Designer: Kevin Wilson
Artist: W Kozyra
Publisher: Incredible Dream
Single Player (Can Be Played Cooperatively)
Playtime: 15 minutes
Life is stressful and goes by fast. It’s hard to find a minute to slow down, and when you finally do, it’s hard to turn your brain off and just take in the moment. A Gentle Rain is a rare opportunity to just relax, and detach from the struggles of real life.
A Brief How To Play
Anyone who has played a tile placement game before will feel comfortable and be able to pick the game up quickly. To start the game, you simply shuffle the deck of tiles and place a tile at the center of the table. From here, players will draw and place tiles to create four-tile squares and then bloom a lily by adding one of the eight colorful wooden discs to the completed square. Every tile has 4 edges with half of a flower. When placing a tile, players need to match the flowers on the edges. If a tile creates a complete square, you place one of the blossom tokens in the middle of the square. The game ends either when all eight lilies have bloomed, or when you run out of tiles.
Pacing and Interaction
The pacing of A Gentle Rain is wonderfully relaxing. With no time pressure or competitive interaction, players can take their time thinking about tile placement and enjoying the calm atmosphere that it provides. The gameplay is driven by the randomness of the tile draw, making each game feel unique, but there’s no intense decision-making that could slow things down. Since it’s a solo game, there’s no competition, and the flow of the game is centered entirely around the player’s own pace. It’s a perfect game for when you have a short break, need to clear your head, or want to wind down.
The cooperative variant, where multiple players take turns, adds a bit more interaction but still maintains the peaceful tone. I prefer to let the other player (Usually my 5 year old son) simply make their own move without any feedback, but players can approach the game however they like. Still, this is mainly a solo game, so there is minimal interaction (Which is absolutely fine).
Replayability
The game is simple to learn, but it offers enough variation with each playthrough to keep things interesting. The random placement of tiles means no two games will be identical, and even experienced players will find themselves needing to adapt to the constantly changing puzzle. While the game doesn’t have complex mechanics its focus on enjoying the journey and relaxing makes each playthrough satisfying. Some players may even find themselves trying to improve their score or place all eight lilies, adding a layer of motivation to keep coming back for more. The game’s quick 15-minute playtime makes it easy to fit in multiple rounds, even during a busy day. It’s nice to have a game that can be as relaxing or intense as the player prefers.
Theme and Components
A Gentle Rain has a lovely theme that is accompanied by lovely art. The relaxing artwork and soft colors of the flowers create an immersive experience that feels like a calm, rainy day. Every couple of tiles has a cute turtle, fish, or duck that will make players smile. The tiles are thick and durable and will survive many playthroughs. The game is built to last.
The tactile experience of picking up the tiles, placing them, and watching your little lake grow is incredibly satisfying. Players are doing a puzzle when they play A Gentle Rain, so like most jigsaws the game ends with players being treated by one last look at the beautiful thing they made. The lake is always unique and just looks nice on the table.
The small box size also makes A Gentle Rain perfect for travel, so you can take it along to relax wherever you go.
A Gentle Rain Is Great For Fans Of…
Fans of tile placement games will certainly enjoy A Gentle Rain. As many of these games as there are, there aren’t too many, if any, that can be played solo and take less than 15 minutes to play. Fans of puzzle games will also enjoy the simple challenge of placing tiles and creating blooming flowers. It has a place on any shelf, especially one that is lacking in solo experiences.
A Gentle Rain
A Gentle Rain is a calming game that offers a relaxing escape from the stresses of everyday life.
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Pacing and Interaction
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Replayability
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Theme and Components
