Agricola (Revised Edition)

We played quite a few games of Agricola: Revised Edition online, mostly because we had missed it. And yes: when BGA takes care of counting everything, the experience noticeably changes. It is one of those games where digital convenience lets me look more clearly at my farm instead of worrying that I have missed something among animals, crops, and points. On the other hand, the live score update removes a small but meaningful part of the tension of the final reveal.

At its core, Agricola is a worker-placement game about gradually developing your farm. Each round, I choose actions to gather what I need and build a more productive, more complete life on my homestead. Everything counts, and that is precisely what makes BGA’s automation so welcome.

Interaction mainly comes from competing for the available options: the action I want may no longer be there when my turn arrives. That gives the order of choices and timing real weight, without the game needing to become dramatically aggressive. Online, that clarity of flow helps a great deal, while the constantly visible score warns you earlier than I might prefer about where you are heading.

Personally, I still prefer Caverna in this particular kind of eurogame. Even so, I can easily see why Agricola has remained a classic and a favourite for so many people: it is still sharp, full of things that need attention, and deeply satisfying when everything starts to come together. If you play on BGA, it is well worth giving it another look.