Bauernschlau

Description

Bauernschlau is a classic game of strategy and memory that's all about building the most valuable sheep farm. Each player starts with a central farm that expands outwards, but the boundaries are initially undefined, making for a fun and competitive experience. As you place fences, you'll define the edges of your farm, and some spaces will be hotly contested, while others are clear wins. The goal is to complete your farm by getting the fences on both sides to reach the outer edge of the board before the game ends, and then to have the most enclosed points among all completed farms. The gameplay is easy to learn, but it's not without its challenges, especially with the addition of secret unit deployment, which adds a layer of bluffing to the game. Players can choose to place a sheep blindly onto an empty space, flip up a face-down sheep tile, use a wooden sheepdog to move a sheep from one space to another, or lay a fence piece to define their farm's boundaries. The sheep themselves are represented by thick cardboard disks with values ranging from 5 to -3, and certain spaces on the board act as multipliers, adding an extra layer of strategy to the game. With two to six players, the game takes around 45 minutes to play, making it a great option for a fun and engaging evening with friends. As the game heats up, you'll need to remember which spaces have which sheep, and where the multipliers are, all while trying to bluff your opponents into thinking you have something you don't. The game ends when one player's farm is filled with pieces, and the winner is the one with the most points from face-up sheep in their farm. Designed by Tom Schoeps and first published in 1991, Bauernschlau is a timeless game that's all about combining farming and memory skills with a healthy dose of strategy and luck. Whether you're a seasoned gamer or just looking for a fun and engaging experience, Bauernschlau is definitely worth checking out.

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