The object of the game is to earn points by completing objectives. There are three types of objectives: Plot, Gardener and Panda. Players start with one of each type.

Turns

Each turn consists of 2 steps:

1. Randomly determining that turn's weather (except in the player's first turn)
2. Performing 2 different actions

A player may place improvements and irrigation channels, and claim completed objectives, at any time during their turn.

Weather effects are (and all are optional):

• Sun - take a 3rd action
• Rain - grow 1 bamboo on any irrigated plot
• Wind - may take two identical actions this turn
• Storm - move panda to any plot and they eat a bamboo as normal
• Clouds - take an improvement chip from the bank of 3 watersheds, 3 fertilizers, and 3 enclosures. If no chips are available, choose 1 of the other 4 types of weather
• Question mark - choose any 1 of the 5 types of weather

Available actions

• Plots - draw 3 plot tiles and place one in the garden. Plots can only be placed adjacent to the pond or in a spot next to 2 other existing plots.
• Irrigation - Take an irrigation channel and add it to your reserve. You can then place it immediately (or, in the 1st edition version, save it for later use).
• Gardener - Move the gardener any number of garden tiles in a straight line (can not jump over gaps) and then grow bamboo (and surrounding same color tiles).
• Panda - Move the panda any number of garden tiles in a straight line (can not jump over gaps) and then eat a bamboo section. The bamboo is then placed in your reserve.
• Objective - Take another objective card from one of the 3 decks. There is a hand limit of 5 cards. If the selected plot or gardener objective is already reflected in the current state of the garden, the objective is placed at the bottom of the deck and a subsequent objective may be selected. This is the only situation where an action can be cancelled, and a different action can be taken.

Irrigation channels

Taking the Irrigation action gives you an irrigation channel, which is stored in your reserve.

You may place a channel at any time during your turn: click on the channel from your panel on the right (a red box should appear around it) and then place the irrigation channel between any two plots, such that a path of channels can be traced back to the pond tile in the center (the game also allows you to place an irrigation beside the pond, but that is a wasted move as the 6 plots directly beside the pond are considered to be irrigated automatically). Placing an irrigation channel from your reserve does not use up one of your actions for that turn.

When a plot is irrigated for the first time, it grows bamboo. A plot with a watershed improvement is also considered to be irrigated automatically for plot and gardening purposes, but not for placing irrigation channels. Irrigation channels must always have a connection path back to the central pond either directly or via previous irrigation channels.

The Gardener and the Panda

The gardener grows bamboo on the plot that they move to and all adjacent irrigated plots of the same color. Bamboo stalks normally grow 1 taller with every valid gardener or Rain weather action. However, if the plot has a fertilizer improvement, the bamboo stalk will grow 2 taller with every valid gardener or Rain weather action. Bamboo stalks grow up to a maximum height of 4.

The panda normally eats 1 bamboo from any plot that they move to either using the Panda action or the Storm weather action. However, the panda can NOT eat any bamboo from a plot with an enclosure improvement.

Improvements

Improvement chips are gained through the Clouds weather action

If you have an improvement in your reserve panel, you can click on it (a red box should appear around it) and then select the plot on the board where you wish to place the improvement. Improvements can only be placed on plots with no bamboo or improvements (completely blank). Once an improvement is placed, it cannot be changed. Placing an improvement from your reserve does not use up any of your actions for that turn.

Completing objectives and game end

A player can complete any number of objectives any time during their turn. They may do so if their objective card is matched by the conditions of the garden at that time (for plot and gardener objectives), or if a player has the correct amount of bamboo for panda objectives. A completed objective is never lost, even if the garden conditions change later in the game.

Plot objectives are completed when the garden configuration shown on the card is reflected in the garden with all the component plots irrigated. Gardener objectives are completed when a matching bamboo towers of the matching colour and base is reflected in the garden. Panda objectives are completed by returning the matching amount of bamboo from your reserve to the supply.

Game end is triggered when a player has completed a certain number of objectives.

• 2 players - 9 objectives
• 3 players - 8 objectives
• 4 players - 7 objectives

The first player to complete the required number of objectives triggers the final round and receives the Emperor card, scoring 2 bonus points. The other players have a final turn. After they finish, the highest score wins. If the score is tied, the tie breaker is the number of points on panda objectives. If the score is still tied then all tied players win.

Tile distribution

28 tiles in total consisting of:

• 11 green plots: 5 blank, 2 watershed, 2 fertilizer, 2 enclosure
• 9 yellow plots: 6 blank, 1 watershed, 1 fertilizer, 1 enclosure
• 7 pink plots: 4 blank, 1 watershed, 1 fertilizer, 1 enclosure
• 1 blue pond (the starting tile)

Objective distribution

Plot Objectives (15 total)

Straights, curves and triangles all consist of 3 tiles. Diamonds consist of 4 tiles.

• Green Triangle - 2 pts
• Green Straight - 2 pts
• Green Curve - 2 pts
• Green Diamond - 3 pts
• Yellow Triangle - 3 pts
• Yellow Straight - 3 pts
• Yellow Curve - 3 pts
• Yellow Diamond - 4 pts
• Pink Triangle - 4 pts
• Pink Straight - 4 pts
• Pink Curve - 4 pts
• Pink Diamond - 5 pts
• Yellow/Green Diamond - 3 pts
• Pink/Green Diamond - 4 pts
• Yellow/Pink Diamond - 5 pts

• NOTE: as long as the diagonal between the 2 colours can be seen to go from top-left to bottom-right, the plot can be sideways or upside down with respect to what is seen on the objective card (you can turn your head sideways to check since you are playing online and, unlike live play, you won't give away information about what objective you are holding!)

Gardener Objectives (15 total)

• 4 Tall on Green w/ Fertilizer - 3 pts
• 4 Tall on Green w/ Enclosure - 4 pts
• 4 Tall on Green w/ Watershed - 4 pts
• 4 Tall on Green w/ NO Improvements - 5 pts
• 3 Tall on 4 Greens - 8 pts
• 4 Tall on Yellow w/ Fertilizer - 4 pts
• 4 Tall on Yellow w/ Enclosure - 5 pts
• 4 Tall on Yellow w/ Watershed - 5 pts
• 4 Tall on Yellow w/ NO Improvements - 6 pts
• 3 Tall on 3 Yellows - 7 pts
• 4 Tall on Pink w/ Fertilizer - 5 pts
• 4 Tall on Pink w/ Enclosure - 6 pts
• 4 Tall on Pink w/ Watershed - 6 pts
• 4 Tall on Pink w/ NO Improvements - 7 pts
• 3 Tall on 2 Pinks - 6 pts

Panda Objectives (15 total)

• 2 Green - 3 points (x5 cards)
• 2 Yellow - 4 pts (x4)
• 2 Pink - 5 pts (x3)
• 1 Green, 1 Yellow, 1 Pink - 6 pts (x3)

Rules changes between First and Second Edition

With second edition rules,

• you must place improvements and irrigations immediately once you get them.
• to validate gardener objectives, the gardener must be located on one of the tiles corresponding to the objective.
• you can place an improvement on a tile even if there is bamboo on it.
• you may move an already-placed improvement tile if there are no more improvements in the supply.
• the Rain effect allows you to add a bamboo on a non-irrigated tile.
• Pink Bamboo only Panda Objective Point Value reduced to 4 pts
• Green, Yellow and Pink Bamboo Panda Objective Point Value reduced to 5 pts