Pergola — A Beautiful Garden of Puzzling Choices | Review

Review by Lincoln Hoppe: The Game Bard

A Moment of Pure, Puzzling Joy

What if a moment of pure, puzzling joy wasn't found in some grand quest, but in the simple choice of where to place a ladybug? Pergola is a beautiful set collection and tile placement game where you are a cheerful gardener, and every choice you make helps build your own little piece of nature. I mean, you don't have to be cheerful. You could be a grumpy gardener, but where's the fun in that?

"The art, the production, the theme, the mechanics... It all weaves into this single, beautiful, immersive experience for me."

How a Round Works

On your turn, you'll choose one of four available gardening tools. Your chosen tool gives you resources like flowers and insects, and also lets you perform the action tied to that space. These actions let you move your frog on a pond, flow water down a waterfall, or even have a bird help you out. You'll do this for 15 turns and then tally up the points from the beautiful garden you've built.

That single choice, which tool to take, is one of the simplest parts of the puzzle. It's not just what you gain, but what you leave behind for your opponents and which path you'll choose to walk in your garden on that turn.

Deepening the Puzzle

The actions you unlock are where the puzzle really deepens. You might take the frog action, hopping your adorable frog Mabel to a lily pad to claim an insect. You could take the water drip action, moving one of your water droplets down the cascade—a choice that gathers resources now but also unlocks scoring bonuses later. Every decision has a ripple effect, like the wings of a butterfly or a dragonfly or a frog.

Gardening Without the Dirt

Let's be clear: in real life, I don't like gardening. I don't want to put my hands in the dirt like my parents made me do when I was a kid. I'm still scarred by it. But it's like someone walked up to me and said, 'Hey, let's pretend we're gardening and give you cozy gamers all the nature and theme without the burning sun, juicy worms, and dirt under your nails. And let's make it fun and puzzling and full of choices and freedom.' Well, sign me up, garden boy.

What Elevates This Game

What elevates Pergola for me is the feeling it creates. In a fantastic game like Castles of Burgundy, you're building your duchy with castles and buildings restricted to a grid. And I love that. But in Pergola, I'm building out my own plot of nature. I can place so many pieces wherever I want. I love the cozy puzzle that brings; there's some creative choice in addition to the puzzle. And that choice, turn after turn, jumps between 'this has to go here or there,' but 'I can place this anywhere.' With so many different scoring options and so many ways to lay out your garden, your choices ensure so much replayability.

Components & Production

The production here is hands down one of the best I have ever seen. And this is just the base game. The little cardboard tools to mark action selection on each round, your personal tote for your spent action tools, wooden bees and frogs and ladybugs, and art that just seems to say, 'Come join nature, be one, be free.' But don't store it on its side. Ladybugs and bees are going to fly free all around your box unless you 3D print a cover for resource trays like I did after learning the hard way. But seriously, things will fall out if you're not careful.

My Experience

It's one of those games that makes me confused at how much I like it. The tension in the puzzle is so real, the ways to score are almost overwhelming. It seems like the mechanics should clash with the relaxing theme, and for you it might. But for me, it's just beautiful. To me, it feels like a balance of left and right brain that I just love. The game also includes a solo mode, which I haven't tried yet because my wife always wants to play when I pull it out. I'm not complaining.

There's a reason Pergola was in my top two games of 2025, and in many ways, it was number one. There's a reason it sits right here behind me—because I love it.

Who Should Play This?

This is one of those games where one person can drive themself hard to squeeze every ounce of scoring out of their board, while the person on their left just enjoys placing pretty plants and cute bugs in their garden. Pergola may be for you if you love cozy games and puzzles filled with choices and many ways to gain points. If you like gardening and the theme of backyard springtime wildlife, I cannot think of a better game to play. If you want to feel a push and pull of right and left brain thinking, give it a try.

Who Is This Not For?

Pergola may not be for you if you want your games simple and light. The sheer number of choices and scoring paths can be overwhelming, especially for players prone to analysis paralysis. There's a lot of icons to learn and different functions of different cardboard pieces as well, but once you get it, it's pretty darn intuitive. On my first game, I had to be walked through each icon repeatedly because, well, I'm a slow learner. This game doesn't mess around. If you prefer a game to give you a clear and simple path and don't enjoy weighing multiple options, this may not be your cup of tea.

Final Verdict

Any one of these things I've mentioned done well could make a good game. But Pergola doesn't just do one thing well; it brings them all together. The art, the production, the theme, the mechanics, the action selection system, the little shovels, bees, ladybugs, and lanterns. It all weaves into this single, beautiful, immersive experience for me. And the agency you have in every choice to create your very own piece of nature... to me, that's truly special. And that's why playing Pergola doesn't just make me happy, it brings me joy.

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by Lincoln Hoppe

Original Music by Lincoln Hoppe: The Game Bard

A review copy of the game was provided.

Publisher: Rebel Studio, Asmodee

Designed by: Michał Gołąb Gołębiowski and Przemek Wojtkowiak

Art by: Karolina Kijak

Board Game Geek Page: Pergola

My Board Game Geek Page: Lincoln Hoppe