Key Harvest

by Rio Grande Games

Product Features

• For 2 to 4 players
• Playtime of 90 minutes
• Medieval agriculture theme
• It is a board game
• Agricultural strategy

Product Details

• Product Dimensions: 12.5 x 2.9 x 9 inches ; 2.8 pounds
• Shipping Weight: 2.8 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Shipping: This item is also available for shipping to select countries outside the U.S.
• ASIN: B000XFUCBE
• Item model number: 333RGG
• Manufacturer recommended age: 10 years and up
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #64,457 in Toys & Games (See Top 100 in Toys & Games)
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (6 customer reviews)

Product Description

From the Manufacturer

The object of the game in Key Harvest is to score the most points. Players score points by placing tiles on their own country board. Each player has the same board, but there is only one of each tile, so there is competition when two players want the same tile. One point is scored for each field tile in the player’s largest group of connected field tiles and two points for each tile in their second largest connected group.

Product Description

Key Harvest - The object of the game in Key Harvest is to score the most points. Players score points by placing tiles on their own country board. One point is scored for each field tile in the player's largest group of connected field tiles and two point

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

19 of 21 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent game!, October 14, 2009

By 

chicot (CT, US) - See all my reviews

= Durability:5.0 out of 5 stars  = Fun:5.0 out of 5 stars  = Educational:5.0 out of 5 stars 

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Key Harvest (Toy)

Excellent game. I looked at it about a year ago and I wasn't convinced. They I read the rules and it pulled me in like quicksand.

The interaction is great. You're trying to grow your crops by placing hexes on your own board, while other players do the same. But you can't just place them right away. First you have to get the right land tiles from the registry and you have to set the price for them in your warehouse, just in case anyone else would be interested. Because other people might snatch it from you, you want to set the prices accordingly. This is not an easy decision. Later, the more tiles you put on your board, the more workers you can send out to collect the crops which will become your payment, as well as money to set the prices of the next tiles. Different workers allow you to perform different things, so choose wisely. You can even employ workers from the city. All this just makes for hard decisions about what to do and what effect your choices will have on other players and vice versa.

At the end you don't just want your board with lots of tiles in one grouping. They have to be in 2 groupings. For the first group you'll get 1 point per tile, for the 2nd, 2 points per tile, so you want to grow your lands (tiles) on an equal level, while others do the same and all of the players compete for the same tiles.

This is an awesome game! Very interactive, great play, easy rules, but hard choices on which move to make and not help the other person win. Lovely colors. Perfect for long autumn evenings when you want to sit down with the family and play.

I recommend this game very much. It teaches players the value of things they aquire, teaches them to be specially alert and teaches them planning of their own resources on many levels, from land (tile) placement, to worker placement, to crops collecting, while being frugal (or not!) with your money.

Put this on your radar if you don't have this game yet. Very much worth the money!! Or better yet, buy it!!

Enjoy the gameing!

10 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Don't let the instructions intimidate you, January 4, 2010

By 

Deborah J. Andreasen (Idaho) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

= Durability:4.0 out of 5 stars  = Fun:5.0 out of 5 stars  = Educational:4.0 out of 5 stars 

This review is from: Key Harvest (Toy)

We received this game as a Christmas gift and were very excited. Upon opening it and seeing the book of instructions and the hundred little pieces, I was seconds away from closing it back up and putting it up for sale online. However, since it was a gift, I muscled through and learned how to play.

Set up is probably the most difficult part of the game (aside from reading through the rules). There are so many different steps, and a lot of tiny pieces that you have to read. Not to mention the pieces are English on one side and German on the other.

However, once we started playing, I found myself strategizing like I do when playing chess.

Each player has a country board with alpha-numeric hexagons. There are 52 corresponding farm pieces, and each player tries to grow at least two farms of about equal size and strength. This is done by "bidding" on the farm pieces with crop counters (which work similar to money in this game) and placing them on their country board. Players can buy the farm pieces from themselves or from opponents. They receive more crop counters by harvesting (or turning over) their planted farm tiles.

You have to be careful since each player has the same country board, and there is only one of each farm tile. Plus you display your bid for tiles for an entire round, giving your opponents ample opportunity to steal them from you.

Each turn consists of up to four actions, making it possible to get a lot accomplished per turn. During the game, action tiles are played (tiles, both action and farm, are pulled from a black cloth bag, making it impossible to tell which one you're grabbing). Some actions are mandatory, some are optional. They apply to all players, and the game is over when 10 action tiles are pulled.

Scoring is done by giving yourself a point per tile in your largest farm, and two points per tile in your second largest farm. This encourages you to have two farms of about the same size. You also recieve points for worker tiles on your country board, and the players with the most crop counters of a color (red, brown, orange, yellow and green) receives one point.

All in all, this game has a lot of intricacies that might make it unappealing, but it's worth it to learn them. The instructions come with hints for first time players. After that, I think, you figure out your own strategies. The play is not difficult at all, it just takes time to read through the rules.

The first few times playing, I suggest having the instruction manual nearby. We pulled it out almost every time an action or worker tile was played, just to be sure we understood and were doing the right thing.

I recommend Key Harvest to anyone who likes a strategically challenging game. It is worth it to learn how to play, and the price is very reasonable.

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars NCE Quality game and FUN!, July 1, 2010

By 

Charles Vanosdell "Wendy" (Walker, Louisiana) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

= Durability:5.0 out of 5 stars  = Fun:5.0 out of 5 stars  = Educational:4.0 out of 5 stars 

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Key Harvest (Toy)

This game is HARD to learn to play, but we all love it! It is so fun. We play it together as a family. After playing 5 times, we pretty much have it down pat now. It is a very high quality game. I have never seen a better made game. I really enjoyed the quality of it. My children did not really notice, but it was a pleasure for me to see and feel the board and pieces, NOT made like a game from Walmart(I have many of these).