home > Backgammon > My favorite farm - review of the board game “Agricola. New edition

My favorite farm - review of the board game “Agricola. New edition

Liquid

11/18/2013 at 09:41 Liquid

After purchasing Agricola, we only played it for a whole year, and the basic version at that. We can say that I found my tabletop “Holy Grail”.

Nelud
11/18/2013 at 10:18 am Nelud

Mind-blowing Euro. But still not as abstruse as Enough games (Dungeon Petz, etc.). The skill cards and upgrades provide incredible replay value. I played it very little because... I play mostly with my son, but he doesn’t like peaceful themes. But I know two comrades (two different companies) who played it almost to death. In short, if the topic is normal for you, then take it.
RAVE
11/18/2013 at 11:36 am RAVE

played once. Mechanics Cool game, makes you think a lot.
But all these vegetables and livestock are not for me.
Journeyman
11/18/2013 at 11:57 Journeyman

In my opinion, it’s worth playing at least to fill the gap in education. At the very least, you definitely need to get acquainted with the former No. 1 games on BGG. Yes, the euro, the euro is complicated. In terms of variation and variety of development options, one of the best. And how interested you will be... you won’t know until you try.
Julie

At the moment, Agricola is one of my favorite games, but I want to note that I like to play it according to family rules. Without using all those extra decks.
The fact is that the first time we played normal rules, with all the cards and the impression after the game was quite strange, it was not clear how to build a strategy and what and when to do. I even thought about selling the game.
But then on Gravitsapa’s website I read advice to play by family rules. So Agricola got a second chance and became a hit at our home gatherings.
I think it’s one of the best games I’ve ever played and now I won’t sell it for anything! I recommend.
Haras
11/18/2013 at 12:15 pm Haras

Agricola was far from the first board game that my wife and I bought, the ratings are crazy, the popularity is crazy, why not buy it. We bought it and played it five or six times over the course of our time; we periodically remember it, but in the end we play another game.
The game is solid, the replayability, as noted above, is great, the figures, mechanics, everything is great and at a good level (in the Russian edition, however, the tablets are arched - well, whatever).
There is one and main drawback - it is a complex euro. To play at a level you need: a. know cards and their combinations (and there are a lot of cards and combinations); b. simple but massive rules, which can only be felt after nth number parties.
In general, this wonderful game, without a doubt, is on a par with Seasons and the Fight for the Galaxy, games that we play for the most part together with my wife, because of course it is possible to explain all this to a beginner, but only after a while will he begin to understand the essence and meaning of everything that is happening . And as always, he is missing.)))
Dr. Nik
11/18/2013 at 12:16 pm Dr. Nik

Better than blood and gloomy dudes in armor? 🙂
Dr. Nik
11/18/2013 at 12:17 pm Dr. Nik

Well, yes, I somehow have more of a sporting interest in it than a direct great desire to play.
Dr. Nik
11/18/2013 at 12:18 pm Dr. Nik
jehronimo
11/18/2013 at 12:21 jehronimo

Great game. One of the disadvantages is the need to sort through a bunch of wood every turn, filling the cells, but over time it becomes easier. And the tense atmosphere throughout the game is also not for everyone. Plus replay value, excellent balance, good level intellectual challenge. Well good localization, allowing you not to wait for the next order from the USA and buy additional anime characters.
Sandrovsky
11/18/2013 at 12:22 Sandrovsky

3 years ago the game was one of the few in the worker placement genre. Attracted with replayability and lack of large selection games in this direction. Now only the first one remains thanks to the large number of different starting cards. Year 2 was missed due not so much to a lack of interest in the game, but because of a large number of untried new games.
The downside is the long preparation time and a couple of necessary test games to understand the properties of the cards.
There are still few hardcore alternatives
A0243
11/18/2013 at 12:37 A0243

The game I liked at first became a little disappointing after a few games. The system, which is overloaded in some places (poles and stables, special improvements with a separate tablet, etc.), is in some places, on the contrary, sketchy and undetailed (the system of classes, actions with livestock). The design of the cards was done by a very strange person: necessary information like prices and requirements is small and in the corners, and useless information like belonging to the deck is written brightly, large and almost in the center, so it’s inconvenient to read during the game. The chances of winning depend quite strongly on the starting situation, alas, although there is no fatal dependence. There remains a feeling of some kind of incompleteness of the game. General. Although this is already nitpicking.
If you need a good economic strategy, then it is better to focus on something else. We liked Agricola for its interesting setting, generally pleasant design (except for the map) and quite exciting process. And you don't have to count the points. Very good for a break from something more challenging. Well, moving wooden cows is also very pleasant, of course. This is what the game is about.
Oh, by the way, the rules are written to confuse players - they contain dubious innovative solutions such as combining player actions into categories, which completely deprives the player of the ability to quickly find what exactly he should do when he stands on a certain field. They could have scheduled it, but for some reason they scheduled all the classes. The simple gameplay is described in such a way that even the mechanics are incomprehensible apart from the game. I read it three times, but until I sorted it out, I didn’t really understand anything.
In general, we played a dozen times, but due to the presence of better strategies and really interesting recreations, no one has offered to play Agricola for the second year.
SkAZi
11/18/2013 at 12:42 SkAZi

What else I don’t really like is “portions of decisions”, each action is very predetermined further development and you can never be sure (I am, anyway) whether you did the right thing, while it is not always possible to build a strategic line due to the actions of your opponents. More often you have to choose from what is left, rather than from what you really would like. And checking what would have happened if I had done otherwise is quite problematic due to the length of the batch. “Another drink?” - the question is clearly not about this game.
Of the games from Uwe, I still prefer Le Havre; for me, this is the ideal of a brain-crushing euro. In second and third places are Caylus, Container, Steam. This is about the issue of hardcore alternatives. Agricola is somewhere further away.
Dr. Nik
11/18/2013 at 13:00 Dr. Nik

Caylus was playing, somehow it seemed like nothing, men were running back and forth along the city street, something was being produced somewhere, but everything was somehow abstract.
Container is good, it was even interesting to play, but it’s unlikely that you’ll be able to become a specialist in it.
Aganov

Judging by the reviews, Caverna is Agricola 2.0, with less crisis and more freedom. The box is well suited for self-defense when returning late from the game library.
I can't get to Agricola. I didn’t take it for myself, but we don’t end up at game libraries at the same time. For me, the most disgusting factor from it is the hundred thousand components.
Konstantin
11/18/2013 at 01:19 pm Konstantin

For a long time I didn’t want to buy - I was put off by the topic about “ Happy Farm" But after buying it for a few months, the game became a hit on our gaming table. I really like it, I recommend it for purchase.
Booky
11/18/2013 at 01:26 pm Booky

