Tabletop games
Takenoko
BombyxAntoine Bauza2011
- players
- 2–4
- minutes
- 45
- years
- 8+
In the box
28 Plot tiles · 1 panda and 1 gardener · 46 Objective cards · 90 bamboo sections in 3 colours · 20 irrigation channels · 9 improvements · 4 player boards · 1 weather die
Official rules (PDF, publisher's site)
Box details
- Designer
- Antoine Bauza
- Artwork
- Nicolas Fructus, Picksel, Yuio
- Publisher
- Bombyx
- Mechanics
- Action PointsObjectivesDice RollingDie Icon ResolutionGrid Movement
- Expansions
- Takenoko: Chibis · 2021
Where to buy it
Near you and online
In a shop
Within 50 km.
Online
Affiliate link: Marquoir may earn a commission, at no extra cost to you.
The basics
Each player scores points by completing objectives, between a gardener who grows the bamboo and a panda who eats it. On your turn, roll the weather die, then take two different actions out of five (plot, irrigation, gardener, panda, objective); you complete fulfilled objectives at any time. When a player reaches the objective quota (seven to nine depending on players), they take the Emperor, the others play one last turn, and the most points wins.
Checked against the official rules · October 2026
The rules, step by step
Setup
2 to 4 players, Pond, gardener, panda, 1 objective per type
- Two to four players. The pond tile is placed in the centre, with the gardener and the panda on it.
- The other plot tiles form a face-down draw pile; irrigation channels and improvements are set out beside it.
- Set the Emperor card aside and make three objective decks: plot, gardener, panda.
- Each player receives an individual board, two action tokens and one secret objective of each type.
- The tallest player goes first; play proceeds clockwise.
How to play
Weather die, 2 different actions, Complete objectives
- From the second turn on, start by rolling the weather die and applying its effect.
- Sun: one extra action, different from the other two. Rain: one bamboo section on the irrigated plot of your choice. Wind: you may take the same action twice. Storm: the panda goes wherever you like and eats one section. Clouds: place an improvement from the supply (or move one if none are left). Question mark: choose the face.
- Then take two different actions out of five, in any order: plot, irrigation, gardener, panda, objective.
- Plot: draw three plots, keep one and place it next to the pond or touching at least two plots in play.
- Irrigation: place a channel on the border between two plots, connected to the pond. A plot irrigated for the first time immediately receives one bamboo section.
- Gardener: move him in a straight line as many plots as you like; he grows one section on the plot where he stops and on the adjacent plots of the same colour, if they are irrigated (4 sections at most per bamboo).
- Panda: move him in a straight line; he eats one section on the plot where he stops, which you keep on your board.
- Objective: draw a card from the chosen category, never going over five cards in hand.
- At any time during your turn, without it being an action, you may complete fulfilled objectives by placing them face up; a panda objective returns the eaten sections to the supply.
Scoring
Completed objectives, Emperor card 2 points
- Each completed objective is worth the points printed on it; objectives left in hand are worth nothing.
- The Emperor card, taken by the player who triggers the end, scores its points (2 on the card).
- In case of a tie, the most points from panda objectives wins; otherwise, the victory is shared.
End of the game
9, 8 or 7 objectives, Emperor card, Last turn for others
- When a player completes their ninth objective with two players, their eighth with three or their seventh with four, they take the Emperor card; they may still complete other objectives that turn.
- Each of the other players then plays one last turn, then you score.
House rules and pitfalls
The panda and the gardener work against each other: what one grows, the other eats.
- The panda and the gardener work against each other: what one grows, the other eats. A gardener objective that needs four sections rarely lasts more than a turn.
- Irrigation is the real bottleneck: a fine dry plot produces nothing, and channels are always short just when you need them.
Going further
Frequently asked questions · Rules on video · In the same family
Frequently asked questions
What do you do on your turn?
You roll the weather die (except on the very first turn), then take two different actions out of five: draw a plot, lay an irrigation channel, move the gardener, move the panda, or draw an objective card.
What is the difference between the gardener and the panda?
The gardener grows one bamboo section on the plot where he stops and on the adjacent plots of the same colour, if they are irrigated (nothing on the plots he passes through). The panda eats one bamboo section on the plot where he arrives, which the player keeps for their objectives.
Why isn't the bamboo growing?
A plot only produces bamboo if it is irrigated. Plots adjacent to the pond, or with a watershed, are irrigated automatically; the others need irrigation channels laid up to them.
What does the weather die do?
It gives a bonus: sun (one extra action), rain (grow one section on an irrigated plot), wind (right to take the same action twice), storm (place the panda wherever you like, he eats one section), clouds (place an improvement) or the question mark (face of your choice). It is not rolled on the first turn.
How does the game end?
When a player has completed a certain number of objective cards (9 with two players, 8 with three, 7 with four), they take the Emperor card, then each of the other players takes one last turn. Everyone scores their completed objectives, plus the 2 points of the Emperor card for the player who triggered the end.
Rules on video
Videos in French, hosted on YouTube.