Caverna: The Cave Farmers
- Players
- 1-7
- Best withThe player count this game plays best at.
- 4 players
- Play timeHow long a full game runs once everyone knows the rules.
- 210 min
- AgeThe minimum age printed by the publisher.
- 12+
- ComplexityHow demanding the rules are, from 1 (very light) to 5 (very heavy).
- 3.8 / 5
- Year
- 2013
About the game
Caverna: The Cave Farmers expands on Agricola's worker-placement farming formula by adding a dwarven cave to dig through, mine, and furnish alongside your surface farm. Each family member represents an action, and over the course of the game you'll cultivate fields, raise livestock, forge weapons for expeditions, and expand your home into an efficient dwelling. Rich in resource interactions and dozens of furnishing tiles, it offers deep strategic variety without the competitive card-drafting of its predecessor. It's a substantial worker-placement game for 1-7 players focused on peaceful, parallel development.
Hobbli's Notes
Caverna is often considered a friendlier, less cutthroat sibling to Agricola: nobody can starve you out of the game, and the shared tile pool replaces the potentially mean card drafting. The sheer number of furnishing options gives it tremendous depth and staying power for fans of big worker-placement euros.
What we like
- Enormous variety of furnishing tiles and strategic paths keeps games fresh.
- Supports up to 7 players, unusual for a game of this depth.
- Non-confrontational design removes the harsher elements of Agricola.
- Strong solo variant for practicing strategies.
Keep in mind
- Long playtime and rules complexity can be daunting for new players.
- Significant downtime, especially at higher player counts.
- Sheer number of options can lead to analysis paralysis.
Who it's for
Great for euro-gamers aged 12+ who enjoy resource management and farm-building without direct conflict; supports large groups up to 7 players.