Voted Neutral. Personally, I am attracted to the game because it looks like a harmless game of raising pigs and weeding a garden. But with each round you become more and more tense - the household needs EAT, and EAT is sometimes sorely lacking. Because they took the pigs out from under your nose, or you actually have some kind of incompatible crap in your hand. Overall, a great crisis board game.
On the other hand, there is a long setup and trouble with round tokens. It depends on you, but for a comfortable game I need a set of wooden resource figures.
Spotty
11/18/2013 at 01:26 pm Spotty

>If you need a good economic strategy
For example, what kind?
Dmitriy
11/18/2013 at 01:52 pm Dmitry

Agricola without a doubt great game, even thanks to just one perfectly honed balance. We play it mainly with three of us, in my opinion this is the optimal composition of participants, so less means not enough competition, and more means a lot of downtime. I purchased a set of resources for her (bricks, logs, carrots and other nice elements), as well as anime characters - the feeling is indescribable. I also bought an add-on (with forests and swamps in the areas), but it feels like the add-on greatly upsets the balance. In general, I strongly recommend it.
Greta
11/18/2013 at 14:00 greta

There is a game, but we play 2-3 times a year. It’s difficult to find people who want and know how to play it, but for a beginner, 3-4 hours and a brain explosion from the abundance of possibilities blurs the entire game. Euro is still not my thing, the same song with TeroMistika, we bought it, played it almost every day, now it’s lying there, although sometimes I want it, but the choice falls on either new items or something simpler and faster, or something more atmospheric.
deezynah
11/18/2013 at 02:03 pm deezynah

Neutral. On the one side, good game(you have to take it), on the other hand, it’s been lying on the shelf for two years (you don’t have to take it).
The theme is wonderful, the mechanics work great, the intensity of passions is serious. My wife and I often think about it (she likes the topic even more), we want to play, but in reality it’s always a pity to waste time and effort on this box. For some reason, there is always something newer and more interesting.
Of course, you can have such a game for your collection, but to “play” it, it was worth buying it a couple of years ago, it seems to me.
Alxndr1978
11/18/2013 at 03:22 pm Alxndr1978

I give the game almost 10 out of 10, while voting for “Neutral”... and this is not schizophrenia (oh, if only!). For me, “Agricola” is a kind of block game, a board game “Anna Karenina”: it seems that few people doubt its coolness, but they still read Murakami.
— overall a well-oiled mechanism (there are very strong combinations of cards, but the problem is solved by drafting)
— oddly enough, thematic; the simulated process is present here more completely and clearly than in some vaunted adventure cube throwers
— excellent scalability for any number of participants, a really working solo mode
— flexibility (family and advanced rules are equally playable) — the presence of a bunch of expansions and additions
- again localization, which makes the game accessible to wide sections of the monolingual population
Dialectical cons
- the topic does not “turn everyone on”; a beautiful wrapper, whether we like it or not, plays a role (it is very typical that many comrades who cannot be promoted on Agricola enthusiastically indulge in LordsofWaterdeep (which, in fact, is Agricola-Lite)
— add-ons are not localized and are very language-dependent
— entry threshold: if you play immediately according to advanced rules (it’s different for everyone, my partners very often ask “right away for hardcore”), a person can tragically lose the entire game without understanding a couple of points, which completely spoils the impression
- the result is a little predictable, like a binder lunar calendar for gardeners (especially in a solo game); Yes, the cards and actions of opponents make adjustments, but attempts at radical experiments (such as creating a vegan farm, a real case from practice) are painfully punished by the game mechanism in the final calculation
Warlord1
11/18/2013 at 15:28 Warlord1

The game is strictly for amateurs. For villagers, farmers, lovers Agriculture, as well as people from provincial towns - I recommend purchasing.
For tough wargamers, American thrillers and lovers of fun, action-packed games, it’s worth a try, but they won’t play this more than 1-2 times a year. I advise you to find someone who has the game in their collection and play it once a year.
If playing with younger children school age or who is not in the subject - strictly no cards, there will be a family. Without cards, the game becomes tedious and monotonous, but does not lose its charm :)
In terms of genre, standard, balanced Euro, without direct aggression. It's not a masterpiece, but it doesn't suck either. My GPA is 7.5
Eldjer
11/18/2013 at 15:40 Eldjer

Even if my collection is not so large, I consider Agricola to be the best copy 😉
11/18/2013 at 15:43

It didn’t work at my house. That is, I didn’t go at all.
If we want “to think,” then there are good abstracts for this. If you need to think less and do more, then there is lightweight Ameritrash.
Agricola is somehow neither here nor there, I wouldn’t even call it a pure Eurogame. Besides, I can’t say at what level the complexity and replayability are. So my opinion is that it is highly advisable to try it first, so that it does not cause excruciating pain for the money spent.
Dungeonmaster
11/18/2013 at 03:58 pm Dungeonmaster

Personally, Agricola unexpectedly turned out to be the best family board game - everyone is always ready to play it. And although I don’t really like Euro games, something at one time prompted me to buy it, and I have never regretted it. So if there is a company that is ready to play this, it’s worth buying.
Dr. Nik
11/18/2013 at 16:09 Dr. Nik

The cavern is somehow not budget-friendly, and it’s not expected to be published in Russian yet.
Jim
11/18/2013 at 04:51 pm Jim

complex - there is room to think.
difficult - you can’t play if you’re tired or relaxed. long games (depending on the players).
Complex - not in the sense of rules, but in the sense of possible development options.
We play only the family version (simplified)
I like. If something happens to my game, I'll buy it again.
Definitely take it.
Aganov
In Russian, alas, but among the people of Kaliningrad (I’m leaking a good store) it cost ~2.7k (with 2.5k for Agricola on average in a hospital) - I regret that I didn’t have time to buy it. Banz put a completely inadequate price tag on it.
Trofim
11/18/2013 at 18:04 Trofim

Why not buy it on the iPad? (if you have one, of course) and try the mechanics themselves) For me, board games on the iPad are like a test drive before buying =)
Nelud
11/18/2013 at 6:20 pm Nelud

I heard the opinion that it’s not the most mind-bending thing possible. What are you comparing it to?

