Agricola

2007

Embrace a farmer's life with Agricola! Plow fields, build fences, expand your home, and strategize to thrive. Experience varying complexity levels with multiple card decks.

150
minutes

1 - 5
player(s)

12+

Medium Heavy

About the game

Agricola is a captivating board game that transports players back in time to the 17th century, a time when families were self-sufficient and living off the land. Crafted with meticulous attention to detail, the game presents a realistic and immersive portrayal of the farming lifestyle during this era.

In Agricola, each player takes on the role of a farmer in a wooden shack with their spouse and little else. Over the course of the game, players will strive to improve their life by toiling in fields, building their home, raising animals, and expanding their family. The game’s name itself, ‘Agricola’, is Latin for ‘farmer’, reflecting the game’s strong theme and setting.

Game components Unboxing the fun!

Agricola is a popular board game that centers around the theme of farming. The game includes a variety of components, each of which has a specific role and interaction within the game:

1. Game Boards

The game includes several boards. There are five individual farmyard boards, one for each player, where players will build their farms. There’s also a large game board where players can take various actions.

2. Wooden Components

The game features various wooden components representing resources and animals. These include wood, clay, reed, stone, grain, vegetables, sheep, wild boar, and cattle. Players collect these resources to build their farms and feed their families.

3. Tiles and Tokens

Agricola includes several types of tiles and tokens. Room tiles and stable tiles are used to build onto the players’ farms. Occupation cards give players special abilities, and improvement cards provide various benefits. Food tokens are used to feed the players’ families, and begging cards are penalties for not being able to feed a family.

4. People Tokens

Each player starts with two wooden people tokens, representing their initial family members. Additional tokens can be gained through the “Family growth” action. These tokens are crucial as they are used to take actions on the game board.

5. Action Cards

There are also action cards that are revealed over the course of the game, and they provide additional actions that players can take. These actions can involve gaining resources, building improvements, or increasing family size.

6. Scoring Pad

The scoring pad is used at the end of the game to tally points. Points are awarded for a variety of accomplishments, including the number and variety of animals, the size and development of the farm, and the family’s size and health. The player with the most points wins the game.

Game setup Lay it out, line it up, let’s go

Agricola is a strategic board game where players take on the roles of farmers, working to expand their land, grow crops, raise animals and feed their families. The following guide will walk you through the steps to set up the game.

Step 1: Setup the Game Board

Place the main game board in the center of the playing area. The game board is divided into several areas for different types of actions. Make sure all players can reach it.

Step 2: Sort the Game Components

Sort the game pieces by type: Wood, Clay, Reed, Stone, Grain, and Vegetable tokens, as well as the Animal tokens (Sheep, Wild Boar and Cattle). Place these sorted tokens in piles on the resource spaces marked on the game board.

Step 3: Prepare the Card Decks

Shuffle each of the three Occupation decks (A, B, and C) and Improvement decks (Minor and Major) separately. Then, depending on the number of players, draw a certain number of cards from each deck and place them near the board. The remaining cards will not be used in the game.

Step 4: Setup the Round Cards

Sort the 14 round cards by the number printed on their backs (1-6). Place these cards in their corresponding spaces on the game board, in ascending order. The round cards will dictate which new actions become available each round.

Step 5: Player Setup

Each player selects a color and takes a farmhouse board, representing their personal farmyard. They also receive two wooden person markers of their color to place in their house spaces. Furthermore, they get a supply of 15 fences, 4 stables, 5 family members, and the remaining farmyard tiles in their color.

Step 6: Initial Resources

Players start the game with no resources. They will need to use their actions to collect Wood, Clay, Reed, and Food, as well as to plow fields and build pastures.

Step 7: Determine Starting Player

Determine a starting player randomly. This player receives the Starting Player token and will take the first turn when the game begins.

Note: The game setup varies slightly for the interactive 2-player game and the solo game. Make sure to check the rulebook for these variations if you are playing with fewer players.

Step 8: Start the Game!

Now that the setup is complete, you’re ready to start playing Agricola! Remember, the goal of the game is to have the most developed farm by the end of 14 rounds. This means having a well-rounded farm with a balanced combination of fields, pastures, animals, family members, and improvements.

Game flow Round and round we go

Agricola is a highly strategic board game, where players act as farmers aiming to create the most prosperous farm. The game is played in 14 rounds, divided into 6 stages. Each stage has a varying number of rounds. Every round, new action spaces are revealed and players take turns placing their family members on these spaces to perform actions.

Initial Setup

Each player begins with a two-room wooden hut and two family members.
14 round cards are placed on the game board in their designated spaces.
6 stage cards are also placed on the board.
Each player is given a supply of wood, clay, reed, stone, and food tokens.

