I have started writing about A Gentle Rain several times because things kept changing for me with the game. I made a PnP copy and enjoyed it. And I enjoyed it enough that I bought a copy, which almost never happens. And then it became a family favorite.
A Gentle Rain is a very simple tile laying game. It’s also pretty looking and actually pretty unforgiving. It takes luck and planning to score all of the flowers.
What’s the kicker about it is that rules don’t make a big deal about winning. Instead, the focus is chilling out, relaxing and just plain decompressing. And that’s all the more noteworthy because the designer, Kevin Wilson, has made plenty of excellent games that are about totally in your face confrontation.
I first found out about A Gentle Rain because that’s what so many folks online highlighted about the game. I found that fascinating, that we need permission to play like that.
On the one hand, by the time I actually tried out A Gentle Rain, that was permission that I was willing to give myself. Yard Maker, an under appreciated R&W, is a game that I play as much to create a beautiful yard as to score high points. On the other hand, when I first started playing Ambagibus, I questioned if I could count it as a game since it lent itself to such chill play.
I do think the timing of A Gentle Rain also has hand in its popularity and very existence. The worst of the pandemic had ended by the time it came out but the world was still very raw. I know my gaming habits were (and still are) profoundly changed. A game about taking a breath had a welcome audience.
A Gentle Rain is a lovely little game, both in tone and appearance. It hits the table on a regular basis for us and I think that will continue.
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