🌸 Dorfromantik: Sakura — Japanese Harmony on Tiles
⭐ 20/10
Players: 1–6
Playtime: 30–60 min
Difficulty: Light / Medium (simple rules, but requires planning)
Game type: Board / Tile-laying / Cooperative / Solo-friendly
🌸 Dorfromantik: Sakura — Japanese Harmony on Tiles
🎯 Goal
Build a picturesque landscape by placing tiles to complete tasks and score as many points as possible. In the Sakura edition, the added goal is simply to enjoy the beauty — Japanese gardens, serenity, and blossoming cherry trees. 🌸
🛡️ Setup (solo)
Place the starting tile in the center of the table.
Shuffle all land tiles into a face-down stack.
Draw 3 task cards and take the matching task tiles, placing them so they touch the starting tile.
You now have 3 active tasks, and throughout the game you must always have exactly 3. Whenever one is completed or closed, immediately draw another.
Prepare a notebook or the companion app to record points.
If you’re playing campaign mode, keep the envelopes with additional tiles nearby — you’ll unlock them after meeting score thresholds.
🛡️ Setup (2 players — cooperative)
Set up just like in solo.
Both players share the same tile stack and build the landscape together.
On each turn, one player draws a tile, and together you decide where to place it to meet tasks and expand the landscape.
You must still always keep 3 active tasks.
Scoring is shared — you win and lose together 😉.
🔄 Turn sequence
Draw one tile from the stack.
Place it so it fits adjacent features (river to river, forest to forest, houses to houses, etc.).
If you fulfill a task (e.g., 4 houses connected), it’s considered complete.
Continue until all tiles have been placed.
🏁 End of game
When all tiles are placed:
Count points from completed tasks.
Add bonuses (e.g., longest rivers, largest forests).
Record your score and check if you’ve unlocked a new campaign set.
✨ Campaign & special tiles
The game includes a progression system — after each game, check your score and unlock new elements.
In total, there are 6 sets of special tiles. Each adds something fresh: warehouses, bridges, new objectives, or unusual combinations that change how you build.
And in one set, a hidden bonus awaits — a little dog 🐶 or Jiji the cat from Kiki’s Delivery Service. Honestly, the joy of discovering them is even greater than beating your personal high score.
🔥 Why I love it
Every move feels like a little zen moment — simple, yet deeply satisfying.
Tasks are engaging: just enough puzzle without ever overwhelming.
The campaign keeps the game fresh, always something new to unlock.
Randomness means every landscape is unique — no two games ever feel the same.
And the artwork… each tile looks like a tiny watercolor painting. Sometimes I just sit there staring at them instead of chasing points.
🏆 How to win in Dorfromantik: Sakura
Think several moves ahead — leave space for expansion.
Always watch your tasks — they’re the main point engine.
Develop multiple areas simultaneously to avoid getting stuck.
Be flexible — if a tile doesn’t fit perfectly, place it where it keeps future options open.
☕ Impressions
I chose the Japanese Sakura edition because I love Japan — and it was the perfect choice. The art is breathtaking! Every tile feels like a little work of art. The game is relaxing but absorbing, each session a new challenge. Even losing feels pleasant with illustrations this beautiful.
I especially love playing solo — on heavy post-travel or post-work evenings when I feel like I’ve got “no mana left” to read or even listen to an audiobook. Then I just build, one tile at a time, and it melts the tension away. Creating a Japanese landscape by myself feels like crafting something special, something truly mine. And uncovering hidden tiles is a bonus treat — especially when the puppy suddenly appears! 🐶
Whenever someone suggests co-op, I always refuse. I don’t want to spoil that intimate calm with debates over where the river should go. For me, it’s like painting my own quiet masterpiece.
🎯 Rating: 20/10 — Because this is a game that hooks you from the very first tile, with its atmosphere so strong your tea grows cold. Easy to learn, yet endlessly satisfying solo or with a partner (though I’ll always choose the solitude of building alone).
