Seize the Bean
- Players
- 1-4
- Best withThe player count this game plays best at.
- 3 players
- Play timeHow long a full game runs once everyone knows the rules.
- 90 min
- AgeThe minimum age printed by the publisher.
- 10+
- ComplexityHow demanding the rules are, from 1 (very light) to 5 (very heavy).
- 2.9 / 5
- Year
- 2021
About the game
Seize the Bean is a card-driven engine-building game for one to four players competing to open the best new cafe in Berlin. Players build and manage a deck and bag of resources to serve a line of thirsty customers, upgrade their cafe's decor, expand their product line, and restock ingredients, all while trying to earn reputation points from a shared city pool. Customers offer special abilities that can manipulate the service line, the city, or even other players, adding a competitive edge to the deck-building core. When the shared reputation pool runs dry, one final round determines whose cafe engine has performed best.
Hobbli's Notes
Hobbli's team enjoys the quirky cafe theme layered over a well-built deck-and-bag-building engine - it's a fresh setting for the genre. The take-that customer abilities add a welcome bite of player interaction that keeps the game from feeling too solitary. It plays well solo too, making it a flexible pick for both game nights and quiet evenings.
What we like
- Distinctive cafe theme sets it apart from typical deck-building games.
- Combo-driven deck and bag building rewards clever engine construction.
- Take-that customer abilities add meaningful player interaction.
- Flexible for solo play as well as full four-player sessions.
Keep in mind
- Take-that elements can create tension for players who prefer low-conflict games.
- Ninety-minute playtime runs longer than many card-based deck builders.
- Moderate complexity may require a couple of plays to fully click.
Who it's for
Fans of deck-building and engine-building economic games; works well solo or with up to four players, casual-to-mid gamers.
