Bohnanza

Bohnanza is the delightful original game that sparked the popular Bohnanza family of games, and it has been joyfully reimagined in several editions, including the vibrant 2023 version featuring flowers!

This entry showcases key sets for Bohnanza: the classic base game designed for 3-5 players, the expanded version accommodating 2-7 players (which includes the first expansion), and the compact Bohnanza Pocket edition.

In Bohnanza, players dive into a captivating world of planting and harvesting bean cards to earn invaluable coins. Each participant begins with a hand of assorted bean cards, each marked with a number that indicates how many of those beans are in the deck. What sets this game apart is its unique rule: you cannot rearrange the order of your cards! This restriction challenges players to think strategically about the order of play or engage in exciting trades with fellow participants.

On your turn, you must plant the first one or two cards from your hand into your "fields." Each field is dedicated to a single type of bean. If a new type of bean does not match any existing fields, you’ll need to harvest one to make space—adding an extra layer of tension!

Next, you’ll reveal two fresh cards from the deck. The trading phase then begins, where you can exchange these revealed cards, as well as any from your hand, with other players. Be bold! Make future promises during these trades to sweeten the deal. After all trading is complete (and remember, only the active player can initiate trades), finish your turn by drawing cards from the deck and adding them to the back of your hand.

Beans are harvested for coins based on the amount of bean cards in each field and the corresponding "beanometer" for that specific bean type. Flip over 1-4 cards from your field to convert them into coins, then place the leftover cards into the discard pile. Once the deck is depleted, shuffle the discards and replay through the deck two more times. When the game draws to a close, players can harvest their own fields, and the player with the most coins is crowned the winner!

The original German edition supports 3-5 players. The English edition from Rio Grande Games includes the first edition of the German expansion in a slightly oversized box. A notable difference? The Weinbrandbohne (Brandy Bean) card #22 was swapped out for the Wachsbohne, or Wax Bean. This edition also accommodates games of up to seven players, like the Erweiterungs-Set, while adapting the two-player rules from Al Cabohne to bring the fun of Bohnanza to just two players!