La Granja –
Rules

The center of La Granja’s game board depicts Esporles’ market place. It consists of hexagonal market spaces, where each space has a number (value) between 2 and 6. Market spaces featuring an “X” cannot be entered in a 2- or 3-player game (see 4.0).

Six craft buildings are located at the edge of the market. Four different rows of symbols (one per player) are assigned to each craft building. Each player may deliver farm goods or trade commodities to each craft building as denoted by the symbols. Craft markers are stacked on their respective spaces next to the symbol rows.

Revenue spaces are located on the left side of the game board (with dice depicting values from 1 to 6).

Spaces for the roof markers are located at the bottom left of the board. The markers for rounds 2 through 6 are stacked in round order as denoted on the board. The roof markers for the current round are displayed individually above these stacks.

The siesta track is located on the right side of the game board. It shows how “rested” players are in a given round, and is used to determine turn order.

La Granja contains 66 farm cards. During the game, players draw cards into their hands and then play them by tucking them under one of the four sides of their farm.

After playing a card, only the side chosen by the player is “Active” and influences the game. The information on the other three sides of the card is irrelevant for the rest of the game.

• A card played to the left of the farm is a field. A specific harvest good grows on a field – either olives, grain, or grapes.
• A card played to one of the three notches at the top of the farm is a market barrow.
• A card played to the right of the farm is a farm extension .
• A card played to one of the three notches at the bottom of the farm is a helper with special abilities.

There are nine dice in the game. Depending on the number of players, a certain number of dice is used and assigned to the revenue spaces of the game board.

Each player has a player board which represents his farm. On his farm are six spaces for acquired craft markers, several dens (for harvest goods and upgraded goods), costs for upgrades, purchase and selling prices for resources, a central space for trade commodities, a pig stall with two spaces, a table denoting the 9 farm goods and the costs for farm extensions (which increases with each extension), a farm house with five spaces for purchased roof markers, a space for played donkey markers, and spaces for the two revenue dice the player will choose each round.

Attention: While the space for trade commodities and dens for harvest goods and upgraded goods may hold any number of player markers, the pig stall only has room for a maximum of two pigs (hence two octagonal spaces).

Farm cards may be placed at the appropriate spots on the four sides of the farm; their usage varies according to their location on the farm. At most three cards may be placed at the top and bottom of the farm – one card in each “notch”. Cards placed to the left and right are partially tucked underneath cards that have already been played so that only the appropriate side of the card is showing. There is no limit to the number of cards in these two locations.

Silver is the currency in La Granja. The game contains “coins” with a value of 1 and 3. A player may change three “1” coins against a single “3” coin from the “bank” (or vice versa) during the game. If the rules booklet mentions “1 silver” it means one silver coin of value 1.

When a player has earned victory points, he immediately takes that number of victory point markers from the pool. There are markers with value 1, 3, 5, and 10 victory points. A player may “take change” for their markers at any time (e.g., taking a single marker of value 3 for three markers of value 1). The players may keep the number of their victory points secret. If the rules booklet mentions “1 victory point”, it means one victory point marker of value 1.

Each craft building in the village has its own specific craft marker. Each player may get one marker at each craft building. The front side of the marker shows its “instant function”, see 8.3.1.

Each player may purchase one roof marker per round. A roof marker provides its owner a one-time bonus. Players earn victory points for roof markers as shown on the player board immediately upon purchase (starting with the second roof marker).

Each player has an identical set of four donkey markers. Players select a donkey marker each round. The marker shows the number of deliveries (depicted by donkeys) and sometimes the number of steps a player advances on the siesta track of the game board (depicted by hats).

La Granja contains three building order markers. They are placed on three of the six craft buildings in the village at the start of the game and initially bar access to these craft buildings.

These markers record the player order.

The player aids summarize the sequence of a game round. The opposite side lists the ways players may obtain victory points.

Each player receives 25 player markers in his color. They represent various items a player owns or have used depending on where they are located on the farm or the game board.

Example: If a player marker is on the trade commodity space, it is a trade commodity; if it is on an olive field, it is an olive; if it is on the village market, it is a market stand, etc.

The 25 markers are the maximum a player can have!

If a player has all 25 markers in use (this rarely happens!), he may remove any one marker from his farm or the game board to use as part of his current action.

The player discs are placed on the “0” space on the siesta track on the game board. Player discs may be advanced during a game round.

