Bohnanza The Bean Planting Game
by GeorgiaBoardgamer on Jan.24, 2008, under boardgame articles
This is a fine gateway game and also one that spouses (women 
) tend to like. Not so fun with two players, though. I can only stand to go through the deck once. I enjoy the set collection and negotiation, but the game gets tedious. Perhaps I was tired that night and it could have been because I was playing my son. We were learning it. The forced order of the hand adds complexity, but almost makes it too difficult to predict future needs. But without this forced hand ordering management, the game mechanics alone would be boring quickly. I’m not sure I understand the popularity of this game.
2 comments for this entry:
March 7th, 2008 on 8:38 pm
Were you playing this game with only two people? I wouldn’t recommend that. The game box says three to eight, and I would say it is best with five or more. Two players gives you far too few people to trade with, and little incentive to do so since you’re only helping your only opponent. Also, I think you’ll find that going through the deck the second and third times doesn’t take as long as you would expect. Normally, so many cards have been removed from the deck by this time (because they have been scored as coins or in someone’s bean field) that the last two decks together take quite a bit less than the first. Again, playing with only two is going to skew this and make it last far too long.
I suggest trying this game again with five or more players before making a final judgement.
March 8th, 2008 on 4:25 am
I was finally able to play it with three people and one of them was experienced at playing Bohnanza. It was really fun and I can’t wait to play it again. Thanks for the comment on the board game.