Well, that's what I mean! Compared to Khvatilov's games (Dungeon Lords, Mage Knight), then they are more brainless than Agricola, in my opinion. But you have to think more than in some Stone Age.
SSS
11/18/2013 at 6:21 pm SSS

The game was unloved for a long time (for many reasons), but then the iPad version came out and I realized that I was sorely mistaken.
This is a living classic that can be played and played. This is the Starcraft of Euro-games. Replay value, variability and skill play. What more could you want?)))
definitely in favor!
Dr. Nik
11/18/2013 at 6:23 pm Dr. Nik

what's so mind-blowing about Mage Knight? long - yes
Patrick Verona
11/18/2013 at 6:24 pm Patrick Verona

I bought it only because I had heard and read a lot about the game. I wanted to try this hit myself. After two years, the game still has not taken its proper place in tabletop world in the family, it’s unlikely even to be among the twenty most revered, we’re just probably not farmers. After purchase and first three parties I wanted to throw it away and never think about it again - it seemed terribly boring. The next time she got around to it a year later, if not more. I had to repeat the rules, it’s almost like learning them all over again. But here, due to the acquired tabletop experience in other games, the games this time were played with much more interest than when we first met.
I can’t call the game a hit, to be honest, I don’t understand its popularity at all, as well as many other games from the top twenty of BGG, but you need to try to play it. If you have enough patience for the first five games, then after that it will be more interesting; if you don’t have enough patience, you can say that you didn’t feel the game.
We play no more than twice a month, the two of us are tired of it, and if we offer to play it in a group, then people accept the offer without enthusiasm and ask for something else. If, for example, in all other games I try to get certain add-ons with promos, then in Agricola the base from MX is enough for me. We are trying to get rid of absolutely uninteresting games, but this one remains in the collection, probably waiting in the wings
Here I expressed purely my opinion about Agricola at this point in time, you should not take it as a fat minus towards the game and a vote “Against”. We play it a little, in a company of more than two people even less often, therefore the full potential of the farming strategy has not yet been revealed to us. Would I buy it now, knowing what it is or would I like to play all Saturday long in the company?.. More likely yes than no
A0243
11/18/2013 at 6:28 pm A0243

Spotty, for example, Energy Network. Or Puerto Rico. Or, if it’s a really meeple placement, Chronicle. Yes, at least Tzolkin, and he is more dynamic and strategic.
Taran
11/18/2013 at 6:32 pm Taran

When I played Agricola for the first time, I thought that it was not for nothing that the game was in first place (this was three or four years ago). It surprised me with its complexity and thoughtfulness. I even admired it. Plus, she really reminded me of Caillus (Uwe said that he was inspired by Caillus), only more advanced and thought out. I'm loyal to themes and settings, so the farming theme didn't bother me at all. This is an issue to think about before purchasing. I think the advantages are the possibility of solo play and the presence of a simplified family version of the rules. I vote for “neutral” because I can’t say that you should buy it. But the fact that the game is worthy is clear.
Spotty
11/18/2013 at 6:46 pm Spotty

I think the game is not for you
Blindman
11/18/2013 at 07:05 pm Blindman

I think it's worth buying simply because it's a classic of the genre. There will always be an audience for this game, especially since the rules are explained quickly, and even beginners get into it quickly and without problems, and what’s more important, they get fully involved in the gameplay, so that time flies by.
Eol
11/18/2013 at 07:43 pm Eol

A harsh simulator of a crisis manager. There's always not enough of everything. And yes, a classic of the genre. Provided that you like the pure and complex euro. There is almost no place for chance here; the game can be calculated from the first move until the final. And if you want to bring everything you plan to life, it’s better to do it.
Personally, my opinion is that the game is very worthy. However, it’s still a little difficult to hook up with beginners, and in my gaming cell there is a clear preference for Ameritrash. Of the euros, at one time they played more in Puerto Rico.
d1man
11/18/2013 at 07:53 pm d1man

I looked at your ratings on bgg - I’m almost sure that Agricola won’t like it. Although I would still recommend trying it.
I don’t understand those who write that you have to play according to family rules; in fact, this is some kind of completely different game that does not change at all from game to game. Full version, and always with a draft of activity and improvement cards - for me personally, the ideal euro.
Toolmano
11/18/2013 at 07:54 pm Toolmano

Very, very good game, but I would not say that this is exactly the first place. For all its advantages, it has an unexpected drawback - when you have just developed, the game is already over. Well, it’s not the most convenient process of reporting resources when you constantly forget something.
Nelud
11/18/2013 at 07:58 pm Nelud

If only 🙁
I’m expanding my horizons, otherwise I might have missed something. By the way, Petzov was given to me here to try, I just have to study the rules.
SSS
11/18/2013 at 10:28 pm SSS

Is this Eclipse themed? Yyyyyy))))
The fact that the Finnish guys have well reworked Hansa Teutonica, added dice battles and sprinkled it with “space, space, na-na-na” sauce does not mean a game about space. There to Twilight is like to the Moon.
And don’t confuse meepleplacement (Carcassonne) with worker placement (Pret-a-Porter)
Michael
11/18/2013 at 11:06 pm Michael

Game from the top 3 BGG. A seasoned board gamer should definitely try it, because it’s a classic! As for the purchase, my copy remains unplayed.
ssbsweet
11/18/2013 at 11:50 pm ssbsweet

A huge variety of possible party layouts, while maintaining an excellent balance. It's very nice to transfer components from tablet to tablet. There are several variants of rules, namely “family” and full.
The feeling of the approaching end perfectly builds up the atmosphere, but, as it turns out, not everyone likes it.
rinsvind
11/18/2013 at 11:52 pm rinsvind

The game is undoubtedly interesting, but often by the end of the game my head starts to hurt:) there are just a lot of options for developing your farm, there are so many parameters that need to be taken into account that it seemed to me that I was a pilot in the cockpit of an airplane with a bunch of light bulbs, lever buttons and, to be honest, which button is for I didn’t always remember/understand what the answer was 🙂 for our company this euro is a little hardcore, although in general everyone liked it (played about 5 times).
By the way, our games turned out to be quite atmospheric (for the Euro), there were a lot of jokes like - oh, look, the Petrovs live richly or about a pig as a pet...
11/19/2013 at 08:15

Neutral.
We figured it out once and then not completely:
— too many components;
- too many possibilities;
— the arrangement takes too long while you sort and arrange (it’s clear that it’s in bags, but still)
— too many nuances and little things in the rules
- not an interesting topic of farming
— it’s impossible to learn in 1 or even 2 games
Although this is not the point, it seemed to me very similar to Stone Age, which, despite all the missing disadvantages, has only advantages, the same food, a similar theme (but more interesting), less playing time, etc.
zerg7
11/19/2013 at 09:16 zerg7

One of the best and most frequently played hardcore games in my collection, with the most interesting solo mode. I recommend it!!!
Lex
11/19/2013 at 10:12 Leks
Njuse4ka
11/19/2013 at 01:41 pm Njuse4ka

