Theme: Farm those beans!
Company: Amigo
Type: Card
# of Players: 3 to 7 (with expansion)
Avg. Game Time: 30 minutes
Rating: 

   Ken Says: An original game concept with simple mechanics and loads of player interaction, to paraphrase a movie review, "This is the Ride!".
   Admittedly, explaining how the game works is rather complicated, so here goes.   Each player begins the game with five bean cards in their hand and two planting fields in front of them.  On your turn, you must plant at least one bean and can plant one more.  The bean you plant must match what is already in the field, otherwise that bean gets "cashed in" and the new one takes it's place.  Then you draw two cards from the deck and place them in front of you.  Now you can trade those cards with any player for ones you would like to get. You can spice the deal by adding cards from your hand.  After the trade, you must plant those cards (unless you just gave them away) in your fields.  Then you draw three cards from the deck and it's the next players' turn.  Got it? I hope so.
   There are eight types of beans.  Each of them is worth a particular amount of "tallies", depending on how many you can collect in your field before cashing them in.  Sometimes, you have to cash them in early to make way for new beans, whether you like it or not.
   Now, what is very important is that you cannot change the order of cards in your hand.  This little quirk is what makes the game so much fun and challenging.
   Also, for the price of three tallies, you can purchase a third field. However, at least in my gaming group, this is rarely a good strategy.  Especially since the games are usually decided within two or three tallies.
   After three times through the deck, each player tallies up his cash.  The richest player wins. If there is a tie, they both win because there is no tie breaker.

Pros: As stated above, this game is nearly perfect.  It's especially easy to learn, so getting reluctant friends and family members involved is no problem.

Cons: None beyond the parameters of the game.  My usual rants about no long term strategy and luck factor just do not apply here.

Tips
For those who are enamored enough to buy this game of bean farmin';

- Unless you can do so before the middle of the first deck is completed, I would recommend against purchasing a third field.  It's hard to make up the three talers spent if you do it later in the game.  Also, most games of Bohnanza are decided by only a point or two, so think carefully before you decide to purchase that third field.

- No one in his right mind is going to trade the "Psycho" bean unless they get a great deal in return.

- Remember that trades are not manditory, you can deny someone if you think that they're ahead in the game.  But you can also make a friend by making a bad trade (for you), then asking for a favor later on.

Addendum: Recently, an English version of this game was produced.

Ken Says: