A Complete Guide to Caverna: The Cave Farmers – Rules, Strategy & Instructions

Introduction

Caverna: The Cave Farmers is a board game with elements of strategy, planning, and a bit of luck. It’s a game where you play as a bearded dwarf who’s also a farmer. You start with a simple cave and a piece of forest, and from there, you build up your home and farm. The game was created by Uwe Rosenberg and is kind of like a follow-up to another game called Agricola. It’s for 1 to 7 players, so you can play on your own or with a bunch of friends. It came out in 2013 and has been pretty popular since then. People like it because it’s got a lot of different ways to play and win, and it’s different every time you play.

Rules for playing Caverna: The Cave Farmers

Okay, so the rules of Caverna: The Cave Farmers can seem a bit much at first, but once you get the hang of it, it’s not too bad. I do recommend having the Official Rulebook to hand, which you can find for download at the foot of this page. The game is played over a series of rounds, and each round has different actions you can do. You’ll be doing stuff like digging into your cave to make more room, clearing forest for your farm, planting crops, and raising animals. You’ve also got to feed your dwarves, and you can send them on adventures to get cool stuff. The game ends after a set number of rounds, and then you see who has the most points from their farm, animals, gold, and other things.

Rules for a Solo Game of Caverna

Here are the changes for the solo game compared to a regular game with 2 to 7 players:

• In the Work phase, place one Dwarf after another without waiting for opponents. The aim is to achieve the highest possible score, aiming for over 100 points. You start the game with 2 Food.
• For the “Wish for children” action, use a Dwarf card to cover the action space. Remove the Dwarf card at the beginning of Round 4, ensuring the action space displays “Wish for children.”
• There are no Harvest events in the solo game. From Round 5 onward, there’s a harvest at the end of each round.
• Similar to the 2-player game, the “Exploration” action card gets removed, and Round 9 is skipped. Cover Round space 9 with a Dwarf card to signify this. However, unlike the 2-player game, Rubies will accumulate on the “Ruby mining” Action space from Round 1.
• Refilling the accumulating spaces: If any space has more than 6 goods, remove the excess and return them to the general supply. Spending a Ruby prevents this for one such space. Goods you’ve secured using Rubies will be safe for another round, allowing an accumulating space to store more than 6 goods.

Apart from these changes, the rules remain the same for the solo game as for the standard game with multiple players.

Equipment and Setup for Caverna: The Cave Farmers

When you’re setting up Caverna: The Cave Farmers, you’ll have a lot of pieces to deal with. There are tiles for the rooms in your cave, tiles for the fields and pastures on your farm, and lots of little wooden pieces for the animals, vegetables, and resources. Each player gets a board that’s their cave and forest, and there’s a big board in the middle where you’ll be taking actions. You can even make some of your own pieces if you want to get creative.

Game Components

The game has specific limits on the number of Dwarfs (5) and Stables (3) for each player. Aside from the unique Furnishing tiles, all other components are deemed unlimited. Should you run out of any such component, you can use Multiplication markers or find alternatives. Placing a good token on a Multiplication marker denotes having 4 tokens of that type.

Additionally, there are markers representing 8 animals of a particular type, typically used on Large pastures with a Stable. Also, markers are available for 10 units of a specific building material or for 5 Rubies.

How to Play Caverna: The Cave Farmers and Game Mechanics

The key to playing Caverna: The Cave Farmers is to balance building up your cave with working on your farm. You’ll be choosing actions from the central board, and you can’t do the same action as someone else in the same round.

During each of the 12 rounds, the game proceeds through the five phases I’ll explain below, played consecutively following this order. However, in the 2-player version, there are only 11 rounds to play.

Here’s a quick rundown of the gameplay phases:

1. New Action Space: Flip over a new Action space card at the start of each round and place it in the appropriate spot. This is where the initial Action space card goes in Round 1.
2. Replenish Spaces: Fill up the spaces needing goods from the general supply. These spaces are indicated by an arrow.
3. Work Phase: Place one Dwarf per turn on an Action space on the game boards and perform the actions listed there. Each space can only have one Dwarf.
4. Return Home: Once all Dwarfs have been placed and actions taken, return them to their Dwellings.
5. Harvest Time: At the end of most rounds, it’s time to collect Grain and Vegetables, feed your family, and breed animals. There are specific phases for fields, feeding, and breeding during this time.

