Reef Gardens is a tactical tile placement game by DLP Games about building coral reefs while managing limited research funds.
Players become marine conservationists in a threatened underwater paradise, planting coral tiles and shaping reef landscapes on the seabed. On your turn, you balance two key choices: buy and place new corals from the underwater nursery, or surface by closing reefs to regain money for future turns. This gives Reef Gardens a clean strategic rhythm with meaningful spatial decisions, budget pressure and careful timing. The game reworks the mechanism of Citrus with a fresh ecological theme, revised rules and vivid artwork by Dennis Lohausen.
How do you play the game?
Choose coral tiles, pay for them, plant them immediately and score through placed tiles, shell tiles and majorities around underwater stations. Closing your own reefs can feel painful, but it gives you the research funds needed to create new reef areas and stay competitive.
Why is this game recommended?
Reef Gardens is a board game for players who enjoy tile laying, tactical planning and resource management without unnecessary complexity.
- Strategic tile placement with an ecological theme
- Includes standard and Atolls variants
- Double-sided seabed board
- Strong fit for puzzle-minded gamers
Box contents
- 1 rulebook
- 1 double-sided “Seabed” game board
- 1 underwater nursery
- 30 shell tiles, 90 coral tiles
- 15 underwater stations, 15 sonar chips, 1 cloth bag
- 4 player boards, 20 divers, 4 money markers, 4 victory point markers
Specifications
- EAN: 4260184331055
- Publisher: DLP Games
- Players: 2–4
- Play time: 60 minutes
- Age: 10+
- Rulebook languages: German/English
- Designer: Jeffrey D. Allers
- Illustrations: Dennis Lohausen
- Weight: 1.6 kg
- Size: 22.6 x 31.6 x 7.2 cm