Note: all images are from a Gentle Rain media kit
Lay down tiles and stop worrying about points, strategy, and stress. Cozy up by yourself or chill with some friends to just enjoy playing a nice simple game.
Was this game sent for review or self-purchased?: This was kindly sent to us for review by Incredible Dream.
In two sentences, what do you do in the game: You lay down tiles, matching the color/flower type with like edges and whenever 4 tiles completely surround the empty circular space, you lay down a flower token. Play continues until you lay down all 8 flower tokens or you run out of tiles to place.
Have we played any other titles by this publisher?: No, this is the only title by Incredible Dream that we have played but they have another series of games called Kinfire that look amazing!
What was surprising about this title: It’s such a relaxing and simple game that you can’t help but just be lost in the moment. The game emphasizes the calming nature so much that in the rules it tells you to get into comfy clothes and maybe a cup of tea or cocoa and just play the game without worrying about points.
How likely is this to return to the game table?: Very likely. The game plays fast, quick and is so easy to teach that you can teach a full table in just a few minutes.
Game length: 10-20 minutes. It is easy to play the game quickly but the light strategy may increase the play time for some players. You might also just lose track of time as you’re talking to your loved ones as you place your tile on your turn.
Language Barrier Playability: Extremely easy. There is no text outside of the rulebook. The tiles are also friendly for people who may be colorblind as each color of flower also has a different petal arrangement. The petal arrangement is also true of the flower tokens.
Artwork: Cozy. The tiles have relaxing ripples of water and plants here and there. Once you finish the game it’s strangely serene to just look at the board and see how your choices made the pool before you.
Quality: Excellent. The tiles are thick and sturdy. They also seem to be matted and have an almost rubbery film that makes them easy to grip and feels nice to run your fingertips on. The new 3D plastic flower tokens exclusive to the Bloom Edition are also made with sturdy plastic and feel hefty to pick up.
Strategy: Very light. There are some strategic elements to this game but they are very minimal. This is more of a game that’s meant to be played as a “go with the flow” kind of game. The only real strategy is avoiding double colors in the same token placement because no tile has two of the same color.
Instruction Manual: Excellent. The manual is a tiny folded sheet and can be read in just a minute or two. It has a few tips on how to relax and enjoy the game as well as a neat and simple explanation of the rules.
Organization: Great. Everything fits nearly into the box. The tiles all fit cleanly into their slots and the flower tokens each have a slot. Our only complaint is that the box is a little difficult to open. The outer packaging contains a sliding box inside that fits everything. However, the outer box does not have an easy way to reach the inner box, forcing you to shove your finger into fairly firm cardboard and pry the box out with your finger squeezed inside the box. By no means is this extremely detrimental, but it is something that could benefit from a semicircular cutout for easy opening.
Final thoughts: A Gentle Rain: Bloom Edition is a cozy game to play whenever you want to forget about the bad parts of your day or just want an easy to play game that you can easily chat throughout with friends. Upon reading the rules, it seems far too simple to enjoy, but upon playing it, you understand the purpose of the game. It’s not a game that is meant to be strategic or that you have to get the highest possible score on. It’s just a game that is meant to be enjoyed because you’re playing a game.
Sushiball Games 