I voted “neutral” only because there is a version on the iPad, which I now play and am not at all sure that I should buy the desktop version (if I have an iPad or iPhone). Since the main disadvantage is... as it is called... micromanagement or something - manipulations with components. The duration of the game is decent (although it directly depends on the number of players), and the game is played much faster digitally. But the game is cool. I highly recommend the game itself. You can play it hard - with upgrade activity cards, you can have a family, or you can do it solo. At the very least, Agricola is definitely worth playing at least once.
Njuse4ka
11/19/2013 at 01:44 pm Njuse4ka

They like to compare everything with Stone Age that is at least somewhat similar to him. Well, what a damn Stone Age... You can learn it in one game (I learned it), there are just a few rules. But the fact that they are poorly written (in my opinion) is another matter.
Spotty
11/19/2013 at 01:57 pm Spotty

Complaining about the number of components in a tabletop (when everyone is screaming for more), this is already some kind of super gourmet tabletop level)
Spotty
11/19/2013 at 14:00 Spotty

Comparing with Stone Age is like a beard joke. Comparisons have been made with Stone Age and Castle of All Time. Like also meeples, you can also get stone and wood. You can compare, but the games are completely different.
Dr. Nik
11/19/2013 at 14:03 Dr. Nik

Well, what? IN Lately a minimum of components rules, a deck from “Thrones” or some “Kneading” with “ Secret Message" And all these piles of cubes and tokens are no longer fashionable.
Spotty
11/19/2013 at 14:25 Spotty

All this is very conditional. When looking at the photos, everyone expects an abundance of components. When you play, you realize that you’ve already strained to shift it all. Therefore, in principle, you appreciate conciseness and all sorts of design solutions when some components are used this way and that.
There are a lot of components, well, damn, this is an economic board game with a bunch of production chains. This is how it should be or not. In these kinds of games, hoarding and the feeling that the good is yours and can be touched is a certain thrill.
In Le Havre, there are generally paper tokens and different markings on both sides, so it’s inconvenient there. And that’s probably because it seemed to me that the tokens were small.
Reznik
11/19/2013 at 11:07 pm Reznik

In short, Agricola is a well thought out game that you should try to play.
Every turn is a lot of options, especially with upgrade cards. The brain is simply boiling with calculations - what is the best thing to do.
Cute theme, feel like a farmer. 🙂 My wife’s favorite game, precisely because of the theme.
The game takes a long time, so we rarely play it. You can't play it if you're tired after work.
Crooked rules. I tried to study the rules separately from the game, but it didn’t work)
Another feature of the game is that tension is constantly felt. You’re always thinking about how to feed everyone) I don’t know if this is a plus or a minus, but it’s interesting :)
20.11.2013 at 08:24

>If a game requires one and a half thousand tokens, markers, cubes, disks, then it must be some kind of unrealistically awesome game
So, I’m also for brevity and design (it’s easier), but if these components are needed, then there’s nothing wrong with them. Especially if they are well made.
Dr. Nik
11/20/2013 at 11:19 am Dr. Nik

On the topic: many, as it turned out, having Agricola in their collection, have never played it themselves. The trend, however.
In Eclipse, yes, there really seems to be an excessive number of components. Even though this all works fine, the setup is killer. A similar impression is left by some (!) wargames, such as Angola or Conflict of Heroes, and also by Mice And Mystics for me personally.
Spotty
11/20/2013 at 11:23 am Spotty

It seems that there are not so many components in the Conflict of Heroes. What's there: a field, hexes on the field, cards, a couple of stacks of tokens (you don't even need to sort them)
Nelud
20.11.2013 at 13:35 Nelud

Product description

If you like leisurely strategy board games, you can buy the game “Agricola (new edition).” She has received many awards as the best family game and has become a recognized leader in the world of strategy. The tabletop will appeal to those who have already appreciated “Puerto Rico” and “Le Havre”.

The new edition is significantly different from the previous one. The number of cards has changed from 360 to 120, special game boards have replaced starting action cards, and the maximum possible number of participants is now four.

Why is it worth paying attention to the game?

Players will have to transform into farmers who need to create and develop their own farm. Each participant represents one family, which at the start has one small plot of land and a small house. Owners need to raise livestock and build habitats for them, cultivate fields, grow vegetables and grain.

One game consists of 14 rounds. In its process, the player needs to select family members and send them to certain jobs, of which there are more and more. Initially, only two people are available, but as the game progresses, their number will increase. To do this, you need to expand your home with additional rooms. All family members must be fed at the end of the round ending with Harvest.

Each turn consists of the following phases:

Preparatory. An additional cell is added to perform actions.
Job. Family members move to the selected cells.
Returning home. After finishing work, relatives go to rest.
Harvesting. The phase in which it is necessary to feed families and harvest ripe crops.

What adds interest to the game is the need to build special pens and fences for the animals - otherwise they may simply escape. Before you start sowing grain, you should plow the field.

The game ends after the 14th round has been played and the last harvest has been collected. The winner will be the one who scores the most game points. They are awarded for grain and vegetables received, animals and family members occupying separate rooms.

For each unoccupied cell of the site, penalty points are awarded. If there is an equal number of points, the participant who receives the maximum amount of building materials wins.

If you want to have a good evening with friends or family, you can buy the game "Agricola (new edition)." It will help develop strategic skills and provide a fun and exciting pastime.

16.01.2018 , In the section

One of the most popular agricultural strategies. Players take on the role of a farmer and his wife. The game starts with a small hut and a bare patch of land. Over a certain number of rounds, farmers expand their holdings as much as possible, build paddocks, own and raise livestock, sow fields, harvest crops and develop comprehensively. A large farm means a large family. The more offspring a married couple manages to produce, the more helpers there will be in their fields and gardens. The greater the chance of becoming a leader among other farmers.

Despite the peaceful theme and, at first glance, not obvious competition, the game is quite tough. This is due to the time frame of the game - the game ends as soon as the decisive 14th round is played. Time flies by and experienced players understand that every action must be well thought out, because any wrong step can result in a loss in the end.

The game can be played by up to 5 players, and a solo mode is also provided. The one who gets the most points at the end of the game wins.

For a detailed review of the game, see the website

Agricola/Agriсola PNP material download

Download the rules for the gameAgricola/AgriсolaCan

You can download materials for the game Agricola/Agriсola

We remind you that the materials of the game “Agricola” are presented for informational purposes only. Respect the manufacturers and buy the original if you like the game.

Medieval history buffs are well aware of the period when a plague raged across Central Europe, claiming lives and crippling economies. Agricola's game takes you back to that time. You don't even have to leave your apartment. You will find yourself around the 17th century, when countries gradually began to recover and survived only through farming.

