Tile-Laying Game Trellis Offers a Zen-Like Gardening Experience

Grow vines and bloom your flowers, in a game as relaxing as it is beautiful — with some intriguing player interaction.

A tile-laying game from Breaking Games, Trellis has players competing to be the first to lay all fifteen of their flowers on the board.

Gameplay

The start tile is placed in the center of the table, the remaining tiles are shuffled and form the draw pile. Each player starts the game with fifteen flower tokens in their player color and a hand of three tiles. The goal of the game is to be the first player to place all your flowers on the board.

On your turn you start by playing a tile. Each tile shows various vines. Vines come in one of six colors. When adding a tile, one of the vines on the tile must connect to a vine already on the board, however these connecting vines do not have to be matching colors. If, however, the colors do match, and there is a flower already on the vine you are connecting to, the player who controls that flower places a new flower on the matching colored vine you just played. If the flower belonged to someone other than the active player, this means the active player gets a gift.

During the next phase of your turn, you place one flower on any empty vine on the tile you just played. If this vine is attached to an empty vine of a matching color, you place an additional flower on that vine as well (if that vine is attached to another empty vine of matching color, you would continue to place flowers). If you received a gift this turn, place an additional flower for each other flower another player added to the board on your turn, placing each on any empty vine on the tile you played. If there are no more empty vines on the new tile, you may place your additional flowers on any empty vine on the board. You then draw back up to a hand of three tiles, and play passes to the next player.

The game ends immediately once someone plays their last flower, and they win the game.

Review

There is something quite relaxing about Trellis. The rules are so easy, turns so quick, and theme so cozy, that it’s just a joy to play. However, there are still some interesting strategic choices to be made in the game, with several factors to consider with each tile you lay, and you can pull off some quite satisfying moments of great tile combos.

The gift mechanic is quite well implemented. Sometimes actively helping another is necessary to set yourself up for better moves, and that additional flower it allows you to place can be quite powerful. There are also opportunities to block opponents by connecting their vines with non-matching ones. Choosing when to block and when to help is important to victory. This back and forth is a lot of fun, but does occur a little more often in a three or four player game, with players a little less likely to help one another when it’s only two players.

Visually, the game is lovely. It is a delight to watch the tiles spread across the table with the colorful vines and the flowers scattered across them. Also, while a minor point, the box insert is great. Not only is it sturdy and really easy to pack everything in, there is even a special compartment for the start tile so that you won’t lose it among the others.

Trellis plays quite quickly, but there’s more depth in its light gameplay than you might expect at first glance. This lightness works well when paired with the theme and visuals. If you’re looking for a cozy, easygoing game that still makes you think, Trellis is a lovely fit.

Pros: Attractive visuals, interesting choices for tile laying, light and relaxing, great box insert

Cons: Gift mechanic is underutilized in a two player game

Disclosure: we received a complimentary review copy of this game.