Bohnanza Madison Hurst
Was it fun? I thought this game was pretty fun at points. Though in some areas of the Bohnanza it was slow because you were waiting a long period of time for your turn. I did enjoy how it forced you to think about what cards you had to keep by adding limitations or getting rid of specific cards before you can use your own hand.
This game was highly interactive, with players decisions directly affecting others. Trading cards often led to tough choices, especially when multiple players wanted the same card. Players competed to collect and harvest specific cards to get coins.
How long did it take to learn? The game didn’t take long to learn because it would end after we went through the deck of cards three times. So, we had plenty of time to understand and fully play. I would say it took about 15 minutes to fully comprehend and begin playing competitively. The only confusing part in the beginning was understanding how you gained points/coins.
What was the most frustrating moment or aspect of what you just played? The most frustrating part of the game was not being able to “steal” cards from your opponents after they planted the bean. For instance, Meredith and I had the same bean planted, and we couldn’t steal from each other after the bean was planted or placed down.
What was your favorite moment or aspect of what you just played?- My favorite moment of Bohnanza was collecting the coins. It was fun being able to take 2-3 coins after gathering multiple cards of the same bean.
Was there anything you wanted to do that you couldn’t?- After you were done with a card or didn’t have a use for it at that point in the game, you would discard it. But I really wanted to bring back that card later on in the game because it would’ve been beneficial. So, I just wish the discard pile was recycled faster.
If you had a magic wand to wave, and you could change, add, or remove anything
from the experience, what would it be? I would probably change the pace of the game and just go through two decks of cards instead of three.
Yes, I’d play again because I enjoyed the challenge of making the most of my cards and the engaging trading aspect of the game. This kept the game interesting despite occasional slow turns.
Analyze the game using the 3 act structure.
The act of the game is when players start to learn what each card type is worth, and exploring the rhythm of planting the beans. At this point, trading cards are hearted, and players can be unaware of the meaning or unable to see the full effect of that trade. The second act is when the players are in the middle of the game. This is when competition kicks in and trading deals go wrong, or someone is on the wrong end of the deal. Moreover, we see players start to get a vast collection of cards, and are thinking about harvesting and collecting their coins. The third act is when the game is close to being complete, and every bean planted matters. Trades are extremely cutthroat or can lead a player to victory. The resolution happens in this act, and this is when all the coins are accounted for, and we see who the victor is.