Gameplay Structure

A typical game round consists of the following phases:

Replenishment Phase:

Goods (wood, clay, reed, food, etc.) are added to the corresponding accumulation spaces on the game board.

New Action Card:

A new round card is revealed which adds a new action space to the board for the remainder of the game.

Work Phase:

Players, in turn order, place one of their family members on an unoccupied action space and perform the corresponding action. These can include gathering resources, building rooms and stables, sowing fields, and more.

Return Home Phase:

After all players have placed all their family members and performed actions, they retrieve their family members from the board.

Stage Change

At the end of a stage (after a varying number of rounds), a Harvest occurs. During a Harvest, the following actions occur:

Field Phase: Players harvest one grain or vegetable from each of their sown fields.
Feeding Phase: Players must feed their family members. If they cannot, they receive begging cards which will deduct points at the end of the game.
Breeding Phase: Two animals of the same type breed to produce one additional animal if space allows.

End of the Game

The game ends after the 14th round. Players then calculate their scores based on their achievements in various categories such as farmland development, livestock, family size, etc. The player with the highest score wins.

Players'turn One turn to rule them all

In Agricola, each player’s turn is critical to their overall strategy and success. Understanding the available actions and how to best utilize them is key to mastering the game. Here’s a detailed breakdown of what happens during a turn and the possible actions a player can take:

1. Occupation Phase

At the start of each turn, players can choose to play an Occupation card. These cards provide unique benefits and abilities that can impact the rest of the game.

First Occupation: The first Occupation card you play in each round costs 1 food. This action can provide a significant strategic advantage early in the game.
Additional Occupations: Each additional Occupation card played in the same round costs 2 food. Choosing to play multiple Occupation cards in one round can be a risky but potentially rewarding strategy.

2. Action Phase

After the Occupation phase, players take turns placing their family members on the action spaces of the game board. Each space represents a different action that the player’s family can perform.

Resource Gathering: Some action spaces allow players to gather resources such as wood, clay, reed, stone, or food. These resources are critical for building structures, feeding your family, and earning points.
Building: Other action spaces allow players to build rooms in their house or construct fences to create pastures for animals. Building actions often require specific resources and can contribute to a player’s score at the end of the game.
Family Growth: Players can also choose to grow their family by placing a family member on the Family Growth action space. Having more family members increases the number of actions a player can take in future rounds, but also requires more food to feed them.
Field Actions: Players can sow fields and bake bread. These actions are critical for generating food to feed your family.

3. Return Home Phase

After all actions have been taken, players return their family members to their home. At this time, players must also feed their family. Each family member requires 2 food, and any player who cannot feed their family must take begging cards, which deduct points from their final score.

4. Harvest Phase

If a harvest occurs during this round, players will reap the benefits of their sown fields and must feed their family. After the harvest, players breed their animals if they have two or more of the same type in a pasture.

Understanding these actions and how they interact with each other is crucial for formulating a successful strategy in Agricola. Players must balance resource gathering, family growth, and other strategic considerations to maximize their score and outperform their opponents.

End of the game All good games must come to an end

The game of Agricola ends after the 14th round, which is also known as the final harvest. The conclusion of the game involves several actions that must be taken by the players before the final scoring.

Step 1: Feed your family. At the end of the 14th round, each player must feed their family members. This requires 2 food per family member. If a player cannot feed their family, they must take a begging card for each food they are short, which will result in negative points during scoring.

Step 2: Breed your animals. For every two animals of the same type (sheep, boar, cattle), a player gets one additional animal of that type. However, if there is no room on the player’s farm for the newborn animal, it is lost.

Step 3: Harvest your crops. Players can harvest their grain and vegetables. For each sown field, a player reaps the harvest and leaves one grain or vegetable on the field. These can be used to feed the family or be converted into points at the end of the game.

Once these actions have been taken, final scoring can commence. The victory conditions of Agricola are based on the successful development and management of a player’s farm. Each player’s farm is scored according to the following criteria:

Fields: Each plowed field is worth 1 point, and each grain or vegetable left on these fields is worth an additional point.
Pastures: Each fenced pasture is worth 1 point, and each animal in these pastures is worth additional points depending on the type of animal.
Stables and Houses: Each stable is worth 1 point, and each clay or stone house is worth points depending on the material and size of the house.
Family Members: Each family member is worth 3 points.
Improvements: Points are awarded based on a player’s improvement cards.
Points are deducted for unused spaces, begging cards, and for failing to have at least one of each type of animal.

The player with the highest total score is the winner. In case of a tie, the player with the most leftover food after feeding their family in the final round is the winner.

Scoring Did you outsmart your rivals?

