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The Lore Behind the Game
Where did the name Bohnanza come from? In my humble and a bit uncreative opinion, it reminded me of an old western TV show called Bonanza, so I thought the characters in this game had to eat the beans, not harvest them. It was nothing like that.
Bohnanza is actually a lot simpler. It is even a bit sarcastic when it touches on certain political topics. Let's get to the facts, though: the game's designer, Uwe Rosenberg, is German, and bohnanza means "beans" in German. This, by itself, should explain everything, but it doesn't.
Bohnanza inherited mechanics from other games, and, during this process, all the way until it actually got an official name, it had other names: Kolchose, Silo, and, finally, Bohnanza.
Hagen Dorgathen, Uwe Rosenberg's long-term friend who is also a game designer, saw this game as a satirical commentary on the old Soviet Union. That's because Kolchose is an abbreviated form of the Russian translation for "collective farm". Collective farms often got orders to grow a certain type of grain despite having limited space, so they often had to deal with unscheduled harvests. This way, they were forced to harvest crops before their time and sell them for less than they're worth or donate them, just so they could plant other crops and follow their orders.
This is definitely quite clear when you read the rules. If it was, indeed, a political commentary, we'll never know, but one thing is certain: the game does have these political connotations.
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Now that we know all of this, let's get to the game itself!
Game Info
Bohnanza is best played with 2 to 5 players, for ages 14 and up, and was designed by renowned board game designer Uwe Rosenberg. It was illustrated by a very competent art team: Fréderic Bertrand, Marek Blaha, Andrea Boekhoff, Klemens Franz, Oliver Freudenreich, Inge George, Guido Hoffmann, Alexander Jung, Harald Lieske, Atelier Löwentor, Doris Matthäus, Björn Pertoft, Johann Rüttinger, Barbara Stachuletz, Franz Vohwinkel, and Markus Wagner.
It was released in 1997 by AMIGO. Its basic mechanics are hand management, set collecting, trading, and negotiating.
Bohnanza has gotten many prizes since it has been released. In 2007, it won the Meeples Choice award and the À La Carte award. It was also nominated for the Spiel des Jahres*, as well as many other awards.
The Game
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In this game, you'll start with 2 farming areas ("mats") and a few seeds in your hand. However, you can only use one type of bean crop at once in each area, and you have to plant in a predetermined order. If you harvest your beans before the right time, you'll lose money. If you wait too long, the best time to sell might never come - so, the only way out is negotiating, trading, and selling. That's how you'll get the most out of your small farming area at all times.
We'll prosper, get money, and maybe, who knows, get another farming area to plant even more beans.
You'll start the game with 5 Bean cards to plant, initially, on just 2 farms. Your restrictions are:
After you get your cards, the game has one major rule, which is: don't change the order of the Bean Cards in your hand. This is part of the game's mechanics, and makes all the difference in the world.
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Another interesting mechanic is harvesting beans, which you'll have to do often. You'll need to draft a strategy to make sure you get a lot of money whenever you sell your crops. But that won't be that easy.
How much you'll get for each crop depends on how many of that certain type of bean you have, and how rare it is. You'll need a certain number of beans to get a certain number of coins. Each type of bean is peculiar like that.
For instance, the Soy Bean. The card itself has all the information you need.
Let's break it down:
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When you decide to sell, for instance, 2 Soy Beans, you'll get 1 coin. Just put one of your Soy Beans on the discard pile and tap the other Soy Bean face down. That's right, the Coins are on the back of your bean cards. It's that easy!
Please note that, when you decide to harvest your beans, how many beans you have will affect your entire strategy. However, you won't always be able to pick when you want to harvest your beans. It's part of the game.
Now that you know that, let me show you how to play a turn in this game:
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The devil is in the details in this game. At the beginning of your turn, you must plant the first visible Bean Card in your hand. Planting the second Bean Card is optional.
Now, if you have already planted this type of bean on one of your farms, and it is still there, great. If not, plant it on a new farm - if you don't have space, you'll have to figure it out. Sell whatever you've already planted to free up space and plant this 1st card. Sometimes, this will be a struggle.
