Kraut & Rüben (1998)

About this game

Kraut & Rüben is Cabbage & Beets but means higgledy-piggledy. Players try to construct a market garden, which best matches their secret scoring card. The gardens start in the middle (one more than the number of players). Players draw tiles and place vegetables, weeds, snails and moles in different plots. When you feel one garden looks good to you, you grab it for your score at the end. However, other players can continue to place tiles in your garden until one space remains. The scoring card shows a grid, you score for 2 plants based on a 3rd, so if you have 2 cabbages, your carrots will score 3 pts and your asparagus will score 4 pts each. But get another cabbage and the points drop, so you have to control your garden to get the optimum score. A good, simple, fun game, this will entertain but not stretch gamers and is a great intro for kids and non-gamers.

Does it fit your group?

• Group size. Works with 3 to 5.
• Rules load. At 1.2/5 this is a light game — explain it in a few minutes, good for a table that has not played much.
• Age. The publisher suggests 8 and up. That rates the rules rather than the artwork, so judge the box yourself for younger players.