BoardGameArchiveHow to Play Bohnanza: Hand Order, Trading & Bean Fields
Bohnanza is a negotiation card game built around one unusual rule: you may never rearrange the cards in your hand. The front card will eventually have to be planted, so trading is how you manage future problems.
Rules, examples and scoring explanations
Bohnanza is a negotiation card game built around one unusual rule: you may never rearrange the cards in your hand. The front card will eventually have to be planted, so trading is how you manage future problems.
Scope: classic multiplayer base game from Rio Grande Games.
Keep your hand in fixed order
New cards always enter at the back of your hand. You may look at your cards, but you cannot sort or reorder them.
Phase 1: plant the first bean, optionally the second
You must plant the front card of your hand into a matching field or an empty field. You may then plant the next front card as well. If no legal field is available, you may have to harvest first.
Phase 2: reveal two bean cards
Turn over the top two cards from the draw pile. These become part of the active trading phase.
Trade or donate beans
The active player may trade the revealed beans and eligible cards from hand with other players. Negotiated beans can be exchanged in flexible quantities as long as both players agree. Donations are also allowed if accepted.
All traded beans must be planted
After trading ends, every player who received beans must plant them into their fields. They cannot be saved in hand.
Harvest a field using its Beanometer
Count the beans in the field and read the payout shown on that bean type. Turn the required number of harvested bean cards face down as Gold; discard the rest. The Bean Protection rule can prevent harvesting a one-card field while another field contains more than one bean.
One Bohnanza turn: a complete example
Suppose the front of your hand is a Blue Bean, followed by a Chili Bean. Your existing fields contain Blue Beans and Soy Beans. First, plant the front Blue Bean in its matching field. You may optionally plant the next Chili Bean, but doing so may require harvesting a field if neither is empty.
Next reveal the two cards required for the trading phase. Negotiate with other players: you might give away a bean that would force an unwanted harvest on your next turn, or accept one that fills an existing field. All beans obtained through trade or donation must be planted during the planting phase; they cannot be placed in your hand.
The important choice is often whether a trade protects the next card you will be forced to plant. A bean’s individual value matters less if it causes you to harvest a productive field too early.
Harvesting and Beanometers explained
Each bean type has its own Beanometer printed on its cards. Count the cards in the field and consult the matching payout step: turning some harvested cards into coins, while discarding the remainder. You do not automatically earn one coin per card.
Illustrative example: if the relevant Beanometer awards two coins for the number of beans you harvested, turn two harvested cards to their coin sides and discard the others. The exact number of beans required depends on the type; follow the chart on the physical cards.
A single-card field may be protected from harvesting while you have another field with multiple cards, under the classic Bean Protection rule. If a new bean cannot be planted, check which field is legally harvestable before discarding anything.
Trades, gifts and hand order: common questions
Can I rearrange my hand? No. Even after trading you must keep the remaining cards in their original order. Can I trade a card from my hand? During the permitted trading phase, the active player may offer eligible hand cards, including cards other than the front card, but cannot freely rearrange the remaining hand.
Can I refuse a donation? Yes, a gift requires acceptance. Can I hold a traded bean until next turn? No, trades and accepted donations are planted during the current trading/planting sequence. Can I trade with two other players on somebody else’s turn? Trades normally involve the active player, not private exchanges between two inactive players.
Edition note: Some Bohnanza versions and player-count variants adjust setup, fields, and cards drawn. Confirm the rules for your Rio Grande edition before adopting another printing’s numbers. See the harvesting and scoring guide.
Finish by drawing new cards to the back
Draw the required number of cards one by one and add them behind the existing hand without changing order.
Source: Rio Grande Games Bohnanza base-game rules. Checked September 21, 2026.