By: Jason McKelvey
On the surface, Bohnanza appears cheesy, simplistic, and light on strategy, but sit down at a table of experience, and it quickly turns into a loud, action packed, decision making strategy game worth playing. Another Rio Grande hit, this game offers a lot of replay ability based on how the cards come up, and how you decide to collect and earn.
The game starts out with everyone receiving a hand of about five cards, of which you are not allowed to reorganize in any way. In fact, never throughout the game are you allowed to reorganize your cards, and any new cards you get go straight to the back of the line. On your turn, you must plant the card closest to you by laying it on one of your two bean fields, and then optionally plant a second card. Once finished, flip over the top two cards of the draw pile and await the fun.
Before your turn can continue, you must get rid of those two cards either by planting them yourself, or hoping someone else needs them enough that they are willing to trade for them. Getting stuck with these cards when you don’t need them is the worst, but needs to be dealt with.
When complete with this step, pick up three cards (one at a time) and add them to the back of your hand. Your turn is done and now you move on.
What makes this game so fun and interesting is the trading. The only trading rule is that it must be with the player whose turn it is, and once a bean is traded, it must be planted, it cannot be traded again. However, strategy takes effect when multiple cards are offered for others that aren’t even on the table. Deals can happen so quickly, or so many offers can be on the table, that it takes a person who is willing to single out individual deals to find the right one.
Oh, and you are able to just give cards away for free in order to assist with your turn, when you must plant your first card.
The player who can balance the planting, trading, and harvesting (how you get points) the best will win. It’s not always the player who collects the most cards, or gets the best deals, it’s often the one who figures out how to get the needed cards in their hand, up to the front of the line.
This game is fantastic, and totally worth the purchase. It can be played with two to six players, but can easily be played with a few more. Rio Grande did it again with Bohnanza.
You can pick up Bohnanza from Amazon by clicking HERE!