Farming is Tricky Work!

Sure, it’s a little strange that we have to cross the river to get from our farms to our markets and back again, but hey, it’s tradition! The boats we use are, well, cozy, so only one good can accompany a farmer per trip. Be sure not to leave the chickens alone with the corn, or the foxes along with the chickens that … won’t end well. Happy farming!

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What Is It?

✨Theme – Animals; Logic Puzzle
🎯Goal – You win the game by either getting a set of fox/chicken/corn cubes on 2 of your markets, or if you your opponent loses 3 of their cubes
⚙️Worker Placement – On your turn, you’ll place your boat at any unoccupied card with one of your workers. You can load up your worker and up to 1 good and then move your boat to another unoccupied card on the other side of the river, possibly dropping off goods at that time as well. When no farmer is on a card, Nature’s Law will trigger, which means chickens eat corn and then foxes eat chickens on that card. If your cube is discarded, it goes in front of you, and you lose the game if you ever lose 3 cubes
⚙️In-game Bonuses – When players visit their markets for the first time, they’ll earn buses they can use during the game such as moving goods, or having 2 farmers on a card
⚙️Advanced Mode – Players can play with zombie chickens and poison corn, which change how Nature’s Law triggers

Who Is It For?

👥1 – 2 Players – I thought solo was okay, but the Automa was a bit boring. I definitely prefer it at 2.
👥Ages 10 & Up – Pretty small ruleset, and not a ton of choice each turn. Still, strategic in nature, so probably best for players who have played other close, interactive 2-player games
👥Fans of 2-player games with a bit of a puzzle
👥Players who can easily assess a bunch of information each turn, to ensure they won’t lose cubes after making their move

PROS

🟢Aesthetics – Nice art
🟢Components – Simple but nice; appreciated the stickers for the cubes
🟢Rules are clear for 2 players
🟢Easy set-up and clean-up
🟢I like the multiple ways to win, so you can pivot your strategy
🟢Turns are smooth
🟢Small/portable; don’t need much table space

CONS

🔴I wish the solo rules were a little more clear; I thought they were a bit vague
🔴A few too many components for the tin. You need to fit them back in just right or it won’t close completely, which is annoying
🔴It can definitely be AP inducing because you have to be careful about not leaving certain things alone together, so you have to assess a lot each turn before making a move

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Final Thoughts

I thought this game was small and quick to get into because there weren’t many rules, but it’s more than meets the eye because you do have to be very strategic with every move. To me, it seemed a little easier to try and force your opponent lose 3 goods than to actually get 2 sets of cubes on your markets, because that could take a while. Turns would probably speed up no matter your strategy though, the more that you play the game, especially if you consistently play with the same person. I think it works well, and if you like a puzzley aspect in a game, it definitely has that.

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Additional Information:
My Final Rating – 6/10

Designer – Galen McCown
Artist – Jonathan Carnehl
Publisher – Galen’s Games
MSRP – $16.00
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