Build your tree to entice the tree spirits. Connect the living creatures along the way to score the most points. Kodama is a beautifully illustrated game that is simple to learn but has the potential for much more strategic play.
2nd – (2 player rating) In our original play, we played with five players. However, this game would not suffer at all as a 2 player game. Most of the action is in building your own tree. The interaction with other players comes from attempting to collect the same branches and this would work the same with 2 players as with multiple players. 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟 5/5
S – (setup, takedown, instructions) The instructions are clearly and concisely written and the setup takes under 5 minutes even on the first play. Simple and well done. 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟 5/5
T – (tactile, components, artwork, etc) The artwork is what originally drew us to this whimsical and beautiful game. The cards are colorful and easy to understand, the cardboard bits are sturdy. Our one complaint was that the scoring board was a bit fiddly. The scoring tokens are very small and the board gets crowded when the game is close. This would be less of a problem with a two player game but with five people it was inconventient. 🌟🌟🌟🌟4/5
A – (action, mechanics, general gameplay) The card placement element of this game is very interesting as you build up your tree. The only small complaint is that you need to be very careful not to bump your tree, or your neighbor’s tree, as things shift easily. The game itself is played over a series of three seasons and it is easy to keep track of the change of seasons on the board. It makes for a structured game that has a definite number of plays. This adds to your strategic planning. Bonuses, decrees and rewards help balance any luck of the cards. 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟 5/5
R – (replay factor) Random card draws give this game a fairly high replay value. I think it will come to the table often, especially with new gamers given how simple it is to teach. Plays in about 45 minutes. 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟 5/5
Final Thoughts – Pretty game that’s deceptively simple. Lots of strategy can be added by replays. Good balance of luck and strategy. And c’mon, who doesn’t love an adorable tree sprite? 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟5 /5 overall 2nd Star Review
