So, you want to win Yard of the Month, huh? You think you have what it takes? You think your yard outshines all the rest? Well, we’ll see about that. You’ll need to continuously improve your lawn, while also sabotaging your neighbor’s lawns if you really want to be the best. Let’s see if you can impress your HOA judge!

What Is It?

Card Game – Players will draw and/or play cards each round to both improve their own lawns (with things like plants or decor), and impair others’ yards (with things like garbage or or weeds). Players will also play cards to their garbage for additional scoring or abilities.

Take That – Since players can play impairments on each other, as well as petty schemes which involve a bunch of attacks,they’ll need to be okay with direct confrontation

Set Collection – Most improvements have a base score, but some may score higher based on how many you have, or what is on the same plot as them. Additionally, the active HOA member for a game will be looking for players to have or avoid certain cards in their lawn. So, it is important for players to keep all their scoring opportunities in mind.

Who Is It For?

  • 2 to 6 Players – It’s fine at lower player counts, but since there is that take-that element, it is definitely a better experience with more. I think 4 to 6 is best.
  • Ages 10 & Up – The game is simple enough for a wide age range, and scoring is just simple addition and subtraction
  • Fans of take-that card games, who don’t mind their own cards being messed with

PROS

  • Aesthetics – Simple art, but I think it’s super cute
  • Theme – Fun and unique theme; I think the theme definitely comes out through the cards
    • Fun flavor text on cards
  • Rules – Well-written, simple rule set, quick to learn and teach
  • Helpful reference cards
  • Simple set-up/clean-up
  • I like that it’s not just a “draw a card, play a card” game. You take 3 actions, in any combination of draw and play. So there’s a little more choice and a bit of strategy in when to play certain cards
  • A different HOA card comes out each game, which changes up the scoring
  • This has maybe my favorite first player rule ever “The person most likely to set fire to their neighbor’s yard” (spoiler, it’s me)

CONS

  • Rules – I am not a fan of foldout rules, I much prefer a booklet
  • Luck – In a take-that game, luck can sometimes really just hurt you, if other players are just getting better draws, or a lot of things that hurt you. That’s why I think it’s better with a few more players, so you can try to slow down the leader, and not just attack someone who is already behind
  • When the game-end trigger hits, the game ends immediately, meaning players do not get equal turns, which can be disappointing

Final Thoughts

Overall, I think this game is super cute, and will definitely appeal to a wide range of players. I think it’s a good pick for players looking for something pretty light, “beer and pretzels” style game, a decent filler, or players who just like the theme!

Just keep in mind that the game can get mean, so if that isn’t your style, you might not have a great time. With that, I definitely don’t think it shines at 2 players; with the luck factor and only being able to target one other player, it just isn’t as good of an experience as it is with more, so I would never choose to play it with less than 4, personally.

If you like this style of game, this one is a great pick because the theme is a lot of fun and really shines!

Additional Information:
My Final Rating – 5/10

Designer – Joel Herold
Artist – Korie Herold
Publisher – Blue Star Press
MSRP – $19.99 (Exclusive to Target)
Website

*I was provided a copy of this game to do this review*

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