Now, it's time to get 2 new Bean cards from the main deck and decide if you want to keep them, trade them, or, in the last-case scenario, donate it to another player.
The fact is, once again, you'll face the same dilemma: do you have enough space to plant this bean? Will you have to sell beans again from one of your farms to open up some space? The best way out in this scenario is to negotiate, trade (you can even trade for cards in the active player's hand) or try to mitigate the issue regarding the types of beans you have to plant.
Yes, that's the only thing you can be certain of - you have to plant the beans you got in the previous turn from trading or in any other way. They cannot go in your hand. So, try to manage your beans and farms as well as you can. You'll need your management skills and a lot of strategy.
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To mitigate this issue with farm space, at any point, including if it's not your turn, you can harvest and/or buy a 3rd farm space. This will cost you 3 Coins.
Finally, you'll get 3 more Bean cards and put them in your hand. Keep in mind, they have to go behind all your other cards, and, please note, you can't change the order of the cards in your hand.
That's basically a turn in Bohnanza!
End of the Game
To end the game, you need to know that the cards you get from harvesting will form a stack in the discard pile. You have to shuffle this pile whenever the main deck of cards is emptied. The game ends when the main deck of cards is emptied for the 3rd time. It also ends in the exact turn this happens.
Now, it's time to harvest a final time, and count your score:
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Whoever has more Coins wins! If there is a tie, the tied player sitting furthest away from the player who started the game wins the match!
Tips & Strategies
Bohnanza combines simplicity and strategy in a unique way. It is easy to explain, fast, and fun, but you'll need to be a negotiation expert to win it, as it is the core of the game. Knowing how to trade cards efficiently is how you'll avoid planting Beans you don't want to play, and maximize your profit as well.
At first, each player has 2 farm mats to plant, but you can get a 3rd one for 3 Coins. Before you make this investment, consider how the game is going: if 2 farm mats are enough for you, save your Coins. Otherwise, a 3rd farm mat can make your strategy more flexible.
The order of the cards in your hand is crucial. Planting a bean when you don't want to may disrupt your entire strategy - it may force you to harvest your beans before you planned to, and minimize your profit. Negotiating well is the only way to prevent that. Trading cards, even when it seems unfavorable, can be the key to keep your strategy up and running.
In Phase 2, besides the two cards the active player has to reveal, they can negotiate cards from their own hand. That's the perfect moment to "clean" your hand and get cards that are more useful. Keep in mind: the cards you negotiate will go directly on your farm mats, not your hand.
Bohnanza's dynamic is all about planning and adapting to circumstances. Each decision you make, from negotiating to planting or harvesting, forces you to pay attention to your cards, your strategies, and your opportunities. It is a strategy-based, exciting game that challenges your decision-making skills every turn.
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Unboxing, Rules, and Gameplay Videos
Check out this Unboxing:
Learn the rules:
Watch some gameplay:
Teaching Moments
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If you're looking for a fun, fast game that is easy to teach, and will force you to work on your math skills, logic reasoning, and strategies, Bohnanza is the perfect game for you!
This game is so great that picking its best features is a bit difficult. Besides everything I've already mentioned, it is small, so you can take it anywhere. This makes it an excellent choice for all occasions if you want to have fun, but also learn something.
Its rules are extremely simple and intuitive; you can teach them in minutes. You'll have to use your management skills as well as your math skills and logic reasoning at all times. Furthermore, you'll have to manage your hand, the order of the cards in your hand, how many beans you plant, and so on and so forth.
Not to mention, you'll have to think of a strategy whenever you plant, harvest, trade, and negotiate your beans. You'll have to plan ahead all the time, even if it's not your turn, as your opponents may trade their own cards and offer you something as well. Remain focused throughout the entire game, and you might just win!
Nonetheless, it is still quite fun, as trading can be quite competitive: "I trade this Bean for yours", "I have a better Bean", "I'll give you two for one!", and so on and so forth. You'll laugh a lot and create unforgettable memories.
Bohnanza is a lot of fun, as well as a lesson in math, management, and strategy!
I highly recommend Bohnanza to your collection!!
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