Sponsored.  A Gentle Rain…  This cozy game started life as a soothing Christmas present for friends and family, but has since helped tens of thousands of people to relax.

Humble Beginnings
Back in 2013, game designer Kevin Wilson (known for working on such games as Arkham Horror and Descent: Journeys in the Dark) sat down to design a small board game to give out for Christmas to friends and family.  It needed to be playable solo, so that no one who received it as a gift would feel left out.  It needed to be simple and fast, so that anyone could play it without difficulty.  Most of all, it needed to be relaxing - something to soothe jangled nerves during the hectic holidays.

Taking inspiration from using jigsaw puzzles, which he uses to cope with his own anxiety and occasional panic attacks, Wilson created a tiny game that took the concept of matching tile edges and added just enough extra to distract the mind from other worries.

The result of was A Gentle Rain, and it proved so popular among his friends & family that Wilson tried for years to get the game published, convinced that others would find it just as helpful.  Publishers at the time were skeptical that a game this uniquely simple could ever succeed.

A Tool for Relaxation
"Get comfortable", begins the rulebook, "Change into some loose clothing if you can.  Perhaps turn on some soft music or make yourself some tea or hot cocoa."  While this may seem silly, games can create a sort of 'magic circle' in which players can be given permission to act ridiculous, to pretend to be someone else, or simply to take care of themselves for a few minutes.  "Inhale through your nose, hold that breath for a moment, then exhale through your mouth."

The premise of the game is simple and appropriately low stakes.  The player has come to a lake during a rainstorm hoping to see all eight varieties of lily blossom before the rain ends.  To do so, the player plays tiles one at a time, matching tile edges and attempting to make squares of four tiles.  Each time they do so, a hole is formed in the center of the square, where the player may bloom a lily by placing a token in the well.  The player tries to bloom all 8 blossoms before the 28 tiles have been played, and if they like, they can score themselves based on how many tiles are left over after the 8th token is placed.  However, as the rules state, "Don't worry if all eight blossoms don't open in time, though.  You can always return to the lake again.  In A Gentle Rain, it is the journey that matters, not the destination."

Rippling Outwards
Since its release, A Gentle Rain (AYA30010101, MSRP $19.99, Ages 8+ for 1 or more players) has found its way to nearly 100,000 players, many of whom have bought extra copies for their friends and family.  From bridal showers to classrooms and waiting rooms, the game has been an invitation for many to find peace and calm.  Sometimes, big things come in very small packages.

Visit agentlerain.com for more info, including where to order!

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