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In the beautiful Yunnan region of China, something magical is happening. The mountains are turning a lush green as tea plants spread across the landscape. Landowners along the rivers are transforming their properties into stunning tea plantations, all while racing to expand their gardens and share this newfound beverage with Greater China and beyond. It’s an exciting time to be part of the tea-growing world, and this game lets you dive right into that adventure.
👥 2-4 players, ages 12+
⌛ Playing time: 90 minutes
📝 Designer: Tomáš Holek
🎨 Artwork: Barbora Srp Žižková
🏢 Publisher: Albi (review copy provided)
Gameplay Overview
Tea Garden plays out over five rounds, and each round has two parts: the action phase and the maintenance phase. During the action phase, you’ll perform one main action on your turn, and the strength of that action depends on the cards you place in the action slot of your player board. You can stack multiple cards to make your action stronger, but there’s a catch: focusing too much on one action will leave your other options weaker for the round. If the top card in your stack shows a secondary action symbol, you get to perform that too. On top of all that, you can use free actions whenever you like during your turn, and if you’re feeling ambitious, you can even take a fourth action in a round by spending tea leaves.
The main actions in the game center around building and managing your tea gardens. You can place pavilions on the map to claim new garden spaces, harvest green tea leaves from those gardens, and even ferment green tea into brown tea. Both types of tea leaves are valuable. You can use them to buy new action cards or sell them to traveling caravans for rewards.
Secondary actions give you extra opportunities to grow your tea empire. River navigation lets you move your ship along the river to collect bonuses from the spaces you enter. Tea studies allow your meeple to move along the rondel, a circular track with sections that each offer different rewards. If you make it all the way around the rondel, you can place a worker in the center, which will earn you points at the end of the game. Another secondary action is cup production, where you collect teacups from regions where you have tea gardens. Each cup has colored half-symbols, and when you connect them to make full symbols, you can activate them later on as a free action to gain bonuses.
Free actions are another important part of the game. You can use them to advance on the emperor track, earning emperor cards as you go. You can also repeat a secondary action by spending tea leaves. Knowing when and how to use these free actions can make all the difference.
After everyone has finished taking actions, the maintenance phase begins. During this phase, the tea leaves in your storage will ripen, which means their value will either go up or down depending on their color. Tea gardens will produce new tea leaves based on the region’s value, and you’ll draw new action cards to prepare for the next round.
At the end of the fifth round, it’s time to tally up the points. Action cards you’ve purchased will add to your score, as will emperor cards based on their specific conditions. Your progress on the river and in the tea studies will also earn points, and workers you’ve placed in the center of the tea studies will be counted too. Finally, the number of correctly connected teacup symbols you’ve created will contribute to your score. The player with the most points wins, earning the title of tea master!
Game Info
Tea Garden is a modern Eurogame designed by Tomáš Holek, whose other works like SETI and Galileo Galilei might already be familiar to seasoned players. This one, published by the Czech company Albi, made its debut in October 2024 at the Essen Spiel event. It’s designed for 2-4 players, with a playing time of 90 to 120 minutes, and is recommended for ages 12 and up. If you’re looking for a strategic game with some crunch but still approachable for most gaming tables, this one fits the bill.
Components, Production, and Artwork
Unboxing Tea Garden feels a bit like stepping into a little world of tea-growing charm. The main board is large and vibrant, setting the stage for most of the action, and each player gets their own personal board with all the pieces they need to get started. There are pagodas, worker meeples, boat meeples, and victory point markers, all in each player’s color. The designs are clean, the screen printing looks great, and everything feels sturdy in your hands. You also start with a small deck of 11 cards tailored to your color.
The game includes several types of cards, like emperor cards for bonus points, action cards you can purchase to improve your deck, caravan cards for trading, and helpful overview cards. The card quality is solid, perfect for the inevitable shuffle sessions. Other components, like wooden and cardboard pieces, are well-made and look great on the table.
The artwork by Barbora Srp Žižková deserves a special mention. It’s bright, colorful, and brings the theme to life beautifully. The box cover is a standout, and that level of care carries through to the game board and cards. If you’re expecting muted tones and a typical beige Eurogame look, think again. This game is more of a visual treat, like a fresh cup of matcha on a sunny morning.
Gameplay and Mechanics
Tea Garden blends deck-building and worker-placement mechanics in a way that feels both familiar and fresh. You’ll build a deck to perform key actions like growing tea gardens, harvesting tea leaves, and trading with caravans. Tea leaves are the game’s main resource and act as currency, but there’s a twist. Green tea leaves lose value over time, while fermented black tea leaves become more valuable. This creates an interesting decision point: do you trade your green leaves quickly or ferment them for bigger rewards later? Timing is everything, and you’ll need to think carefully to get the most out of your resources.
Investing in stronger action cards early on is a smart move. These cards allow for more powerful actions, which help you expand your gardens and manage your resources more efficiently. Unlike many deck-building games, newly acquired cards go straight into your hand rather than your discard pile, so you can use them immediately. It’s a refreshing mechanic that keeps the pace brisk. Regularly thinning your deck by removing weaker cards ensures your draws remain strong and consistent.
Expanding your tea gardens is a big part of the game. You’ll place pagodas in regions to claim territory and increase your tea production. Choosing the right regions is key and might set you up for stronger turns down the line. More gardens mean more resources, and more resources mean more options, so it’s a cycle you’ll want to keep building on.
Secondary actions are where things get even more interesting for your game plan. You can focus on navigating the river, which provides bonuses along the way and points at the end of the game, advancing in tea studies to earn similar rewards and place workers for even more end-game points, or collecting teacups to connect symbols and unlock powerful benefits. Committing to one of these paths often pays off more than spreading yourself thin across all three. It’s tempting to dabble in everything, but mastering one area is usually more rewarding.
The emperor track is another feature worth your attention. Progressing along it earns you emperor cards, which provide conditional bonuses and points at the end of the game. Aligning your strategy with the conditions on these cards can give you a solid boost, so it’s worth planning around them.
Balancing your actions is an ongoing challenge. Playing cards to strengthen one action might leave other actions weaker, so careful placement is important. Free actions, like repeating secondary actions or advancing on the emperor track, can give you an edge if used wisely. They’re like a little cherry on top of your turn; small but impactful.
What really keeps the game engaging is the way it forces you to make tough choices. Should you spend tea leaves for an extra action this round, or stick to three stronger actions? Do you put a secondary action on top of your card stack, or focus on setting up for the next round? Opponents might occasionally snag a card, teacup, or caravan slot you were eyeing, but it’s usually not a deal-breaker. In fact, the next option might even end up working better for you.
Final Thoughts
Tea Garden is easy to pick up and play, with rules that flow smoothly once you get started. But don’t let that fool you, there’s plenty of depth for players who like to plan their moves carefully. Where you place your tea gardens has a huge impact on your success. Your income depends on these choices, so building enough gardens to sustain your plans is essential. We found that neglecting this early on can leave you struggling later, so it’s something to prioritize.
The mechanics tie in beautifully with the theme of tea cultivation and trade. There are different paths to victory, whether you focus on advancing in tea studies, navigating the river, or collecting and connecting teacups. The shifting board state and subtle player interaction keep things dynamic, but it’s not overly competitive, making it great for those who enjoy strategic games without too much direct conflict.
If you’re someone who loves medium-weight Euros with thoughtful gameplay, Tea Garden is a rewarding experience. It’s a game of balance, tough decisions, and finding your own path to victory. And if nothing else, it might just inspire you to brew a cup of tea while you play. Just don’t spill it on the beautifully illustrated board!
📝 We received a review copy of the game from Albi.
