Name: Agricola
Publisher: Z-Man Games
Players: 1-5
Ages: 12+
Playing Time: 2 Hours
Download Rules
Agricola is a farming game that is both imaginative and strategically fulfilling to even the most competitive gamer. As a player, you begin your life with nothing but your spouse, a modest two-room house, and a plot of unworked land. You must decide how to better your situation and feed your family. Will you use what little you have to gain employment, plow a field, buy animals, or make improvements to your home? Will the proceeds raised from harvest be enough to put food on the table? Can you expand your home in time to raise the children you've always wanted? You are the only one who can make these decisions. There are many paths to take, but the most successful ends in the highest valued estate and the most victory points at the end of the game.
The game of Agricola is all about the opportunity costs associated with building a profitable farming operation. Many activities are available to consider, such as plowing fields, sowing seeds, purchasing animals, and growing one's family. In each round, each action can only be selected by one player, so choosing the most profitable options for yourself is of great importance. As the game progresses, more opportunities become available, but the competition for them increases as well. After each group of rounds, harvest time comes, and each player must feed his growing family. If too little food has been produced, the only recourse is begging on the streets, and beggars receive negative victory points that are crippling to their score at the end of the game.
Agricola was a fun bonus to a vacation Bryant and I recently took to Washington D.C. While staying with our cousin, we both came down with illnesses (getting sick on vacation seems to be a growing trend in our family). Luckily, our hosts had quite a board game collection, including the Settlers of Catan (one of my favorites) and this game, Agricola. Since neither of us had ever played Agricola, we were eager to learn, and it was a perfect way to pass the time during those unfortunate days while we were stuck at home instead of touring our nation's capitol.
For having such a depth of strategy, Agricola is very straightforward and easy to learn. Its rules make sense, and it features multiple levels of complexity for a variety of audiences. When we were starting out, we played the simplified Family Game version, which omits the decks of minor improvements and occupations. Even in this simple version, the game is well-balanced with great deal of strategy. In later games, we played the full version with all the decks, which has a nearly endless variety of strategies available. Thanks to these large decks, it is clear that Agricola will not grow old anytime soon.
I appreciate the creativity that players can exercise while playing Agricola. It strikes me as a game that can be enjoyed by a broad spectrum of people. Usually, games as strategic as Agricola are not enjoyed by the majority of players, as they are too complex for ordinary people to endure. Something about the sense of accomplishment that comes from building a farm, however, appeals to nearly everyone. This makes it much easier for strategy-lovers such as myself to find opponents.
I was also impressed by the quality of the game's content, as it comes with many unique cards and wooden pieces. The manufacturer clearly did not skimp on the production. Be forewarned, however, that the game does take a lot of space, and is nearly impossible to play without a table.
Agricola is a wonderful game of strategy, and leaves its players with a sense of accomplishment and pleasure. It's definitely made my top ten list of favorite games, and I trust that others looking for interesting strategic games will not be disappointed by its quality. I cannot recommend Agricola highly enough.
