Veggie Patch (Mark Tuck, 2025)

Print and play

You only need to print a single double-sided sheet. Then comes about a minute and a half of cutting—I also glued and laminated it, but that's not necessary. As a game designer, I have tons of stuff, so I made tokens, though I couldn't find the perfect dice, but as the rules say: it doesn't matter. It's really important to me that the print and play aspect is fulfilled; I don't like too many components in these kinds of games, so I see this as an ideal solution—everything was ready quickly, the rules aren't too complex either, so I could really start playing soon after printing. And even though the rules aren't complicated, finding a good solution is often quite tricky, so I quickly ran through 6–7 games.

Solitaire

This game can be played solo. It's quick, dynamic, and thought-provoking. If you enjoy puzzles, if you like finding the best possible solution and don't mind fiddling around and experimenting to get there, I can highly recommend games like this. What I find especially exciting is that a clever game like this involves both dice and cards, so luck plays a big role—essentially, you're solving the challenge that life throws at you, with the hand you're dealt. And that absolutely has its charm.

The game is recommended from age 8, but I'd confidently give it to curious 6- or 7-year-olds as well. Parents and educators know their kids best—this is something they can be trusted to decide.

Mechanism

I love the relationship modern board games have with dice. At first, the rolling and modifying of the dice at the start of the game felt like a bit of a hassle, but I got used to it in no time. I really like how this familiar component is present in the game—we even roll it—but it's used in a fundamentally atypical way.

Tile placement brings me a sense of calm, and I love how a little world slowly takes shape—in this case, a vegetable garden. Of course, while you're peacefully placing tiles, your mind is constantly turning, figuring out how to make the most of each situation. And it's this duality that really creates the flow of the game.

Illustrations

I think the production quality is perfectly fine. I even like the table presence, even though my dice don't perfectly match in color, and my printer couldn't quite handle the fuller design. (Bonus points to the designer for thinking of this—there's also a printer-friendly version of the cards available for download.) Everything is clear and easy to read, and honestly, I don't expect more than that from the illustrations of a game like this.

Overall Impression

This game delivers exactly what it promises. You can slip it in your pocket, it's perfect for relaxing at the beach, but also great to pull out anytime you're waiting somewhere alone. It's so much better than staring at your phone.

And of course, the teacher in me comes out too. This game would've fit perfectly in my "how to enjoy math during summer break" recommendation—too bad I've already finished that one.

My daughter is 8 years old, going into third grade, and she needs to do the math for this game within the appropriate number range. And what's lovely is that it's all done in a gentle, subtle way. The math is very much present, but never pushy.

Games like this are a great way to show how even simple structures can do wonders for developing mathematical motivation. It's such a joy when she figures out on her own why she has to subtract the number of seeds at the beginning, and how that relates to her mistakes. When she discovers the breakdowns of 4-5-6, starts halving and rounding effortlessly, all while having fun solving a puzzle—these are the moments that bring her closer to seeing that math is beautiful, you just need to look at it the right way.

And for that, the world of board games is excellent—and so is Veggie Patch.