Title: Floristry
Designed By: David Gordon and TAM
Art By: Mari Tan
Published By: UP Games
Released: 2025
Player Count: 2
Time to Play: 15-20 Minutes
Ages: 8+
Overview:
Floristry is a charming, fast-paced two-player game from UP Games that invites players to create the most captivating flower shop storefront display. In this tile-laying contest, players will bid for beautiful wooden flower tiles, aiming to collect and place tiles to group similar flowers together in their shop windows. Bigger, contiguous flower groupings blossom into more points at the end of the game. Adding an extra twist, one player might score additional points for leftover coins, making every bidding decision a careful balance between thrift and ambition. This can be a bigger payout than expected if one person bids high and one bids low. Floristry is light and breezy, playing in just about 15 minutes—perfect for a casual duel between friends.
What's purr-ty cool:
Real Time Tension with a Digital Auction
Floristry’s auction mechanic cleverly integrates a web-based app, bringing a real-time countdown to each bid. Every three seconds, the price drops, but wait too long and your opponent might snatch the tiles before you. It’s a classic case of risk and reward, intensified by the unique twist that the winner takes three tiles, leaving just one to their rival. Do you overpay to deny them a key piece? Or hold your funds and risk falling behind in tile count while waiting for the flowers you really want to appear? The blend of tactical bidding and mind games makes every auction moment delightfully tense and engaging. Plus, no app download needed—just a browser, making it smooth and accessible.
Top-notch Components
Floristry shines when it comes to components. The wooden flower tiles are sturdy, tactile, and, most importantly, wind-resistant—ideal for outdoor play in the backyard or at a campsite. And the chunky cat pawns used for scoring? Absolutely adorable and satisfyingly hefty. Yup, this game includes two adorable cats, definite bonus points from me and Solo. It’s always a joy to find a quick, small-box game that doesn’t skimp on component quality. Floristry is exactly the kind of game you can toss into a bag and bring to the park or picnic table without worrying about lightweight pieces taking flight.
Simple Rules, But With Strategic Depth
Despite its short playtime and approachable rules, Floristry offers meaningful choices that go beyond just bidding. Since every tile will eventually make an appearance, you can strategize which flowers to prioritize and when to pounce during auctions. Additionally, the flexibility to shift your shop display board around (but not the tiles themselves) introduces a subtle layer of spatial planning. It rewards players who can see opportunities a few turns ahead, but also helps others be able to correct plans that didn't go quite right. And while auction games often skew to larger player counts, Floristry proves that a tight, two-player duel can be just as thrilling, especially with the app streamlining funds tracking and final scoring.
The cat's meow:
"They say money can’t buy happiness, but have you tried spending it on flowers and then sitting on them? Purriceless." - Solo the Spokescat
Disclosure: Pudgy Cat Games was provided a copy of this game in exchange for a review, however, this review reflects the honest thoughts of the author.
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