The following terms have a special meaning in La Granja:

Harvest goods: There are three kinds of harvest goods - olives, grain, and grapes. They are placed in fields and dens and may be upgraded. All harvest goods taken by a player that were not grown in his fields must be placed in the appropriate dens.

Resources: Olives, grain, grapes and pigs (the traditional porc negre) are the resources in the game. They may be bought, sold, or upgraded.

Upgrade (upgraded goods): Grapes are upgraded to wine, pigs to cured meat, and olives and grain are upgraded to food. An upgrade may cost silver.

Revenue: A player gets revenue via a die. Revenue may be one or more resources, silver, a delivery, one or two free upgrades, one or two steps on the siesta track, and the drawing or playing of a card.

Color Labeling: The four phases of a game turn and its various steps are labeled by color.

Trade commodity: Trade commodities may be returned for resources and actions.

Farm: A player´s tableau (plus attached farm cards) represent his farm.

Farm goods: An overriding term that includes the following:

• silver
• victory points
• harvest goods (olive, grain, grape)
• upgraded goods (food, wine, cured meat)
• pigs

Delivery: A donkey symbol represents one delivery. A delivery is defined as moving one good from a field or den (and sometimes a card) to either a craft building in the village or to a market barrow on the player´s farm.

Over the course of six game rounds, players will expand their farm and deliver goods to the village of Esporles, earning them victory points.

Players have two options to earn victory points in the village:

1. When a player has fully supplied a craft building, he receives victory points and a craft marker which grants a bonus for the remainder of the game.
2. When a player has fully supplied a market barrow on his farm (i.e. the farm cards at the top of his farm), he receives victory points and a trade commodity.

It is important to observe the actions of the other players, to manipulate turn order, and to adjust for the vagaries of the dice and the cards during the course of the game.

The player who has earned the most victory points by the end of the game is the winner and earns the title of La Granja for their estate!

Place the game board in the center of the table. Each player receives a player board (farm), 25 player markers of their color, and one set of donkey markers (four markers containing one, two, three, and four donkey symbols).

Each player receives one victory point and 1 silver, placing them next to their farm. Each player also places a player marker on the trade commodity space on their farm. The remainder of the player markers makes up their pool.

One player shuffles all 66 farm cards and deals each player four concealed cards. The other cards are placed face down on the table forming the draw deck.

Attention: If and when the last card is drawn from the draw deck, all discarded cards are shuffled together to create a new draw deck.

One player sorts the roof markers by their game round number and stacks them face down. If there are less than four players, randomly remove roof markers from each stack until the number of roof markers left is equal to the number of players. Place the stacks on the game board in the corresponding space denoted on the board (organized by game round number). The roof markers for round 1 are placed face up above them in the provided spaces.

Place the craft markers on the board in the space designated for them near their respective craft buildings on the game board. Place 1 victory point on each of the light gray spaces adjacent to the craft buildings (the ones with the four spaces for player markers).

Roll a die. Place building order marker 1 and a victory point on this craft building. Roll the die two more times, placing building order markers 2 and 3 respectively. Place a victory point with each marker. Re-roll as necessary if the building already has a building order marker. NOTE: Building order numbers should be placed in the center of the symbol rows. Randomly determine the start player. He receives turn order marker 1. In clockwise order from the start player, each player takes the next turn order marker. Return any unused markers to the game box.

Select dice depending upon the number of players. The number of dice used is equal to two multiplied by the number of players plus one.

In turn order, each player places one of his player markers on a central market space (with values of 2, 3, 4, and 5) on the game board. The first player places his marker on the market space with a value of 2; the remaining players follow in ascending order. In a 3-player game, spaces 2, 3, 4 are occupied; in a 2-player game spaces 2 and 3 are occupied.

In reverse turn order, each player places his siesta disc on the space at the bottom of the siesta track. They should be stacked – the disc of the starting player should be on top.

Victory points and silver are placed nearby and form the pool.

Attention: In 2- and 3-player games most of the outer market spaces may not be entered. These spaces have an “X” in their center.

La Granja is played over six game rounds. One game round consists of four phases:

Attention: La Granja does not contain a game round track. Players may use the backs of the roof markers and the empty roof marker spaces to determine the current game round.

La Granja is a very flexible game – most of the time only the active player may perform various actions in the order of his choosing. This is especially important for certain actions that may be conducted anytime during the game independent of the phase of a game round. These actions include returning trade commodities, buying and selling resources, and upgrading resources.

