Blooming Sea

• Designer: Reiner Knizia
• Publisher: Korea Board Games
• Players: 2-4
• Age: 8+
• Time: 30 minutes
• Played with review copy provided by publisher

Blooming Sea is a colourful tile-laying game by Reiner Knizia, where players take on the role of environmentalists working to restore vibrant coral reefs. On their turn, players place tiles containing clusters of corals, aiming to build or expand reefs of matching colours. They score points by creating larger reefs and by surrounding fish tokens with corals of their colour.

To set up the game, choose which side of the board you want to play on, place it on the table and then place a random fish token on each numbered square.  Mix all the tiles facedown on the table, and each player draws one tile into their hand.  Each player chooses a color and takes the piece to designate their color (colors are the same as the corals).  

Play rotates around the table. First, the player places their tile onto the board on any empty three spaces.  Then, the score is calculated for the turn – based on coral reefs and fish tokens.  If you make or expand a reef (orthogonally adjacent corals of the same color), you score 1 point per coral in that reef.  If you make/expand multiple reefs, you score for all of them. 

Fish score when the four orthogonal spaces adjacent to them are all occupied (or when it is determined that no other tiles can be placed next to an incomplete fish).  Calculate which colors have the most influence over that space – you count all the corals in a reef attached to each of the four adjacent spots.  The owner of that color scores the points (5 or 7).  If there is a tie, no one scores for the fish and it is simply discarded.

Draw a new tile into your hand to end your turn. Play then moves to the next player clockwise.  The game ends immediately when the last fish token is scored. The player with the most points wins.

My thoughts on the game

I tend to want to try the abstract designs from Doktor Knizia as I find that they are usually interesting or at least provide you with interesting decisions.  Blooming Sea fits the first part of that equation, and it definitely challenges the players to balance the desire to score points from making large coral reefs with the focused area control battle over the fishes.

It definitely takes a fair bit of skill to massage a coral reef of your own color to also be adjacent to one of the orthogonally adjacent spaces next to a fish.  Otherwise, much of the play feels like it’s centered around making a nice score from a large coral reef of an opponent’s color but then blocking it from also getting adjacent to a fish.

The tiles have three of the four player colors on them, so you’re always trying to balance your own scoring needs against the progress you’re making for the opponents.  If your tile has your own color on it, then you’re definitely trying to also figure out how to set yourself up with whatever board space you put your own color on.

I’d honestly offer more commentary on the strategy, but I think there really is only just this level.  Which isn’t a bad thing… Blooming Sea is a nice straightforward abstract game, with the aquatic theme added on that might get a few more folks attracted to it. 

Thoughts from other Opinionated Gamers

Ben B: The game is like an over simplified version of Reef encounter’s theme. You get a tile, place it and score. The game tries to make you feel like you can average 4 points per play. Winners are people who plan ahead, surrounding Fish. It wasn’t very engaging. The most interesting part was looking at your tile and staring at the board to find the highest scoring play. This led to what felt like analysis paralysis. Also you get your tile and stare and lose track of whose turn is next a little bit. It moves quickly and really doesnt outstay its welcome but there isnt alot of deep thought there. I think one play was enough for me. I felt it needs more to keep it going or add depth to turn play. 

Until your next appointment

The Gaming Doctor