Players take turns choosing cards and placing tiles in order to expand their own pond and populate it with koi carp. Surrounding the koi with water and water-lilies increases their well-being and thus their Victory Points (VP). In addition, players can compete for Goals, which provide extra Victory Points and bonuses for those who manage to claim them. At the end of the game, the player with the most points wins!

The game is played in turns in clockwise order, starting with the first player. On your turn, you must choose whether to A) MEDITATE or B) WORK.

Regardless of your choice, at any point during your turn, you may spend a luck token to gain pond tiles of your choice: either 1 foliage, 2 water, or 1 shore, or to acquire 1 koi at an increased cost of 1 extra coin. There is no limit to the number of luck tokens you can spend on your turn.

After meditating or working, you can claim a Goal, provided that the conditions have been met. Finally, the turn passes to the next player.