# Bamboo

Bamboo is a board game for 2–4 players. It plays in 90–110 minutes and is meant for ages 14 and up. Ludoya players call it best with 3. It is rated 7.5 out of 10 by 48 Ludoya reviewers. The cheapest copy in stock is $31.97 (United States).

- **Players:** 2–4 (best with 3)
- **Playing time:** 90–110 minutes
- **Minimum age:** 14+
- **Complexity:** 2.9 out of 5
- **Year published:** 2023
- **Categories:** Fantasy, Abstract Strategy, Farming
- **Mechanics:** Action Drafting, Tile Placement
- **Ludoya rating:** 7.5 out of 10, from 48 reviews
- **Owned by:** 135 Ludoya players
- **Plays logged on Ludoya:** 296
- **Unique players:** 322

**Designers:** Germán P. Millán

**Artists:** Jonatan Cantero

**Publishers:** Devir

## Where to buy in United States

| Shop | Price | Link |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Cardhaus Games | 31.97 $ | https://www.cardhaus.com/bamboo/ |
| Atomic Empire | 31.99 $ | https://www.atomicempire.com/Item/328600 |
| Miniature Market | 31.99 $ | https://www.miniaturemarket.com/devbamboo.html |
| 401 Games | 39.95 $ | https://store.401games.ca/products/bamboo |
| Mathom | 27 € | https://mathom.es/es/otros-juegos-de-tablero/50755-bamboo-8436589626805.html |
| Milan Spiele | 14.9 € | https://www.milan-spiele.de/bamboo-deutsch-p-35959.html |
| Zatu Games | 18.99 £ | https://zatu.com/products/bamboo |
| Va de jocs | 27 € | https://vadejocs.es/producto/bamboo |
| Goblin Trader Barcelona | 27 € | https://www.goblintrader.es/es/inicio/47523-bamboo-8436589626805.html |
| Mono de Juegos | 30 € | https://www.monodejuegos.shop/juego-de-mesa/bamboo/ |
| Spelexperten | 379 kr | https://www.spelexperten.com/sallskapsspel/strategispel/bamboo.html |
| Games Empire | 54.99 $ | https://gamesempire.com.au/products/bamboo |
| World of Board Games | 435 kr | https://www.worldofboardgames.com/bamboo |
| Get Your Fun | 39.99 € | https://www.getyourfun.it/037559-bamboo-giochi-per-famiglia.html |
| Spielezar | 37.9 Fr. | https://www.spielezar.ch/brettspiele/bamboo-de |
| Fantasiapelit | 52 € | https://www.fantasiapelit.com/index.php?main=ai&kat=single&mista=indeksi&etsittava=_224223 |

## Similar games

- [Riverboat](https://www.ludoya.com/games/riverboat)
- [Planta Nubo](https://www.ludoya.com/games/planta-nubo)
- [Now or Never](https://www.ludoya.com/games/now-or-never)
- [Guild Academies of Valeria](https://www.ludoya.com/games/guild-academies-of-valeria)
- [Tea Garden](https://www.ludoya.com/games/tea-garden)
- [Caverna: Cave vs Cave – The Big Box](https://www.ludoya.com/games/caverna-cave-vs-cave-the-big-box)
- [Forestry](https://www.ludoya.com/games/forestry)
- [Rebirth](https://www.ludoya.com/games/rebirth)
- [Three Sisters](https://www.ludoya.com/games/three-sisters)
- [Huang](https://www.ludoya.com/games/huang)
- [Orichalcum](https://www.ludoya.com/games/orichalque)
- [Emberleaf](https://www.ludoya.com/games/emberleaf)

## Rules questions

### Are the coins hidden from other players or can I trade them during the game?

Coins are open information (not hidden) and you may exchange them at the stated rate (three 1-value coins ↔ one 3-value coin). (p.5)

### What happens in Spring — how much incense do I get and what is the ‘gift from the forest’?

In Phase 1 (Spring) each player receives the incense shown for that round and takes one gift from the forest by choosing one of the gift actions listed for that phase. (p.7)

### When I place bamboo shoots, do they all activate automatically or do I need to spend incense to activate them?

Placing bamboo shoots is separate from activation: only a limited number of shoots are activated based on the incense you offer, and you then receive new shoots as described. (p.9)

### Do I have to take the Balance (Bamboo Shoot) action to score balance tiles, or do they score automatically?

You must take the Balance Bamboo Shoot action to obtain or score balance tiles (the action can alternatively give you HP instead), so balance tiles do not score automatically. (p.10, p.12)

### How do home tiles score—do left/right/any sections matter for comfort patterns?

The home grid has left, any, and right sections and some home/comfort patterns require tiles in specific sections (left or right) while others can use any section; the left-vs-right comfort scoring and examples are explained in the home/comfort rules. (p.12, p.13)

### What if I can’t pay enough food in Winter to feed my family?

During Phase 4 (Winter) you must pay the required food counters for your family, and for each shortfall you lose happiness points as specified. (p.16)

## Links

- [This page](https://www.ludoya.com/games/bamboo-2)
- [Bamboo in the Ludoya app](https://app.ludoya.com/g/bamboo-2)
- [BoardGameGeek entry](https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/351538)

_Data from Ludoya, updated 2026-09-19. Ratings, ownership and play counts are Ludoya's own._