Review Details

Agricola

Product Rating:

Product Review (submitted on November 4, 2009):

Agricola is the creme de la creme of complex board games. It is balanced, it is hard, and it can be brutal in its results. That said, it is also excellent.

The mechanic is simple worker placement, but the choices are anything but simple. Players take turns performing actions on the game board; once a player has taken an action, that action is not available to the other players. As players grow their farms, new actions become available, increasing the strategy and 'cut throatness' of the game.

Agricola contains two versions (three if you count solo play): a family game and a regular game. The family game provides an excellent gaming experience that is still complex, but easy enough to understand. The regular game adds another layer of difficulty by giving players cards to play. Personally, the complex game is too random for my liking; playing the family game with minor improvements cards is my favourite way to play.

Agricola is not for the faint at heart. The game is tough, and can be like solving a puzzle. If players aren't into a game that requires thought, you may want to pass this one up. The components are abstract, although they can be upgraded by purchasing add-ons, and the game can, at times, feel like multiplayer solitaire. The MSRP is also a bit steep for a game of this genre, but those who overcome the price hurdle are rewarded with an excellent game.