Most games set in the cities of the future are cyberpunk in nature. They see cities as brutal dystopian fortresses. But the latest release from Darrington Press sees cities as an important part of the process to make our world to a better place.
Solar Gardens puts the concept of urban sustainability into a tile laying game. Players compete to build the most lovely rooftop garden at the top of their futuristic skyscraper. While the gardens in the game built by the players are big and forward looking, the original design started as a small look to the past.
“I first played Alex’s original prototype when it was a Zen garden game,” said Eric Slauson, co-designer of Solar Gardens. “It was much more zoomed in. A little tiny space that you were building.”
“It was koi ponds, little pagoda statues, things like that,” said Alex Culter, co-designer of Solar Gardens. “It was very peaceful and pastoral like a lot of tile laying games are. But I knew at some level it was a theme that would get bumped up or replaced. The theme was kind of a placeholder. We knew that once we found a publisher that felt very strongly about the mechanics that we could shape the theme in whatever direction we wanted to go.”
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They found Darrington Press, who not only made a deal to publish the game but also make it one of their big debuts at Gen Con. While the company has been getting rave reviews for Daggerheart they are making moves into the board game space with titles like Queen By Midnight. Even with their non-RPG games, Darrington Press wants to tell stories.
“I was familiar with their general vibe, world building and positivity around the table,” said Slauson. “I thought this would be a good fit. We sent them the zen garden version. They had a blast playing it in the office. Of course, everyone who plays it does. They came back with ‘what about elevating the scope a little bit? What if we’re thinking about sustainability? What if we’re thinking about community gardening?’ That was the first prompt. What can this look like in a larger sense? I’m a theme first designer. I love theme, I love world building. So I ran with that and Alex let me change the prototype.”
Tile laying games offer communal experience that’s competitive but also can feel cooperative. Everyone is trying to build something together but also trying to make the best possible version of the thing. With one tile to pick or pass every turn, there’s a risk that keeps everyone’s attention during the game.
“The most fun aspect of this game is the push your luck [element],” said Cutler. “Every single turn, every single player is making a choice. Whether you’re the lead-off player or you’re in the last position, you’re still making choices about what’s coming to you. Your valuation is changing every single turn of every single round. Is this tile good for me? Is this tile good for someone else? I think it adds a lot of layers to the game. I think it’s a game that can be played with a group that’s very friendly and calm. But also, the first time I ever played the game with Eric was at Gen Con with a large group of people.I have never heard more sailor mouthed crap talking at one table.”
“Even though it’s a tile layer and you’re doing the drafting and the placement you do in a lot of other dry, Euro kind of games,” said Slauson, “because it’s so social, because everyone interacts every tile someone drafts you care about. Everybody is watching what everybody else’s board is doing. There are so many moments of reaction. We found that people who play in a more reserved style can’t help but cheer.”
In addition to the theming, Darrington Press is making sure each copy of the game sold helps sustainability in the real world. Solar Gardens is made of biodegradable, plastic-free materials and uses paper stickers to hold the game box together in transit. As part of the National Forest Foundation’s Sapling Program, each copy sold helps fund reforestation efforts in U.S. national parks.
“No matter how cutthroat [you are] as a player, you’re still being benevolent,” said Slauson. “I showed you! I built a perfect garden for society!”
Solar Gardens is available directly from Darrington Press and online retailers like Amazon.
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