Caverna: The Cave Farmers (2013) Board Game

Caverna: The Cave Farmers is a board game designed by Uwe Rosenberg and released in in 2013. It is a spiritual successor to Rosenberg’s earlier game, Agricola, and builds upon the worker placement mechanic that made Agricola so popular. In Caverna, players take on the role of cave-dwelling farmers, competing to expand their homesteads, breed animals, and grow crops.

Game Components of Caverna: The Cave Farmers

Wooden tokens: For resources, livestock, and workers.

Acrylic gems and ore: Representing ore and rubies.

Game boards: 16 in total, including player boards and main boards.

Cardboard counters and tiles: Over 400 pieces, including cavern and tunnel tiles.

Cards: A small deck of playing cards.

Scoring pad and rulebooks: Two full-color rulebooks and a scoring sheet.

Over 300 wooden pieces: For animals, resources, and dwarfs.

How To Setup Caverna: The Cave Farmers

Each player starts with a game board divided into farm and cave areas. The setup includes giving each player two workers, some initial food, and a few basic resources. The game board is populated with action space cards, and the cave and farm areas are prepared for expansion. Players must fill their farm spaces with fields and pastures and their cave spaces with caverns, tunnels, and mines to avoid losing points at the end of the game.

Gameplay Mechanics and Game Objective

Worker Placement: Players place their dwarf workers on action spaces to gain resources, build structures, and expand their farm and cave.

Engine Building: Expanding the cave with new rooms and furnishing them for bonuses.

Resource Management: Managing resources like ore, rubies, food, and livestock.

Family Growth: Adding new workers to your family.

Expeditions: Arming dwarves with weapons to gather resources and items outside the board.

Harvesting: Periodic harvests that provide grain, vegetables, and animal breeding.

Objective: The goal is to build up farms and caves over 12 rounds while ensuring workers are fed, and maximizing points from animals, furnished rooms, and other achievements.

Player Experience

*Caverna: The Cave Farmers* offers a rich and varied gameplay experience with multiple paths to victory. Players must balance their efforts between farming, cave exploration, and expeditions. The game is praised for its ‘sandbox’ feel, allowing players to explore different strategies without the luck element present in *Agricola*. However, the complexity and numerous options can lead to analysis paralysis, especially for new players.

Pros

High Replay Value: Many different strategies to explore.

High-Quality Components: Top-notch wooden and acrylic pieces.

Engaging Theme: Players feel like they are managing a dwarf family.

Deep Strategy: Combines worker placement, resource management, and engine building.

Scalable Gameplay: Works well from 1 to 7 players.

Cons

Complexity: Can be overwhelming for new players.

Lengthy Setup and Cleanup: Requires significant time to set up and clean up.

Unclear Point Maximization: Can be hard to determine the best strategy to win.

Analytical Paralysis: Many choices can lead to overthinking and slow gameplay.

Personal Thoughts on Caverna: The Cave Farmers

*Caverna: The Cave Farmers* is ideal for fans of complex strategy games and those who enjoy the blend of resource management and engine building. It is particularly suited for experienced board game players who appreciate deep gameplay and replayability. While it can be daunting for new players due to its complexity, the game offers a highly rewarding experience for those willing to invest the time to learn its intricacies. If you’re looking for a game that combines the best elements of *Agricola* with new and exciting mechanics, *Caverna* is definitely worth exploring.

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