side to make another attempt at the first side. Even better this time!
The bonsai itself wasn’t as good, but this was the perfect timing, as this page introduces pruning, or cutting back.
Things looked less balanced. The writing prompt took me in a different direction where that lost balance reflected more than my questionable drawing skills. Ha ha!
I only started to scratch the surface, and I’m very much looking forward to continuing the journey of my bonsai!
Continue the Conversation
Have you had a chance to play The Bonsai Diary? Are there any other solo RPGs that make you think, possibly even in between plays? I wasn’t sure what to expect here, but the first handful of pages were so much fun! The tracing elements ensured I had a simple guide, yet the invitation to be more creative was most appreciated. Such a great experience!
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