Overall this strategy game will appeal to both children and adults. It can be played either alone or with six players. The difficulty level is rated above average. In order to score a certain number of points, you need to show intelligence, communication skills and planning skills. You are transported to peasant life at the end of the 17th century. The creator did not think about developing the game for too long. He made it in just 3 months, and it turned out that for several years it has occupied the position of one of the world's bestsellers. Many world awards confirm that people find Agricola interesting, exciting and exciting.

The party requires concentration, strategic thinking, and sometimes communication skills. You can play for 180 minutes, depending on the number of participants. Having understood the simple rules, each of the participants will receive indescribable pleasure from the fun. At the same time, you don’t have to do anything complicated. The main thing is to create your own personal plot, develop it, have children, as well as raise animals and plow the fields. For each of these achievements, the participant receives a certain number of points. They are the ones who will allow him to win in the end.

You need to start everything from scratch. First, a small hut is built, an empty field is sown, and then it all develops and improves. But we shouldn’t forget about the recent famine. After all, if you are not diligent, everything can happen again. The work will be difficult, smoky, and dangerous.

The game "Agricola" will take you to the 17th century

Now you're a farmer

The game Agricola makes a real farmer out of each participant. In the entire history of family board games, it is one of the best. Until now, it occupies a leading position in its segment in terms of sales and world ratings. Over the entire period of its existence, it was awarded 30 medals.

But this toy does not come in the original box. The latter did not have 360 cards (the new one has 120) and the actions began with an algorithm. Now participants can use cards in the form of tablets. The design of both the field and resources has changed significantly. That is, now everything here has been improved and improved.

Agricola is an exciting adventure, which will help you feel like a real farmer. The role-playing character will try to feed his family, create resources, and develop his farm. There are cells with actions, but the player must also exchange resources for missing ones, harvest crops, give birth to children, and strive to turn his two-room hut into a farm estate. He should have a dwelling made of stone, around which there are many fields and stables.

Supplied in boxes with the following components:

A card that acts as the main tablet and is assembled like a puzzle;
Additions to the table, with the help of which points are calculated;
Maps showing farms;
Special improvements;
Room and field tokens made square so that they can be placed on the main field faster and easier;
Additional tokens, for six participants;
Food in the amount of 44 pieces;
120 cards;
10 product markers;
Three tips.

There are rules, a notepad, various stickers, additional applications, and chips made from environmentally friendly wood.

Equipment

What can you do

In the game, actions are divided into two types. This can be an expense as well as resource extraction. By completing them, the farmer will be able to expand and create his own household farm. He must try to plow and sow his plot with grain, vegetables, and raise animals. He can buy and breed cows, pigs, and sheep.

The rules provide for various tasks that provide additional points and benefits. One of the main tasks is to expand the house and rebuild it, erect a fence, and a specialized barn suitable for livestock.

The house is rebuilt first into a wooden room, then into a clay hut, and then it can be made into stone. In the process, you can make several rooms out of two and complete them. Don't forget about the offspring. After the children grow up, they will also help with the housework.

Playing field and main components

War for resources

Board game Agricola consists of 14 rounds. Each participant must try to complete the level using everything to the maximum. It will not be possible to constantly develop, because you may not have enough resources. Rivals will try to be highly competitive.

There is a concept in the rules called harvest time. This period will allow the family to feel confident and eat enough. For each family member, you need to donate 2 units of food to the game bank to continue your journey. If this is not enough, the participant receives penalty points. They will be calculated at the end of the game, when calculating the final points. You need to try to develop and improve the economy, and get food, that is, feed your family.

Field assembled

What resources are there?

There are several types of resources in the game. But there are two main ones. It's about about growing grain and raising animals. In the first case, cultures must be created independently. First, the beds are dug up in the selected area. Next, after the grain has grown, you need to build the tiles and bake the bread.

In order to breed animals, it is necessary to install pens, and then stables. You can raise cows and pigs. A large kitchen is being built for cutting them.

The main resources are animal breeding and grain growing

How can everything be improved?

Throughout the game, participants may come across a card called improvement cards. The mark in the upper right corner indicates which building or resource can be made better with its help. Below is painted possible effect. You can improve a well, hearth, oven, pottery workshop, as well as other buildings. By using such a bonus, you can get additional points. They will allow you to beat your opponents.

Everything has been raised, you can have children

After making basic improvements and at the moment when the player understands that he can feed not only himself and his husband/wife, but also an additional number of participants, he can have children. The child will subsequently help on the farm and field. That is, without him, the family of farmers is considered incomplete.

Game process

Diplomacy is important too

When playing a board game, you need to divide your farming responsibilities. Each participant must consider how to manage resources and hire additional workers if finances allow. The shortage of resources is felt very acutely at the very beginning of the process, as well as at any other time. In order to feed yourself, you can exchange resources from other participants. Therefore, diplomacy skills will be needed here. You need to be friends with your neighbors.

You can hire additional workers if finances allow

Who will like it

This board game will appeal to people who love economic strategies, calculating each subsequent step. Children from 12 years old can participate in it so that they can fully enjoy the process and understand all the rules.

It is also suitable for those who are just starting to get acquainted with board games.

We recommend purchasing it as a gift to friends, relatives, and acquaintances. And also, she will not be out of place in the family, spending a lot of time together. If you have a free minute in the evening, you can make it really exciting.

Both children and adults will enjoy playing the game "Agricola"

Rules of the game

In fact, this board game is not difficult to play. Its rules are simple and easy to understand. That is why even children over 12 years old can play it. For those who are picking up the box for the first time, we recommend that you first read the instructions. There are two whole volumes of rules that need to be studied.

The only thing worth noting is that each family will live exclusively for itself and develop its own household. Interaction with other players comes down to the exchange of resources. But it is almost impossible to help or harm your opponent.

Regardless of how many participants there are, the rules of the game practically do not change. You can even play it alone. The difference lies solely in the starting cells, which you will have to stand on on the starting line. In general, cards, professions, and improvements do not change.

The structure of a move can be divided into several phases. The first of these is called preparation. The participant must take the top card on which the action is written. He puts it in a cell and does what is written on it in several stages. In the first round there are 4 of them, in the second the number is reduced to 3, but in the third it increases to 6, and in the fourth there is only one.

The main stage is the working phase. A relative is placed on the action space. If there is no character who is a helper, this step is skipped. Further, all actions are divided between relatives. After they have done everything necessary, they are placed back in the cells.

The last phase is harvesting. It is necessary to collect what grew in the fields, feed family members, and raise animals. But this stage is not available in all rounds.

Now let's talk a little more about each phase.

