Tend Board Game
Farm alien crops, scratch through forests and mines, fish strange waters and pack valuable goods into your Cargo Manifest in IV Studio’s unusually tactile flip-and-write strategy game.
Tend is a medium-weight flip-and-write farming game from IV Studio in which every player develops a personal homestead on an alien planet. You grow crops, explore forests, mine underground areas, fish, collect badges and load resources into a Cargo Manifest for Zenith Points.
The game is played largely simultaneously, so the unusual part is not just the mix of pencils, dice, scratch cards and stamps. Everyone is reacting to the same changing task-card economy while developing a different personal farm.
Why it stands out
Tend treats the “write” part of flip-and-write literally as only one of several physical interfaces. Crops grow on dice, forests and mines use scratch-off cards, fish are caught with dice, cargo is stamped or colored into grids, and shared task cards keep changing what the table can do.
Why this is a strong organic-search gap
Tend is already established rather than speculative: it has roughly 1,800 BoardGameGeek ratings, sits high on current Hotness and is available at retail. That gives the page durable search value beyond a launch window.
The game also creates unusually specific searches around scratch-off replayability, farming dice, Cargo Manifest scoring, solo play, the companion app, refill packs, player count and whether the 7–12 player expansion is necessary.
Game at a Glance
Choose Two Tasks
Each turn, players choose from five face-up task cards before resolving their farm work simultaneously.
Grow & Catch
Crops mature on dice while fishing uses its own dice-driven push toward rarer catches.
Scratch & Discover
Forests and mines use scratch-off cards to reveal routes, resources and surprises.
Fill the Manifest
Convert gathered goods into Zenith Points by efficiently packing your Cargo Manifest.
How Tend works
Every player has their own farming sheets and Cargo Manifest, while the table shares a deck of task cards.
On a turn, five task cards are available and players choose two. Everyone then resolves actions simultaneously on their own homestead.
As the game progresses, new cards enter the shared task deck. That means the action economy evolves for everyone at once rather than remaining fixed from the opening turn.
You score Zenith Points through several systems, including resources, badges, objectives, neighbor-related scoring and the goods you send back through your Cargo Manifest.
Why task selection matters
The task row is the shared strategic layer. Everyone sees the same five available cards, but not every farm benefits equally from the same two choices.
A farming-heavy setup may want repeated crop actions, while another player may be close to completing a fishing badge or uncovering a valuable mining route.
Because resolution is simultaneous, Tend avoids long downtime but still creates indirect interaction through the changing pool of opportunities and common objectives.
How farming works
Crops are represented with dice rather than simply checked boxes.
You till soil, plant crops and water them, with the die value increasing as a crop matures. This creates a visible growth timer on your farm.
The interesting choice is not just “can I grow this crop?” but whether spending repeated tasks on it creates enough value compared with fishing, mining, forests or cargo scoring.
Editorial strategy principle: a nearly mature crop is often more valuable than starting a new system from zero, especially late in the game.
How the scratch-off forests work
Forest exploration uses physical scratch-off cards.
You begin at the top and reveal a route downward, uncovering resources and possible branches as you go. Because you cannot see the complete result beforehand, the forest introduces controlled uncertainty into an otherwise highly plan-driven personal tableau.
The scratches are not just presentation. Route choice affects which rewards become accessible and how efficiently you convert task actions into points.
How mining works
Mining also uses scratch-off discovery rather than a conventional track.
The underground area can reveal resources and other valuable results as you progress. Badges tied to materials such as iron give mining additional scoring relevance beyond the immediate goods.
Because forests and mines consume limited physical scratch areas, route efficiency matters more than simply revealing as much as possible.
How fishing works
Fishing uses dice. Players begin with access to the pond and can unlock three additional fishing locations.
More advanced locations provide access to rarer catches, turning fishing into a collection path rather than a one-off random reward.
Fishing therefore combines luck with infrastructure: rolling matters, but so does deciding whether to invest enough effort to access better waters.
What are badges?
Badges reward specialization and broader development.
Official examples include farming, iron, fishing and generalist badges. Meeting their requirements awards Zenith Points.
This helps prevent one universal strategy from dominating. A player who repeatedly farms can be rewarded for expertise, while another can score by developing a broader range of systems.
How the Cargo Manifest scores
Resources eventually need to become useful cargo.
Players stamp or color goods into the Cargo Manifest grid. Different goods use different colors or shapes, and each filled square contributes Zenith Points.
The Manifest is therefore both a scoring mechanism and a spatial optimization puzzle.
A resource is not automatically valuable just because you collected it. Its real value depends on whether it helps fill your cargo efficiently or complete another scoring objective.
Where the combo chains come from
BoardGameGeek classifies Tend with Chaining, and IV Studio explicitly promotes the game around cascading rewards.
A task can mature a crop, which may unlock a badge, which may produce or enable another reward, which can then help complete cargo or an objective.
The strongest turns often come from sequencing several nearly-complete systems rather than maximizing one isolated action.
Season objectives and replayability
Objectives shift what is valuable from one game to another.
The task deck is also randomized and evolves during play, so two sessions do not present exactly the same action sequence.
This combination of changing goals, shuffled task cards, resource paths and scratch-off uncertainty gives Tend substantially more replay structure than a fixed puzzle sheet.
How interactive is Tend?
Tend is primarily a simultaneous personal-engine game rather than a confrontational one.
Players share task availability and some scoring incentives, and the game includes neighbor-related scoring, but you are not destroying another player’s crops or stealing their resources.
That makes interaction closer to racing and comparison than direct attack.
Can Tend be played solo?