In this game, your main aim is to gather food for your dwarfs and beef up your Home board so that it’s loaded with Gold points by the game’s end. Your Home board is like your HQ, where you’ll be busy generating resources, building stuff, and earning points. Let’s dive into what you can actually do on your Home board and the various ways you can rake in those precious Gold points!

End of the Game & Scoring

The game wraps up at the conclusion of round 12. Scoring happens using a variety of categories, each earning you Gold points. The player with the most Gold points wins, and in a tie, there might be multiple winners.

Here’s how the scoring works:

• 1 Gold per Farm animal and Dog: Each animal, including Dogs, fetches 1 Gold point at the game’s end. However, Dogs aren’t considered Farm animals.
• -2 Gold per missing type of Farm animal: To avoid losing points, make sure you have at least 1 Sheep, 1 Donkey, 1 Wild boar, and 1 Cattle. For each of these missing types, you lose 2 Gold points.
• 1⁄2 Gold per Grain (rounded up): Total your Grain tokens. Divide that number by 2 and round it up, earning you that many Gold points for your Grain.
• 1 Gold per Vegetable: Total your Vegetable tokens, on Fields and in your supply. That’s the number of Gold points for Vegetables.
• 1 Gold per Ruby: Every Ruby earns 1 Gold point at the game’s end.
• 1 Gold per Dwarf: Each of your Dwarfs is worth 1 Gold point in the final tally.
• -1 Gold per unused space: Count the empty spaces on your Home board. For each tile-less space, deduct 1 Gold point. The pre-printed Caverns are considered used.
• Gold for Furnishing tiles, Pastures, and Mines: Each tile’s Gold value is indicated on the right below its name. Small pastures earn 2 Gold points, large pastures get 4 (irrespective of animal type or count). Ore mines give 3 Gold points, and Ruby mines earn 4.
• Bonus points for Parlors, Storages, and Chambers: Some specific Furnishing tiles offer Bonus points based on specific conditions. You can record these on the scoring pad.
• Gold coins and Begging markers: Add up the values on your Gold coins. Subtract 3 Gold points for each Begging marker you possess.

Remember, each category contributes to your final Gold point count, and the player with the most Gold points is the victor!

How to Win at Caverna: The Cave Farmers

Winning at Caverna: The Cave Farmers is about getting the most points. You get points for lots of things, like how big your cave is, the animals you have, and the crops you’ve grown. You can also get points for gold and leftover resources. It’s good to have a plan, but you also need to be able to change it if someone else takes the action you wanted to do.

Winning at Caverna: The Cave Farmers involves strategic planning and efficient resource management. Here’s a few tips I recommend:

1. Balanced Expansion: Expand your cave gradually. Focus on balancing your actions between growing your family, gathering resources, and upgrading your cave. Don’t neglect any aspect of the game, whether it’s farming, mining, or animal husbandry.
2. Family Growth: Growing your family is crucial. More family members mean more actions per round. Plan strategically for each new family member, ensuring you can feed them and that they contribute effectively to your farm.
3. Resource Management: Efficiently manage your resources. Optimize your actions to gather food, acquire animals, and mine for valuable resources like Rubies and Ore. Pay attention to the available resources in each round and adapt your strategy accordingly.
4. Furnishing and Upgrades: Invest in Furnishing tiles and upgrades wisely. Each tile provides different benefits, so select ones that complement your strategy. Prioritize those that grant bonus points or provide useful abilities.
5. Diversified Farming: Aim for a diversified farm. Balance between different types of animals, crops, and resources. Don’t rely solely on one type of production; diversity can provide flexibility and more points at the game’s end.
6. Efficient Space Usage: Make the most of your cave’s spaces. Furnish caverns strategically, place animals in appropriate pastures, and utilize Mines effectively. Minimize unused spaces to avoid losing points.
7. Plan for Scoring: Throughout the game, keep an eye on potential scoring opportunities. Accumulate resources, secure bonuses from Furnishing tiles, and ensure you have all types of farm animals to avoid losing points.
8. Adaptability and Flexibility: Remain adaptable. Adapt your strategy based on the evolving game state, actions of opponents, and the available resources. Be flexible in your approach to optimize your progress.

