Village Green: A Walk in the Park to Settle Petty Grudges
Create a fine bit of scenery in a park-like setting to work towards earning special gardening awards in Village Green.
There are a lot of calm and relaxing solo games out there, and I don’t always pick up Village Green. Yet it’s an excellent choice, and one I appreciate more and more! The small grid of awards and watercolor illustrations is quite orderly and pleasant… Although those so-called petty grudges are nowhere to be found. Ha! Onto another quiet afternoon of games!
Game Overview
Game Name: Village Green
Publication Year: 2020
Designer: Peer Sylvester
Artist: Joanna Rosa
Publisher: Osprey Games
Solo Mode: Included in the Base Game
With simple but challenging placement rules, a lovely spot of greenery grows in a 3×3 grid. Surrounded by awards, the columns and rows are evaluated by the unseen committee based on all sorts of criteria. The competitive nature is all but forgotten amidst these picturesque slices of life!
First Play
June 8, 2021
Complexity
2
Latest Play
September 7, 2025
Expansions
0
Setup Time
Almost None
Lifetime Plays
26
Play Time
10 Minutes
High Score
34
Game Area
24" x 16"
Low Score
11
Taking a Little Nap
As I’ve looked at my collection some more, I’ve started to understand why I play certain games at specific times.
There are a ton of solo games I could put into the very relaxing and pleasant nature genre. Yet why do I love them? Simple: It’s all about feeling calm and happy!
Nowhere is this more apparent than in the artwork. At a glance, most cards feature large elements like fountains, trees, statues, gazebos, or wide open spaces.
But take a moment to slow down, and there’s usually something delightful to find, like this napping spot!
Almost Perfect
Scoring is all about maximizing the awards, some of which start in play and others that are chosen or worked into a strategy. It’s challenging, but on the lighter side.
The green has cards of 3 types in 3 colors. Adjacency requires that cards share either or both aspects in common with surrounding cards… Which can be tricky!
Alas, no matter how hard I tried with this arrangement, I couldn’t get a card to fill in the bottom left before the end.
Lily Maniare must have been upset, although I still managed to have a single card in the row count!
Appreciating Nature
Ah, a finished masterpiece! My scores during this session were mediocre at best, but I loved taking a moment to look at the scenery. How absolutely beautiful to admire this!
I was proud of myself for pulling off some high scores in a couple of rows and columns. It wasn’t perfect, yet it was enough for me to feel like I accomplished something.
My only issue continues to be the yellow flowers icons. These are darker in newer printings, but just be aware.
I probably should have paid a little more attention to working on some awards over others, but no matter!
Pardon Me, Distasteful?
The only thing that feels like it’s missing is right on the cover… A promise of petty grudges. There are no murder mysteries, nor other competitors to fight for the awards.
So I took a closer look here. “Tasteful” is apparently as subjective as they come. No roses or open areas, hmm?
Well, I think if I need a laugh, I’m going to start coming up with nonsensical stories about the award names!
You know this was concocted by Marilee Gleppin, master rose grower from the next village. She’s got a monopoly on the rose market, and she won’t ever let you forget it!
When a Game Falls Short of Expectations
This is a great example of a solo game I love, but it didn’t live up to the tagline listed on the box. Pretty gardens? All over the place! Petty grudges? Nowhere to be found. Part of me wanted something that pitted tiny villages against each other, but the game is exactly what it should be. I still find it interesting to read that unusual tagline, though!
As I’m looking at new arrivals and expectations, I think I’ve gotten to the point where I choose new purchases very carefully. I’m letting myself get excited because I don’t expect everything to be a top favorite. Giving a new game the chance to show what it can do is important, even though that may seem obvious. Sometimes, I’ve failed on that front.
Maybe the best piece of advice is to be careful about expectations. What is a game expected to do? That’s a very unique question that differs all the time! I’ve started thinking about what I’m bringing to the table, too, in terms of my state of mind and emotions. At the end of the day, I think the best thing I can do is to give each game a fair chance to shine.
But make no mistake… If the fictitious Marilee Gleppin is out there passing judgment about what makes up a tasteful floral display in my park, I expect her to kindly round the corner and move along! Petty grudge, indeed. Ha ha!
Session Overview
Play Number: 13-16
Solo Mode: Included in the Base Game
Outcome: 25, 27, 27, 23 (4 Losses)
Maybe I didn’t hit my victory threshold at all, but I still had a wonderful time! Often, it’s not about the end results, but the overall experience. And just as I was about to lament my final play with the lowest score, I discovered a couple of hidden cats lounging in the shade! There are a lot of details I always find when I look long enough, which is why my scores don’t matter all that much. I’m always after the coziest spot I can find on one of these cards!
%
20 Plays
Affordability
Price & Value
9
Functionality
Challenges & Mechanics
10
Originality
Design & Theme
3
Quality
Components & Rules
9
Reusability
Achievement & Enjoyment
9
Variability
Distinctness & Randomness
7
+ Pros (Positives)
- Each card features a very peaceful scene, often punctuated by little details and characters that blend in nicely.
- Although there are scoring tiers, the experience is very calming and the final grid arrangement is always a delight.
- Different awards create lots of variety in the way the columns and rows take shape, creating fun challenges.
- The total time needed to play breezes by with practically no downtime, lasting around 10 to 15 minutes at the most.
- Keeping the grid organized is quite simple and the focus is on filling in spaces or picking up the best awards.
- Unique villages don’t necessarily add to gameplay, but the choice during setup is another pleasant moment.
– Cons (Negatives)
- The yellow flower icons are very light and difficult to see most of the time, especially for 2 of 3 flower types.
- A lot of luck is involved with getting the right assortment of awards that work together to offer excellent scoring.
- Being able to clear the available cards of one type once per game is helpful, but doesn’t always feel like enough.
- Some of the tree icons look very similar and feel a little unpolished compared to the rest of the artwork.
Victory Conditions
Score 30+ Points
- Overall Goal Progress 67%
Goals and Milestones
Score at least 25 points.
Score at least 30 points.
Score at least 35 points.
Continue the Conversation
What are your favorite elements about Village Green? Have you surprised yourself by finding a delightful detail on a card? This one is simply lovely, and demands nothing. Partially hidden animals and relaxed people add to the charm, and I’m so glad when I find the time to work it into my solo game rotation! Now to just invent some petty grudges… Ha!
Right now, I’m reading Agatha Raisin’s Potted Gardener. There happens to be a garden contest in this story. What better game would fit the theme than Village Green? It’s a soothing game for sure, even with the reflexion required for optimal organization. It appears my best score is 38 but I only was able to pull this once.
Sounds like a great pairing between a book and game! That’s an excellent score, too. I’m still on the lookout to reach 35 points… I’ve come close a few times, so it’s bound to happen one of these days!