From time to time during the game a player receives trade commodities (most of the time via completed market barrows). Each trade commodity is represented by a player marker on the central space of the farm.

A player may return a trade commodity to his pool to conduct one of the following actions:

• Take 4 silver
  The player takes 4 silver from the pool.
• Take two different harvest goods
  The player takes two different harvest goods and places two of his player markers on the corresponding dens of his farm.
• Draw one card or play one card
  The player either tucks one of his cards from his hand under his farm (taking the costs for farm extensions into account, see 6.0) or he draws the top card from the draw deck to his hand.
• Take one pig
  The player takes one pig and places one of his player markers on a pig stall space.
• Upgrade two resources free of charge
  The player may upgrade any two of his resources free of charge and transfer them from their dens or fields into the respective dens for upgraded goods. To do so, he moves a marker from a den or field in the direction of the arrow into the corresponding den of the upgraded good. The costs shown on the arrow are not paid.

Alternatively, the player may transport trade commodities to one of the craft buildings of the village in the transportation phase, see 8.3.1.

When a player buys resources, he places one player marker per purchased resource in the respective den or stall.

When he sells resources, he removes the respective player markers from his dens or stalls. Harvest goods cannot be sold from fields!
Exception: Card 35 Agricultural Worker.

Attention: Upgraded goods may not be directly bought or sold. A player may buy an upgraded good indirectly by purchasing a resource at its purchase price and then spending silver to upgrade it.

A player may upgrade harvest goods and pigs – henceforth they are upgraded goods. To do so, the player marker is moved from its resource space to its space as upgraded good.

The costs for upgrades are listed on the farm between the dens and fields of the harvest goods and the pig stall and the dens for upgraded goods.

Harvest goods are never moved between a field and a den. They remain on the fields until one of the following occurs:

• Upgraded (see 5.1.3)
• Used as payment for the cost of a farm extension (see 6.0)
• Used as a delivery (see 8.3)

The farm phase consists of four steps. One step is always conducted completely by all players before the next step is started. After players are comfortable with the game, the first three steps of the farm phase may be conducted simultaneously.

Otherwise, the farm phase is played in game turn order.

1. Play a farm card and draw new card(s)

Each player may play one card and draw one or more new cards at the end of this step.

Exception: In the first round all players play two cards!

Players should place their cards on their farm according to how they wish to use them:

• Field: A card placed on the left side of the farm becomes a field. A harvest good will be produced on an empty field – either olives, grain, or grapes (see step 3 of the farm phase). Tuck a card played as a field underneath the left side of the player’s farm board so that only the left side of the card is displayed. A player may have any number of fields. A field always enters the game “empty” (i.e. without a harvest good)!
• Market Barrow: A card placed in one of the three slots on the top of the farm becomes a market barrow. Tuck the card underneath the top of the player’s farm board so only the information at the top of the card remains visible. Specific goods are displayed by their corresponding symbols. These goods must be delivered to the barrow by the player. When the market barrow has been fully supplied, it is sent to the village market and earns the player a trade commodity and victory points according to line 2 below the symbols (see 8.0).
• Farm Extension: A card placed on the right side of the farm becomes a farm extension. Tuck a card played as a farm extension underneath the right side of the player’s farm board so that only the right side of the card is displayed. A farm extension offers various benefits.
• Helper: A card placed in one of the three slots at the bottom of the farm becomes a special helper that gives the player special abilities. Tuck the card underneath the bottom of the player’s farm board so only the information at the top of the card remains visible! The helpers and their functions are listed in detail in the → Glossary (pdf)
  The color(s) of some card titles show in which phase or phases they may be used. Card titles without color(s) may be used anytime during the owner´s player turn.
  Some cards may be used only once (1x) per game turn. To denote this, a player marker is put onto the card after usage. At the end of the game turn all markers are removed from cards to show that they may be used again.

Playing a card as a market barrow, helper, or field is always free. If a player already has three market barrows (or three helpers) on his farm and would like to play another one, he must discard an existing one to make room for the new market barrow (or helper).

Playing a card as a farm extension requires the appropriate payment. Farm extensions are paid for with farm goods. Each farm extension card played on the farm costs one more unique farm good than the previous one. The cost of the first farm extension is one farm good, the second is two farm goods, the third is three unique goods, etc.

Note: Starting with the second farm extension card, unique farm goods must be used as payment.
Players can find an overview of the farm goods and farm extension costs in the top right corner of their farm.

