Pollen Game Review

It’s Spring, you guys! I love Spring! Warmer weather, beautiful flowers, birds singing.  It's a wonderful time of year.  Except for one thing - POLLEN. I have lots of blasted allergies, but pollen is definitely one of the biggest offenders. It wreaks havoc with my eyes, my nose, my throat. UGH!  So, you'd think a boardgame called Pollen would be the LAST game on my review list.  Thankfully though, Pollen the game is beautiful and fun - and contains no actual pollen, so I'm safe!

So, let's take a look!

What I love about the game:

1.) The tile-laying! - I'm a huge fan of tile-laying games. This is a game mechanic where you place tiles so that you can score points or win benefits.  Pollen, by AllPlay is just such a game!  In the game you're creating your own garden of flowers by laying flower tiles in the middle of the play area.

Note: I do wish the tiles were actual cardboard tiles and not card-type tiles.  But that's more personal preference.  Actual tiles would add more weight and bulk to the game, so there are legitimate reasons for cards. Cardboard tiles are just my preference.

2.) The strategy! - I'm also a huge fan of strategy games.  And this game is full of it.  You're laying tiles down and connecting them to other tiles in order to attract pollinators and ultimately score points.  

3.) The design! - I'm really impressed with how beautiful this game is. The colors are so vibrant and beautiful and the insect meeples are really attractive.  (And it's hard to make a bug attractive! Haha!)

4.) The instructions! - The instruction booklet is very small.  There aren't a lot of rules, and the rules are pretty simple.  These kinds of games are ideal for my family.  They don't like to spend a ton of time learning rules to another game, especially since we have such a large game collection. So, a game with simple, easy-to-learn rules, but that is a challenge to win strategically is just ideal!

5.) The educational connections! - As I've said many times, ALL games have educational value - whether it's in the math involved in scoring, the reading involved in reading rules or cards, or simply learning to wait your turn. But some games have added value and Pollen is one of those! Although it doesn't have "science facts" written on cards, this game leads to some fabulous scientific discussions.  Discuss different types of flowers, how they look, how they grow, how they benefit us.  Discuss pollinators.  Most kids know that bees are pollinators, but what are some other pollinators.  How does pollination work? What would happen if all the pollinators disappeared? These can all lead to fabulous science discussions. And as a family that does a lot of unschooling/self-directed learning, a game like this can spark a child's interest in a subject that leads them to more in-depth study. 

If you're looking for a fun, beautiful, strategy game that plays 2-3 players; if you like flowers, bugs, or the science of pollination; or if you like tile-laying games, this may be the game for you!

I received this game, free of charge from AllPlay, in exchange for my honest review.