Remember, winning in Caverna: The Cave Farmers isn’t just about accumulating points but also about balancing your actions and resources effectively to create a well-functioning and productive farm.

Best Strategies for playing Caverna: The Cave Farmers game

There are a few different ways to win at Caverna: The Cave Farmers. Some people focus on farming, others on mining, and some try to do a bit of everything. It’s important to watch what other players are doing and try to block them if you can. Also, don’t forget about getting weapons for your dwarves. They can go on adventures which can give you a big boost.

Winning strategies revolve around smart resource management, efficient expansion, and diverse development of your cave-dwelling farm.

Firstly, diversification is key. Don’t tunnel vision on a single aspect of farming. Strive for a well-rounded approach that encompasses animal breeding, crop cultivation, mining, and room furnishing. This multifaceted strategy grants flexibility and ensures you aren’t solely reliant on a single source for points.

Another vital aspect is family growth. Expanding your family provides additional actions each round, but it’s essential to balance this expansion with the ability to sustain and feed new members. Each new family member should contribute positively to your overall farm strategy.

Resource management is critical from the game’s outset. Focus on acquiring essential resources like wood, stone, and food early on. Ensuring a steady resource production stream is crucial for sustaining your family and meeting the requirements for furnishing rooms.

Speaking of room furnishing, strategic selection of Furnishing tiles is key. Choose tiles that align with your overarching strategy, whether they provide significant point bonuses or actions that complement your farm’s growth. Balancing immediate advantages with long-term benefits is crucial.

Mining for Ore and acquiring Rubies shouldn’t be overlooked. Ore is valuable for upgrading rooms, and Rubies serve multiple purposes besides earning points. They aid in resource management and prevent penalties for overcrowded spaces.

Efficiently using the space within your cave is paramount. Furnish rooms judiciously, gather animals strategically, and make optimal use of Mines. Minimize unused spaces to prevent point losses and ensure your cave layout is optimized for efficient actions.

Being adaptable is key to success. Flexibility in your strategy allows for adjustment based on the evolving game state, the actions of your opponents, and the resources available. Adapting to changing circumstances can significantly impact your success.

Lastly, keeping an eye on potential end-game scoring opportunities is crucial. Focus on fulfilling end-game conditions, securing bonuses, and avoiding penalties to maximize your final score. Being mindful of these scoring opportunities throughout the game can significantly boost your chances of winning.

Scenarios

Sometimes in Caverna: The Cave Farmers, you might find yourself with too many animals and not enough space. If that happens, try to build more pastures or get some stable tiles. Or maybe you’re running out of food. Look for actions that let you get more food, like fishing or baking bread.

Frequently Asked Questions about playing Caverna: The Cave Farmers game

Here are some common questions people have:

Q: How many people can play Caverna: The Cave Farmers?
A: It’s for 1 to 7 players.

Q: How long does a game usually take?
A: It can take about 30 minutes per player.

Q: Can I play Caverna: The Cave Farmers solo?
A: Yes, there are rules for a solo game.

Q: Is Caverna: The Cave Farmers like Agricola?
A: They’re similar, but Caverna has more options and no cards.

Q: Do I need to feed my animals?
A: No, but you do need to feed your dwarves.

Additional Tips for Caverna: The Cave Farmers

Here are some extra tips to help you out:

• Try to get a good mix of rooms in your cave for extra points and bonuses.
• Keep an eye on the end of the game scoring so you know what to focus on.
• Don’t forget to upgrade your dwarves’ tools. It can really help with farming and mining.

External Links

If you want to learn more about Caverna: The Cave Farmers or get your hands on the official rules, check out these links:

Official Caverna: The Cave Farmers Page

Official Rulebook for Caverna [PDF]