In the board game ‘Agricola’, players accumulate points throughout the game in various categories. At the end of the game, all remaining scores are totaled, and the player with the most points is declared the winner. Here’s a detailed explanation of how points are awarded:

Fields: At the end of the game, players score points for the number of fields they have. The more fields a player has, the more points they receive. One to four fields score one point, five to six fields score two points, and so on.
Pastures: Similar to fields, the number of pastures a player has also contributes to their final score. Pastures are scored based on size, with larger pastures earning more points.
Grain: Players score points for the amount of grain they have at the end of the game. Like fields and pastures, more grain equals more points, with a maximum of four points for eight or more grain.
Vegetables: Vegetables are worth more points than grain. Each vegetable is worth one point, with a maximum of four points.
Sheep, Wild Boar, and Cattle: Animals are scored in a similar manner to grain. The more of each animal you have, the more points you score.
Fenced Stables: Each fenced stable is worth one point.
Family Members: Each family member is worth three points. This is regardless of how many family members a player has at the end of the game.
Cards: Some Occupation and Minor Improvement cards can also award points. The points awarded are specified on the cards themselves.

However, it’s important to note that players can also lose points in ‘Agricola’. Players lose one point for each unused space, each missing type of animal, and each missing grain or vegetable.

In the case of a tie, the game’s rules state that the player with the most leftover food after the final harvest is the winner. If there is still a tie, then the victory is shared.

Particular Cases and Exceptions Wait… is that legal?

In the board game Agricola, there are several special rules, exceptions, and important clarifications that can greatly impact gameplay. Understanding these can help you strategize and ensure fair game play.

Family Growth:

The Family Growth action allows a player to add a new family member to their farm, but only if there is room in their house for the new member. This is an exception to the general rule, as usually, a player cannot take an action that they cannot complete.

Renovation:

When renovating, a player can upgrade their wooden hut to a clay house or a clay house to a stone house. However, it’s important to note that the player must have enough resources to renovate the entire house at one time—they cannot renovate it room by room.

Animal Husbandry:

Each farm animal requires its own specific type of space, and animals of different types cannot share the same space. However, a player can keep one animal of any type in their house, regardless of the type of animal.

Feeding the Family:

At the end of each harvest, players must have enough food to feed their family members. If a player cannot feed all of their family members, they must take a begging card for each food they are short. This is a significant exception to the general rule, as begging cards result in a negative score at the end of the game.

Occupations and Minor Improvements:

Players can play occupations and minor improvements to gain various benefits. However, it’s important to note that a player can only play one occupation or minor improvement per turn. Furthermore, each occupation and minor improvement can only be played once per game.

Major Improvements:

Major improvements provide significant benefits and can greatly impact a player’s strategy. However, each major improvement can only be built once per game, and a player cannot build an improvement they already have.

Scoring:

At the end of the game, players score points based on the development of their farm. However, they lose points for any undeveloped areas. Additionally, each begging card a player has results in a loss of three points. This is an important clarification, as it emphasizes the importance of balanced development and careful resource management.

Tips and tricks Play smarter, not harder!

Agricola is a complex board game that requires careful planning, strategic thinking, and resource management. Below are some advanced strategies, beginner tips, common mistakes to avoid, and ways to optimize gameplay.

Advanced Strategies

Plan Ahead: Agricola is a game of long-term strategy. Make plans for multiple rounds in advance and try to stick to them.
Adaptability: While it’s important to have a plan, be adaptable. Conditions on the board can change rapidly, and the best players are those who can adjust their strategy on the fly.
Occupation Cards: Use your occupation cards wisely. Some cards may seem powerful, but they require a lot of resources to use effectively.
Scoring Balance: Aim for a balanced score rather than focusing on one particular area. A diverse farm will yield a higher score.

Beginner Tips

Start Small: For your first few games, focus on building a small, well-rounded farm rather than trying to do everything.
Learn the Cards: Spend time learning what each card does. The cards are the heart of the game and understanding them is key to success.
Use Your Actions Wisely: Each action is precious, make sure you are using them to their fullest potential.
Take Advantage of Opportunities: If an opportunity to score points presents itself, take it. Don’t be too focused on your long-term plan to miss short-term gains.

Common Mistakes To Avoid

Ignoring Food Production: Food is crucial in Agricola. Ignoring food production can lead to starvation, which results in negative points.
Overcommitting to One Strategy: It’s easy to get caught up in a single strategy, but this can leave you vulnerable to changes in the game state.
Misjudging the Value of Actions: Not all actions are created equal. Be sure to weigh the value of each action before you take it.

Ways to Optimize Gameplay

Resource Management: Effective resource management is key to success in Agricola. Always try to have a good balance of resources at your disposal.
Efficient Action Use: Try to make each action count. Wasted actions can be the difference between winning and losing.
Understand Scoring: Understanding the scoring system is crucial. Make sure you know exactly how points are awarded and plan your strategy accordingly.