Preparing for the game

Before starting a batch, you need to prepare all the components needed for it. This is done quite simply. The participant chooses a color either independently or by drawing lots and takes the player’s personal tablet. Two relatives are placed in different rooms of the hut.

With the help of the remaining available gaming participants, a so-called reserve is created. Next, tokens are formed and placed in piles. They are double-sided, so they are suitable for both a stone house and a mud hut or hut.

This is what a player's personal tablet looks like

Then you need to collect the field. It looks like a puzzle. You can play in any part of the game. The final part, which will count points, is attached to the main screen with additional actions. During the process, you may need additional tablets on which possible actions are written. Decide right away whether you will use them.

Then you will need to take:

Card for special improvements. It is located on a thematic tablet in a certain sequence;
Map of simple improvements. It is made in orange color. There are several of them in the deck. Therefore they need to be shuffled. Each participant is given 7 pieces;
Profession card. There are also several of them, so a deck is formed. The number of participants is taken into account. This rectangle has marks that allow you to create a stack. If only 2 people will participate, you must choose 1+ cards. For three, 3+ is added to 1+. Four people will need the entire set. Everyone gets 7 pieces.

The action cards also form a deck. After all this is done, you need to choose a beginner. He receives two food tokens and the corresponding card.

The remaining participants can take 3 food tokens. At the same time, all types of animals, building materials, and food tokens are placed in piles. We recommend placing them next to the field to make playing convenient.

Further

After determining the starting player, the order of actions is passed clockwise. One by one, participants must place relatives in the action box until everyone is ready to begin.

Game process

The first step is to build a farm. A relative is put on the field. The player must consider whether to build a house or a barn. After paying for a certain amount of a resource, it is added to the game tablet.

For example, a participant decided to finish building a hut and paid for two rooms. The latter are added to those already installed. That is, there should be no gap on the field between the premises placed at the very beginning and the purchased ones.

An interesting nuance. If relatives are present in the rooms, additional meters cannot be added. But, in the second stage, you may come across a card called house redevelopment. Then, regardless of whether people are in housing or not, you can pay a fixed amount of resources and turn the house into a mud hut or stone building. Completed rooms are also replaced with new ones. It is recommended to build as many similar premises as possible, because relatives can live in each of them. They are helpers on the farm. Therefore, the actions a participant can perform in one round depend on their number. There can be 5 rooms in total. That is, the number of relatives is limited to five people.

The barn is built on empty cells. One building continues another. It does not need to be connected to similar buildings. That is, they can be placed in any space. There are 4 of them in total.

About 5-7 years ago, the theme of farming in board games was very popular. On the Internet (including RuNet), many reviews of games often appeared in which you had to plow the land, grow something on it, build barns for animals and breed them.

To be honest, I first wanted to write in the introduction that the farming theme is now not as popular as it used to be, but when I looked at the top games on this topic, I realized that I was wrong - games with such a theme are still being released, and they are quite successful. I don't know why, but I feel like there were too many farming games between 2007 and 2013. They were an eyesore, prevented me from getting involved in board games normally, and frightened me with their “heuristicness” (I’m kidding, of course). In 2012, I tried the top European game at that time - Agricola . The acquaintance was unsuccessful, and even a second attempt to make friends with the game did not bring anything good.

After 5 years Agricola got close to me again arm's length. Before me is the “New Edition”, and today I want to tell you about it, because my opinion about Agricole (spoiler alert!) has changed 😉

How to build muscle with Agricola?

A new edition recently appeared in my collection Agricola , published by the largest Russian publishing house Hobby World . Probably, many of you would be interested to know how the new edition differs from the old one, which HW published many years ago. Unfortunately, I won’t be able to do a comparative analysis, because the “old” Agricola , which I played 4 years ago, was not mine, and there were no pictures left in my head from which I could draw any conclusions. Therefore, in this review I will only talk about the “new” edition, which can now be found on sale without problems.

Whether in the old or the new edition, the first thing that makes the game stand out is its weight. The box is very heavy because it is chock full of cardboard and wooden components. Therefore, instead of weights in the morning, you can lift a box Agricola =) Or better yet, two at once 😉

Agricola It will definitely appeal to those people who like to squeeze out components, put them in bags, and stick stickers on meeples. I'm just the kind of fetishist who needs more ingredients, so I spent a wonderful half hour studying the contents of the box.

So, what can I say about the quality of performance. Everything is pretty well done. The wooden components are clearly not Russian, because they don’t make them like that in Russia. They are made perfectly and feel nice to hold in your hands. The cardboard seems to be good too, if your hands are not crooked, then everything will pan out well. The cards do not seem to be made of thin cardboard; they are shuffled like in the best gambling houses. The playing field is composite, the parts of the field fit perfectly into the grooves (only the insert for three players fit in with a little difficulty), the cardboard is not “humpbacked”.

Hand on heart, I will say that I liked the way it was made Agricola (although the version of the famous blogger copy is not excluded ( sarcasm enabled)). I was more than satisfied with everything in the box. But still, there were some small rough edges. My copy was missing 5 blue meeples. This is not the worst thing that could happen to my box. A true board gamer should always have meeples of all colors and sizes on hand that can be pulled from other games. As a last resort, I always have colored pebbles for this purpose. Nevertheless, there is no point in crying and sobbing if the components are missing. As soon as it was discovered that my blue meeples remained somewhere in a warehouse in Moscow, I immediately contacted customer support. I filled out the form, left my return address, and now I’m waiting for greetings from Moscow. I advise everyone who is faced with a shortage not to look for the truth on various desktop forums, but to quickly write to the HW support service. There are good guys and girls working there who will quickly sort it out and help you with the problem 😉

There is a man, a woman, a hut, a pitchfork and a shovel. What to do next?

Actions in Agricole take place in an interesting period of time - central Europe around 1670. Until recently, a plague raged, making it impossible to live without fear, but it seems that calm times have finally arrived, and the villagers can again do their favorite thing, forgetting about other problems. Players play the role of such poor but purposeful villagers, who so far have only 2 relatives (let them be husband and wife), a small plot of land with a built house with 2 rooms (one for each relative) and a small supply of food.

The players' task is to build a cool farm with a vegetable garden, stables, pastures and mansions instead of a run-down hut.

In the game box you will find 2 rule books. One book talks about the main points of the game, and the second goes into detail on different gaming nuances. I will not talk in detail about how to properly build your farm, because the purpose of my review is not a verbatim retelling of the rules. But I will certainly be happy to talk about the general principles of the game.

Agricola is a game with worker placement mechanics. Moreover, in my opinion, this is one of the best games with such mechanics. I would recommend starting to get acquainted with this mechanics from the game Stone Age , which is done just 10 out of 10, and then you can safely move on to Agricole e, which will make your brain work a little harder than in the Stone Age.

Party in Agricola is divided into 14 rounds, in each of which players perform actions by placing their workers on action cells placed on the playing field. The gameplay is extremely simple - if you have a free meeple in the house, then you place it on one of free cells and carry out its action. At the very beginning of the game you will only have 2 meeples and a small number of action slots. But with each round there will be more and more cells and the proposed actions will become more diverse. The appearance of new cells is due to the laying out of a new action card. There are exactly 14 such cards in the game - according to the number of rounds. In addition to these cards, players have access to starting cells that bring wood and clay tokens, allow them to plow a field, take a grain token, get a first player token, learn a profession, etc. The slots on the action cards will allow you to learn more about farming. They will allow you to raise animals, bake bread, plant grains and vegetables, mine stones, have children, remodel your house, etc.

After all available workers have been placed on the playing field, players take them back and prepare for a new round by opening new map actions and filling cells that have the property of accumulation with new resources.

Some rounds end with harvesting (they are marked on the playing field with a special icon). This is a very important phase that players need to get to in advance. During this phase, players harvest from their fields, if anything grows on them, feed their relatives (you need to spend 2 food for each relative, but if there is not enough food, the player receives a penalty of -3 points) and receives new animal tokens on their pastures if certain conditions are met.

At the end of the 14th round, the final harvest occurs and players move on to counting victory points. Points are given for a variety of indicators - for the number of plowed fields, for pastures, for grains and vegetables, for animals, for built barns and rebuilt dwellings, for purchased improvements. Also, in addition to positive points, you can also get negative ones. Players are penalized for empty cells on farms on which nothing has been built, and for begging tokens, which are given out for not having enough food to feed your relatives. Then all the points are summed up and the winner is revealed.

Agricola. A few years later

I really want to tell you the story of why... Agricola I didn’t succeed at everything right away, and why did I still return to her? Probably, when you first get acquainted with the game, to get impressions it has great importance the way the rules of this game were explained to you. In my case it was " let’s get started, you’ll figure it out as you go.”, and it was impossible to do that.

Agricola - This is a game in which anything is possible. The main thing is that the cell is free and you can occupy it. In this game it is impossible to miss a turn due to the fact that all the cells have been occupied. Can't take a tree? Take clay. No clay? Take the reed. No reeds? Start plowing the field. This freedom creates the illusion that you are doing everything right. It’s like you’re saving up resources, plowing the land, growing something.

The first trouble I encountered during the game was that I needed to feed my relatives. I immediately picked up fines for begging and until the very end of the game I was offended by other players who stole food from under their noses. I finished that first game with a negative final result. Can you imagine? At the end of the game I was down, while the other players with points were doing well. I was surprised when I found out that there were no cows, pigs, arable land, etc. you get penalty points. It's all flower berries when they don't tell you before the game what and how to do. Flipping through the rules the day before Agricola , I discovered that scoring is written literally at the very beginning of the rules so that players know what to strive for.

In the second game, I already knew that there is never too much food in this game, so I immediately threw all my energy into getting food tokens. What can I tell you - I really didn’t have any problems with food. But my relatives clearly did not have enough strength to set up a farm, so even though I fed them well, I was not able to build a cool farm. In the end, I only scored about 5 or 6 points. At least it’s not a minus anymore =)

The theme of the game also did not please me with bright colors. Since childhood I have not liked digging in the garden. The prospect of planting or harvesting potatoes soon makes me despondent. That’s why I didn’t find any romance in the topic of farming. As a result, I considered the game unsuitable and forgot about it.

This was all in 2012, when I admired games about space, robots, orcs, elves, knights, etc. and so on. A couple of years later the situation changed somewhat. I discovered Stone Age and wanted to get acquainted with other games in a similar genre. How surprised I was when, upon request for BGG, I was given Agricola , which was at the top of the list. And then it dawned on me that Agricola And Stone Age - really games from the same cohort. IN Agricole We, too, as in the Stone Age, place workers on action cells and receive bonuses for this, which can then be spent on various improvements. The discovery of this fact blew my mind, because now I could no longer relate Agricole the way he treated her before. Next, I bought the game on the Appstore and started learning it on my own. Nobody bothered me with advice, I learned from my mistakes, watched how I behaved artificial intelligence, which cells he most often chooses, and put the acquired knowledge to use. Application Agricola taught me to understand the game correctly, and I really wanted to try to play with live players as soon as possible.

And here it helped me a lot that the publishing house Hobby World decided to return again to the game, which they had once published, but its circulation had long since ended. Release of a new edition Agricola was great news that pleased all those who had long wanted to get acquainted with the game, but did not know how to do it.

The new edition has cosmetic improvements, i.e. The game hasn't been remade so much that it becomes completely unrecognizable. The playing field has changed a little, the wooden chips have become more beautiful (now you can visually easily distinguish a grain from a vegetable). The box is still jam-packed with components and as heavy as a brick. In terms of gameplay, the game remains the same.

In his first installment in the new edition Agricola I experienced, I’m not afraid of this word, the thrill of gameplay. Now I’m a grated kalach, and I know that I need to think through the mechanism for getting food in advance. Throughout the game I had no problems with food. AT ALL. You know, it's such a nice feeling that you finally learned how to play a game that used to annoy you. Now, if someone tells me that Agricole the whole problem is food, then my answer is that you simply don’t know how to play.

Without a doubt, this is the same worker placement that I love so much. All player actions depend on the selected cells. The game has a very simple system of relationships between the player and the game - everything you can do is written on the playing field. I have already mentioned that at first it seems that all actions are equally useful, but in fact, when choosing solutions, you need to proceed from the optimal possibilities. Every move you make, you think about what will bring the most benefit and what to take if another player takes the cell you have your eye on. 4 years ago I could take 6 clay tokens and then not know where to put it. Now, first of all, I think about what is most relevant and necessary at the moment.

No stranger will be able to get into your garden. Your farm is just your farm, and let others be jealous that everything is prospering for you. IN Agricole You can't destroy something for someone. In this regard, the game is peaceful, and it is aimed at creation. But there is one interesting thing in this game that makes players worry, and sometimes even harbor resentment. The fact is that on any cell in Agricole There can only be one meeple. If a place that is tasty for you has already been taken, then you will have to wait for the next round, when the meeples return to their homes and you can occupy this cell. And it’s not a fact that you will be able to do this if you do not own the first player piece. It is not profitable to go last in this game. Moves are not transferred to each other. The first player's piece can only be intercepted by occupying a certain cell. It often happens that, having only two relatives on hand, you want to occupy 3 or 4 cells, each of which is really, really needed, and you don’t know how to split between them. I really like this moment, especially if the choice greatly affects the final situation.

