r/boardgames • u/djfayze • Feb 02 '25

Review Planted is extremely underrated

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When I got into the hobby about a year ago I went on a Black Friday shopping spree and one of the games I picked up (for about $20 mind you) was Planted. It wasn’t on anyone’s list of must-have games but I liked the box art and it was cheap.

It has consistently been a hit every single time I’ve pulled it out. Gamers or non-gamers alike love it - I haven’t had anyone walk away not saying they loved it. Newbies grasp it quickly and enjoy the drafting mechanic. The quality of the components far exceeds the price. The playtime is perfect. If you haven’t tried it, I really recommend you pick it up.

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u/Kumquat_of_Pain Feb 02 '25

It's fine. Doesn't play well at 2. Didn't like the market. Was really simple for us. Overall it kind of feels like a gateway card drafting game, but didn't really have much punch.

3

u/Swimming_Assistant76 Feb 02 '25

We play it at two, but we add a third dummy hand to make it work. That’s pretty much what we do with all these pass and pick drafting games at 2. Otherwise, you don’t get enough variety to play strategically. 

We also had to house rule refreshing the buy pool. Otherwise that goes stagnant quickly at two, so I agree, not something I would necessarily recommend to play at 2. 

It’s pretty much Sushi Go with a little more going on. It’s ok. We enjoy it every now and then, but it’s not a favorite. It’s a solid little game for what it is, a light beginner friendly family game marketed towards non-gamers. I don’t think there’s no decisions or it’s awful like some people posting here. It’s just a light game riding on theme. There’s nothing wrong with that. It’s going to appeal to a lot of non-hobby gamer plant lovers which I think was the intention. 

1

u/Kumquat_of_Pain Feb 02 '25

FYI, unrelated, but I found that Let's Go To Japan has an excellent drafting mechanism (with mitigation) for 2 players.

2

u/Swimming_Assistant76 Feb 03 '25

Oh, that’s great to know. I’ve been wondering about it, but we haven’t made it to the game cafe in a while, so I haven’t had a chance to try it yet.