Yes. BoardGameGeek lists Tend for 1–6 players, and solo play fits naturally because most of the game takes place on a personal farm.
Solo players still work through the shared task system, objectives and resource puzzles without needing an automated opponent to imitate direct conflict.
Community voting currently rates solo particularly well, which is notable for a farming game with such a large possible player count.
Does Tend work at high player counts?
The base game is officially sold for 1–6+ players, while BoardGameGeek lists 1–6.
Because most turns resolve simultaneously, adding players does not increase downtime in the same way as a sequential Eurogame.
The main practical limitations are table space, shared component management and ensuring everyone can see the common task area.
What is the Tend 7–12 Player Expansion?
IV Studio sells a dedicated 7–12 Player Expansion for groups that want to push beyond the base-game player count.
The current store lists it at $29.99.
This is mainly a scale-up product: Tend’s simultaneous structure already makes large groups possible, and the expansion supplies what is needed to support the additional players.
What does the Tend Companion App do?
The optional companion app reduces setup work and adds useful repeatability tools.
IV Studio says the app can generate and preserve a particular seed — the exact card mix used for a game — so friends can attempt the same setup and compare scores.
It also helps run large games. The physical game does not require the app for normal play.
Is Tend disposable because it uses scratch cards and sheets?
No, but some components are consumable.
The base box includes 100 farm sheets, 100 Cargo Manifest sheets and 100 scratch-off cards. IV Studio also sells extra scratch-off and sheet packs.
For most households, 100 copies of each consumable provides a substantial number of sessions before refills are necessary, but frequent solo players or gaming clubs should include replacement packs in long-term cost calculations.
What comes in the Tend base box?
IV Studio’s current retail listing includes:
- 162 cards.
- 100 farm sheets.
- 100 Cargo Manifest sheets.
- 100 scratch-off cards.
- 68 dice.
- 21 colored pencils.
- 6 metal coins.
Custom stamp markers shown in some promotional material are sold separately rather than automatically included in the standard retail box.
Do you need the premium stamp markers?
No. The normal game can be played using the included writing/coloring components.
IV Studio sells premium stamp markers as an optional tactile upgrade.
This is important because photos of Tend often show the stamps, making it easy to assume they are required or included in the $79.99 box.
How much does Tend cost?
IV Studio currently lists the base game at $79.99.
Optional extras include the playmat, marker packs, refill sheets/scratch cards and the 7–12 player expansion.
The value question depends heavily on whether you care about the unusually large physical component set; Tend is more expensive than a small pad-and-card roll-and-write, but it is also physically much more elaborate.
Tend compared with other flip-and-write games
| Game | Shared appeal | Main difference |
|---|---|---|
| Cartographers | Shared card input, personal sheet and spatial scoring | Cartographers is cleaner and more compact; Tend adds dice growth, scratch-offs, fishing, cargo and multiple personal subsystems. |
| Railroad Ink: Deep Blue | Simultaneous personal puzzle with dice-driven uncertainty | Railroad Ink is route-building; Tend is a broader farming sandbox with resource chains. |
| Best Engine-Building Board Games | Chaining rewards and building efficiency over time | Tend uses writable/scratchable personal boards instead of a permanent card tableau. |
Who may like Tend?
Tend is a strong fit for players who like cozy videogame-style farming themes but still want a substantial optimization puzzle.
It can also work for groups that dislike downtime, because most decisions resolve simultaneously.
It may be less suitable if you dislike consumable components, prefer direct interaction, want a very small travel-friendly flip-and-write or find large personal sheets and multiple mini-systems overwhelming.
Five early strategy principles
- Finish systems before opening too many new ones. Half-built farms, incomplete badges and abandoned scratch routes generate less value than completed chains.
- Use objectives to decide where to specialize. A scoring condition can make an average task unusually valuable.
- Plan Cargo Manifest shapes early. Late-game resources are easier to score when the remaining grid spaces still fit them.
- Unlock advanced fishing only if you intend to use it. Infrastructure that never produces rare catches is wasted tempo.
- Watch the evolving task deck. New task cards change which strategies are easiest to activate later.
Tend board game FAQ
How many players?
The base game supports 1–6 players; IV Studio markets it as 1–6+, and a separate expansion supports 7–12.
How long does Tend take?
About 60–90 minutes according to the current retail listing and BoardGameGeek.
Can Tend be played solo?
Yes.
Is Tend a roll-and-write?
It is better described as a flip-and-write with additional dice, scratch-off, grid and stamping/coloring systems.
Are the scratch cards reusable?
No. They are consumable, but the base box includes 100 scratch-off cards and IV Studio sells refills.
Do I need the premium stamps?
No. They are optional accessories.
How do crops grow?
Crops are represented by dice that increase as you tend and water them.
What is the Cargo Manifest?
A personal grid where collected goods are stamped or colored into spaces for Zenith Points.
Does Tend have an app?
Yes, an optional companion app can streamline setup, preserve shared seeds and support large groups.
How much is Tend?
IV Studio currently lists the base game at $79.99.
Sources and scope
- Official Tend site: gameplay overview, tasks, farming, scratching, fishing, mining, badges and Cargo Manifest
- IV Studio retail page: current price, components, 1–6+ players, playtime, companion app and accessories
- BoardGameGeek: designers, 1–6 players, 60–90 minutes, mechanisms and current community data
- IV Studio Tend collection: refill packs, premium markers, playmat and 7–12 Player Expansion
Checked October 9, 2026. Tend is already available at retail, so this page focuses on evergreen rules, components, player-count and buying questions rather than crowdfunding history. Strategy guidance and comparisons are original editorial analysis; no firsthand review or playtest is claimed. Editorial policy and corrections.