Beginner mode involves not playing with upgrade and profession cards. I agree that this is a completely suitable option for getting to know the game. Using the cards assumes that you are at least somewhat familiar with the game. But without them, playing is quite boring if this is not your first time playing. Upgrade and profession cards make each game different from the other. These cards are given to players randomly at the beginning of the game, 7 of each type. Over the course of the game, players can learn professions and purchase upgrades that make certain things easier or better for players. For example, you can cut down wood more efficiently, get extra food, or ensure that you get extra victory points at the end of the game. It is absolutely not necessary to try to play all the professions and upgrades that come your way. You don't have to play them at all if they don't suit you at all. But sometimes they are of great benefit if you play an upgrade or profession at the right time. In another game you will get different cards, so you cannot play 2 identical games. This way the game offers variety.

Agricola - is not easy game. By easy I mean a game in which everything you do brings benefits and victory points. For example, in Stefan Feld's games everything is exactly like this. But Uwe Rosenberg is the author of a different plan. Build absolutely everything in Agricole very hard. The crisis is still felt. For example, you need cows, but they only appear towards the end of the game, and, oddly enough, they are needed not only by you, but also by other players, so cows will be in high demand. Remember about the cell occupied by another player? That's the same, you can't yawn in this game, because someone might intercept something you need. In my opinion, in this game you need to try to pay attention to a little bit of everything, and this is exactly my favorite style of play.

The difference between different numbers of players is quite small. It consists only in a different number of starting cells that players can occupy in the first round. In all other respects, the game remains the same - both the number of rounds and upgrade/profession cards does not change. To be honest, I haven’t played with two players, but I didn’t notice much of a difference between 3 and 4 players. I like competition more, so I like the 4-player option better. I suppose that with two players the player is less worried about not being able to get to the right cell, but when you play with four players, the cell that gives you the first player chip becomes very valuable.

As I already mentioned, Agricola - the game is slow. But smart. It cannot be used as a filler in any way, because it eats about 1.5-2 hours of free time. But at the same time, after one game I personally have a desire to play again. Well, this can also be a plus for the game.

I really like it in Agricole plan and hope that my plans come true. In your head you build a chain of actions with which you plow, plant, reproduce and build something. And at some point, your plans will inevitably collapse (always remember that the game is in crisis!) and you need to urgently change your plans. Yes, you no longer have enough wood, you can’t build a fence, the cells with food are occupied. What to do, what to do... I love it.

It's amazing how my opinion about the game has changed. Before I didn’t understand how you could play this, now I don’t understand how you can not play it =)

Roughness

Let's talk a little about the disadvantages and various specific game moments. I am in no hurry to say that Agricola is a masterpiece of tabletop game design. This game also has a lot to trip over.

I'll start with the setup and preparation for each game round. This all takes quite a lot of time, and the person preparing the game needs to be very careful not to make mistakes. I remember very well how in the first game, which was played a long time ago, the owner of the box said: “ This game needs to be electronic so that the computer does everything for you.". And it’s also good that many of the components are distributed in bags. Without them it would be completely bad. Personally, it bothers me a little after each round to take bags of wood in my hands and take turns placing resources on the cells with an accumulation effect. But there is no escape from this - this is the specificity of the game itself.

Diversity and uniqueness in the game is achieved with the help of upgrade and profession cards. Without them, the game becomes a bit dry. But cards, as we know, always lead to merciless randomness. Yes, indeed, one player may receive a lucky card, while the other player will not have anything interesting in his hands. This can easily happen, and it can only be cured by a draft, which is described in the rules of the section on other game options.

The game is quite cruel towards beginners. Most likely, you will suffer a major defeat in the first game. To understand how the game works, you need to play it at least a couple of times. Therefore, experienced “agricole players” can easily deal with beginners. This fact may be taken with offense by some players who do not like to lose because they did not immediately understand what and how to do. Something like this happened to me when I was angry at the game and my opponents because I could not feed my relatives. With each new batch you will gain experience, which will tell you how to properly develop your farm. You just need to always think through a mechanism for accumulating food at the very beginning. This can be done through field plowing, sowing, pots and home fires. Believe me, there will be enough food options even if you play with the maximum squad.

For some, the lack of conflict may seem like a bad characteristic. Of course, you can occupy a cell that someone desperately needs, but you cannot influence the development of someone else’s farm. There is no tribute, divine intervention or apocalypse in the game. If you have got pigs, then no one will steal them from you, unless you use them for meat yourself. So in some way Agricola - this is really digging in your own garden (tablet).

The rules of the game are quite clear, I can’t call the game difficult to understand, but still there are plenty of nuances in it. In the box with the game you will find 2 rule books, each of which must be read carefully and preferably more than once. When I played the new edition, for the first 3 games I quite often turned to the rules to resolve any issue. And no matter how hard I tried, mistakes still leaked into our games. Who said that building your own farm is easy?

I would call the design of the game mediocre. The game does not try to amaze you with its illustrations and color palette. I would even say that Agricola more about text than pictures. The artist tried to make interesting art for the room tiles, but his people turned out to be quite funny. Therefore, if someone expects dizzying beauties from the game, they will not get them. On the other hand, the green color is pleasant, relaxing, and nothing cloying Agricole I do not find. I really like all the wooden components, especially the animal figures. But mostly on the cards and the playing field you will read the text rather than look at the illustrations.

As you remember, I used to hate the game for its theme. Vegetable gardening is hard labor for me, so what kind of romance can there be in the topic? =) However, now I have become more relaxed about the topic of gardening, because there are still fewer games with such a theme being released than before, and they don’t appeal to me calluses. Hand on heart, I will say that Agricola , probably the best game with this theme that I have played. It's more important to me that it's a good game with great mechanics than that it's a gardening game. If the topic is more important to someone, then he Agricola may not come in.

I can also note this point - if in the middle of the game you realize that you missed something at the beginning and were unable to develop correctly, and everything is going more than successfully for one of your opponents, then you are unlikely to be able to catch up with the leader. At least I can't do it. Therefore, sometimes it happens that by the 9th or 10th round you lose interest in the game, because you understand that you will not get first place.

Bottom line

I'll tell you honestly, I'm glad that Agricola appeared in my collection. Still, it was not in vain that after numerous games with AI in an electronic application I wanted to try playing Agricola. New edition with live players. I got a lot of pleasure from a “live” board game that you can touch with your hands. I liked the new wooden components, and the playing field with the “bitten” edges also seemed interesting to me.