Review by C.J. Bunce
Not only is game company Dux Somnium’s Botany the most attractively designed tabletop game you’ve ever played, it’s great fun. Remember Paul Bettany’s character in Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World? He accompanied his friend and captain on a journey across the world, collecting and cataloguing specimens of plants, the goal of bringing back to England new scientific knowledge (and he played a similar role as Darwin in the movie Creation). Now you get to be an explorer just like that.
Botany of course focuses on plants and flowers, as you travel the world in the 19th century trying to use your resources wisely to amass the most magnificent collection for your estate. Maybe even Queen Victoria herself will admire your roses. The goal? Gain the highest reputation and win the Queen’s Prize.
It’s easy to learn–in less than an hour you’ll have all the rules and nuances of strategy figured out, and in a couple hours one to five players will be looking forward to their next game session. That’s unique when so many board games leave you frustrated and unsatisfied. Botany is Wingspan but for flowers, with historical cards and situations, helpful tools, crew, and animals to accompany your expedition (yes, you collect those, too). It has a spin-off Rococo game–La Fleur–just finishing a successful Kickstarter campaign, so Botany is only the beginning. The most fun tabletop game we’ve reviewed at borg since Tsuro (reviewed here), and the most attractive (and educational) since Philanthropist, Botany is available now here at Amazon.
Every player starts with a Wardian case, an early form of terrarium to house plants. You begin with one but will want to buy an extra because that’s how you transport living specimens back to your estate in England. You can also use your press, but dead flowers, not surprisingly, aren’t as prestigious for your holdings. Poisonous plants are scattered throughout your journey, and we found they offered an excuse for some great humor in our journey. Despite your preconceived notions of the Victorian world–where literally everything we know about modern natural science began–humor is everywhere in this game. Check out the text of just two of the Expedition cards we pulled in our first game:
The Specimen cards themselves are large and sturdy, built to last for years. Even the back of the game board, the box lining, and the hidden area underneath the plastic game piece holder is full of Victorian illustrations. Take a look at two of the Specimen cards:
The Bearded Iris card even included an I. pallida with its trademark papery spathes, a tell that the specs on the cards are the real deal.
Here’s what’s in the sturdy, gold-foil trimmed box:
- 1 Game Board showing a 19th century world map filled with countries and regions as they were known in the Victorian era
- 5 Unique Estate Boards featuring castles you choose as your home base
- 105 Specimen Cards, each with actual era illustrations of key plants and flowers of the world
- 10 Wardian Cases, two for each player to take on their journey
- 5 Botanical Presses, for those plants you can’t bring back alive
- 5 Conservatory Cards, for those who can afford it
- 10 Orangery Cards, to further your self-promotion to British aristocracy
- 5 Poisonous Path Cards, which allow you to safely transport dangerous plants
- 76 Event Cards that guide your expeditions
- 50 Expedition Cards that provide valuable tools to aid your journey
- 12 Character Cards, from which you gain your historical persona
- 5 Player Reference Cards with quick and easy tools to get you underway
- 7 Scoring Bonus Cards, adding an edge to the best of the best
- 90 Cardboard Tokens representing era coins in three denominations, housed in a sturdy plastic chest with a lid to keep the coins from spilling all over the box when stored
- 2 Dice to provide the randomness and luck
- 10 Wooden Pawns–attractive colorful game pieces for up to five players
- 1 Queen’s Prize in Botany Card, awarded to the winner
You can preview the rules here. It’s housed in a smart box full of plenty of slots for everything–a game that will be easy to set up next time. You know how Axis & Allies (reviewed here and here) takes an hour to set up? This took us 10 minutes, leaving more time for play. Although the instructions suggest 45-90 minutes for a game, our first play took 2 hours (I’m admittedly a slow learner), but clearly it will take less time now that I know the routine of each turn. The suggested age range is 10+, but figure any smart second grader who can play Monopoly will be able to play. Options are there for an easygoing game over Tea, or you can do more dastardly play, like sneaking poisonous plants onto your opponents’ estates. The game is set for up to five players, and it includes rules for a one-player version.
Adventure, intrigue, humor, science, art, history. There’s something for every player at any level in Botany. I think you’ll agree it’s the best tabletop game of 2024. Find out more about the game at the Dux Somnium website, including information on an expansion set featuring trees.
Botany is available now here at Amazon.
