Matthew Cordeiro
United States
Cumberland
Rhode Island
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It’s too cold out to plant your vegetable garden, so why not play a card game about planting vegetables instead? Well, beans to be exact. In Bohnanza, (bohne is German for bean), players plant their bean crops in fields, then harvest them for money.
Bohnanza’s deck of cards features a wide variety of beans, each illustrated as a cartoon character. Some of the beans are plentiful but don’t offer much of a return, while others are rare and sell for a premium. You start with a handful of different beans to plant, but the beans must be planted in order - you can’t rearrange your hand. The only way to change your hand order is through trades with other players, and this is really the most exciting part of the game. Ultimately, you want to plant as many of the same beans as possible so that your harvest is as big as possible. The bigger the harvest, the more money you earn. Initially, you’re limited to planting only two varieties of beans, but you can later invest in a third bean field. You’ll need to remain flexible with your tactics, make smart trades, and have a good grasp on supply and demand to come out on top
Bohnanza is family-friendly game and is suitable for ages 8 and up. It accommodates up to 7 players and can be played in about 45 minutes. The rules are easy to pick up, and the game has practically no downtime. The final score is always close, which makes for a great end game.
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Jonathan C
United States
Iowa
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Nice succinct review of a fun family game. I think the inability to re-order the cards in hand is a very unique and fresh mechanic. This is one of only a handful of games I play that can realistically handle more than 6 players (Citadels, The Resistance are the others that come to mind...).
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