# Agricola: Through the Seasons ## General Info - **Year Published**: 2008 - **BGG Rating**: 7.1 - **BGG Rank**: — - **Players**: 1-5 (Best with: 3) - **Duration**: 120 min - **Weight**: 3.10 / 5 - **Designers**: Julian Steindorfer, Uwe Rosenberg - **Artists**: Klemens Franz - **Publishers**: Lookout Games, 999 Games, Compaya.hu: Gamer Café Kft., HomoLudicus, Korea Boardgames, Stratelibri - **Categories**: Economic, Expansion for Base-game, Farming - **Mechanics**: Worker Placement ## Verdict If you're a big fan of Agricola and looking for a subtle yet engaging way to refresh your games, this mini-expansion is a gem! The seasonal cycle adds a neat twist without overcomplicating things.Clever seasonal cycleAdds round varietyEasy rules integrationExpands Agricola experienceRequires base gameSimple mini-expansionFOR GENRE FANS ## Description Hey there, board game enthusiasts! If you're a seasoned farmer in the world of Agricola, get ready for a little something extra to spice up your gameplay. "Through the Seasons" is a neat mini-expansion, originally a giveaway at Essen 2008, that adds a cyclical twist to your farming adventures. It's essentially a postcard featuring the four seasons arranged in a circle, with each season representing one round of the game. You'll cycle through these seasons, starting with a random one, and each brings its own unique flavor. Spring offers an additional action for sowing and breeding. Summer lets you take a "vacation" for extra victory points. Autumn focuses on harvest and vegetables, and Winter allows for family growth without the usual space constraint, costing just 2 wood and 3 food. The resource fields get minor tweaks, usually adding or subtracting one unit of wood, clay, reed, stone, or fish. The action tweaks often provide small bonuses when you take the modified action, like free fences when you choose the fencing action. This expansion cleverly introduces a seasonal cycle that subtly alters the game's dynamics each round without overwhelming players with new rules. It’s a fantastic way to add variety and replayability to your Agricola sessions, keeping the core experience intact while offering fresh strategic considerations. ## How to Play Objective of the Game Agricola: Through the Seasons is an additional game board for Agricola that introduces a seasonal variant to the game. Players are trying to manage their farm through the changing seasons, adapting to different available actions and resource quantities. The goal is to accumulate the most points by the end of the game, though the specific victory condition is not detailed in the provided context. Preparation (Setup) Place the additional game board for Agricola: Through the Seasons, which has a space for each of the four seasons. Place a Guest marker on the space that shows the current Season. Turn the other two Guest markers to the "Claim marker" (Arrow) side. These will be used to show which Action spaces have a Special rule for the current Season. In Phase 2, distribute Building resources as usual on the Action spaces on the main board. Then, remove or add them as required by the current Season. Fluxo do Jogo At the start of each round, the Guest marker is moved to the next Season, which introduces a different Action space. Depending on the Season, different quantities of Building resources are placed on the Action spaces on the main board. The game progresses through rounds, with each round starting with a new Season and its associated changes. The Four Seasons Winter: In Phase 2: Clay -1, Reed -1 (on all Action spaces where Building resources are placed). Seasonal action: Pay 2 Wood and 3 Food to take Family Growth even without space in your Home. Special rules during the Work Phase: Players must pay 1 Food to Plow fields and cannot use the Fishing Action space until round 11 (from round 12 or 13, the second Claim marker is used on the "Plow 1 Field and Sow" space). Spring: In Phase 2: Stone +1, Wood -1. Seasonal action: The player taking this action takes an immediate Animal Breeding Phase and/or can Sow. Special rules during the Work Phase: Fences: +2 free Fences (in Round 14, the Claim markers are placed on the "Fences" and "After Renovation, also Fences" spaces. Player must buy at least one Fence with Wood as usual to receive the free Fences). Summer: In Phase 2: Clay +1, Stone -1, Fishing +1 Food. Seasonal action: Holidays: 1 Bonus Point for each Family member that you have already placed in the current round (including the Family member on this Action space). Special rules during the Work Phase: For each Room that is built, one free Stable; also Day Labourer: +1 Grain (on the "Build 1 Room" Action card from the 5 player game, there is 1 free Stable). Autumn: In Phase 2: Wood +1, Reed +1. Seasonal action: The player taking the action can carry out an immediate Field phase and/or take 1 Vegetable. Special rules during the Work Phase: Major Improvements cost 1 Building resource less (place one Claim marker on the "Major or Minor Improvement" Action space and the other on the "Renovation, also Major or Minor Improvement" space). Ações e Como Jogar Players interact with Action spaces on the main board, which are affected by the current Season. Additionally, each Season introduces a unique Seasonal action. Family Growth (Winter Seasonal Action): Pay 2 Wood and 3 Food to take Family Growth, even if you don't have space in your Home. Plow fields (Winter Special Rule): Players must pay 1 Food to Plow fields. Fishing Action space (Winter Special Rule): Cannot be used until round 11. Animal Breeding Phase and/or Sow (Spring Seasonal Action): The player taking this action immediately performs an Animal Breeding Phase and/or can Sow. Fences (Spring Special Rule): When building Fences, you receive +2 free Fences. You must buy at least one Fence with Wood as usual to receive the free Fences. Holidays (Summer Seasonal Action): Gain 1 Bonus Point for each Family member you have already placed in the current round (including the Family member on this Action space). Build Room(s) (Summer Special Rule): For each Room built, you receive 1 free Stable. Day Labourer (Summer Special Rule): Taking the Day Labourer action grants +1 Grain. Field phase and/or take 1 Vegetable (Autumn Seasonal Action): The player taking this action can carry out an immediate Field phase and/or take 1 Vegetable and place it in their personal supply. Major Improvements (Autumn Special Rule): Major Improvements cost 1 Building resource less. Fim de Jogo e Pontuação Consulte o manual para detalhes sobre esta seção. Dicas para Vencer Consider the seasonal changes in resource availability. For example, in Winter, Clay and Reed are reduced, while in Autumn, Wood and Reed are increased. Adjust your building plans accordingly. Utilize the Seasonal actions strategically. The Winter Family Growth allows expansion even without home space, while the Autumn Field phase or Vegetable can boost your food production or planting. Pay attention to the Special rules during the Work Phase. In Spring, the +2 free Fences can be a significant advantage for animal husbandry, and in Autumn, the reduced cost for Major Improvements can help you acquire powerful buildings more easily. ## FAQ ### Does this expansion significantly change Agricola's base rules? No, it introduces a seasonal cycle representing the rounds, with specific actions and resource adjustments for each. The core gameplay of Agricola remains intact. ### Do I need the base Agricola game to play with this expansion? Absolutely! This is a mini-expansion, meaning it's designed to enhance your base Agricola game. ### How many players does this expansion support? It's compatible with the base Agricola game, so it supports 1 to 5 players, depending on your copy of the main game. ### Does the playtime increase significantly with this expansion? The playtime remains very similar to the base Agricola game, as the expansion focuses on adding variations to existing rounds rather than extending the game's duration. ### Are the new seasonal actions difficult to learn? Not at all! The rules are quite straightforward and easy to integrate. You'll get the hang of it within the first playthrough. ### Is it worth it for someone who plays Agricola infrequently? If you play infrequently, you might not feel its impact as much. However, if you enjoy Agricola and want to add a simple touch of variety, it's definitely worth considering!