melancholy is a game about a small creature from outer space who loves beautiful flowers. The goal is to grow these flowers in the first half of the game and harvest them in the second half to earn points. You do this by playing cards and using the set collection mechanic to earn points. The game was designed by Filippo Landini and it was published Ravensburger. This game is suitable for 2-4 players and takes approximately 45-60 minutes to play.
What’s inside the box?
- 1 The game board consists of a game box, an insert, and two layers.
- 1 flower storage bowl
- 60 wooden flowers
- 60 flower cards
- 16 order cards
- 24 double-sided round bonus tiles
- 20 “little helpers”
- 12 “Stardust” counters
- 48 victory point chips
- 4 double sided game aid
How about playing?
Players grow the board by placing flowers on it, and as soon as the board is filled up to the white line, the game changes the stage to the harvest phase, using previously played cards to remove flowers from the board.
When growing, play up to 3 cards from your hand to grow the flower. Choose one row in which you want to grow flowers and play up to three cards from your hand to plant the same number of holes in that row. The cards should match the type of flower visible in the hole. Always start at the edge of the board and work your way to the opposite side where the arrow is pointing.
Jokers can also be used as one or another type of flower during play. However, once you have decided on a row and played three cards, you will fill in the planted holes with matching flowers. Cards are sorted by flower type and placed at the bottom of the play aid. These cards are collected and used to earn points.
You can receive the bonus by checking the last flower placed and taking the displayed bonus. Draw two cards face up from the display or draw a joker to refill the display. After adding flowers and matching each row to the white line, you earn points for each card played. If there are 4 or more flowers of the same type, each card is worth 2 points. Stardust tokens are also counted and you get points depending on the number you have accumulated.
Next, play stage 2, which is the harvest phase. Play up to 3 cards from your hand that you have played so far in the game. Receive a bonus from the last flowers you harvested and remove those flowers from the game. Then draw two cards from your deck and return them to your hand.
Harvested flowers are placed on game aid cards where you earn points based on the orders you collect in-game or at the end of the game. Finally there is a second scoring phase and the player with the most points wins the game.
verdict
This is one of those games where the game ends when you play the first stage completely, move on to the next stage, and play to the end. So follow the steps. In other words, there will be two games in the first and second halves. However, it’s a light and easy-to-play family game by Ravensburger Games that may contain enough complexity and depth for those who prefer more complex games.
Anyone can build in this game and placing tokens and flowers is easy, but some players can do it better than others. This game has less tension than others, but there is some interaction since everyone shares the board. There is a growing phase and a harvesting phase, and the game involves building and demolition.
The rules are easy to understand and the goals are easy to grasp. But for those who want to be more strategic, there are still options to make the game more strategic. The game is random and can be unpredictable if you don’t get the flowers you want.
The art and components are great and help add the visual impact of those items to the game. You can score in multiple ways, but really you’re just trying to do the same thing as everyone else, and you can score in other ways.
Overall, I think they do a good job of adding complexity and transitioning from one phase to the next as a simple family game. It’s not a game I’d recommend to anyone looking for more complexity or weight in a game, but it’s in the Ravensberger vein, you can play it with kids, and you have options.
Image via Ravensburger
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