Cards may be used immediately after placing them at your farm

If a player uses a card, this card has to be utilized completely, before any other card may be used.

At the end of this step, each player draws cards until his hand limit is reached. Each player starts the game with a hand limit of three cards. This is indicated on the player´s farm. Each farm extension a player owns and a few helpers increase the hand limit.

Attention: The hand limit is only in effect at this time; during the rest of the round a player may have more cards in his hand than his hand limit allows. If a player must discard surplus cards, he may choose which of his cards to discard in order to get back to his hand limit.

Each player takes his income from the pool.

At the start of the game no player has any regular income. Blue craft markers at a farm (three of them, see 8.3.1) and farm extensions with a blue part produce income for a player. Income may be silver, harvest goods, pigs, or trade commodities.

Each player receives new harvest goods on fields and offspring for his pigs.

One harvest good is placed on each empty field of a player. He takes one of his player markers and places it on the field.

If a player has at least two pigs, he gets one pig as offspring.

Note: To receive this additional pig, a player must have the necessary space in his den(s). If he does not have the space, he does not get offspring (a player may not sell the newborn pig immediately!).
The farm has space for two pigs, the appropriate farm extensions have space for one pig each. Even with several pigs a player only gets one pig as offspring.

Each player may purchase one roof marker from the current round in turn order.

Attention: In the first round, players purchase roof makers in reverse turn order!

A roof marker depicts its costs in silver. Note: The price corresponds to the current round, starting at 1 silver in round 1 and increasing to 6 silver by the sixth and final round.

Purchased roof markers are placed on the leftmost empty roof marker space on the player’s farm (this space may not correspond to the current game round!). When a player covers up a roof marker space with victory points printed on it, he immediately receives those victory points.

Each roof marker provides a special one-time benefit, which may be used at the player’s discretion during one of his turns. All roof markers are colored according to the phase(s) they may be used. After they have been used they are turned face down.

Note: Each player may buy one roof marker per round. Since a farm only has five roof marker spaces, a player may buy a maximum of five roof markers (see farm card Storage Builder for the lone exception). A purchased roof marker may not be discarded.

The start player takes a number of dice according to the number of players (see 4.0), rolls them, and places them to the left of the corresponding revenue spaces.

In turn order, each player takes a die and places it on the left die space of his farm and performs the respective action. When each player has done so, each player, in turn order, takes a second die, places it on the right die space of his farm and performs the respective action.

One die should be left next to a revenue space. All players now conduct the action of that die in turn order.

The transportation phase consists of four steps. Step 1 is conducted simultaneously; the remaining steps are conducted in turn order. Each step must be fully completed before the next step is started.

Each player secretly chooses one of his available donkey markers and places it face down in front of him. In the first round, the players have all four donkey markers available. In the second round, the previously chosen marker is unavailable; in the third turn the donkey markers selected in turns 1 and 2 are unavailable.

At the start of the transportation phase in the fourth round, all donkey markers reset and are returned to the players, allowing them to once again choose from all four donkey markers. Afterwards, game rounds 5 and 6 are handled like rounds 2 and 3.

When all players have chosen a donkey marker, all players turn their donkey markers over simultaneously.

In turn order, players advance on the siesta track according to their chosen donkey marker (0, 1, 2, or 3 steps). If a player ends on a space occupied by another player, he stacks his disc on top of any disc(s) already there.

Note: One of the craft markers increases the number of steps a player moves on the siesta track (see 8.3.1).

A player may not advance beyond the topmost space of the siesta track. The new turn order is determined - the player who has advanced furthest on the siesta track is the new start player and takes turn order marker 1. The player who is second receives turn order marker 2, etc. If two or more players occupy the same space on the track, the player whose disc is on top gets the turn marker with the lower number. The new turn order takes effect immediately. Leave the discs where they are on the siesta track.

Players now carry out their deliveries using the new turn order.
Each donkey symbol on a donkey marker represents one delivery.
The number of donkey symbols on a marker is the maximum number of deliveries a player may carry out.

Note: One of the craft markers increases the number of deliveries a player may make (see 8.3.1).

Each player will carry out all of his deliveries before the next player makes his deliveries. A delivery is defined as moving one farm good from a field or den (and sometimes a card) to either a craft building in the village or to a market barrow on the player´s farm. A player continues making deliveries until he has used as many of his deliveries as desired.

When a player has carried out all his deliveries, he places his donkey marker face down in the top left corner of his farm. This marker is no longer available until the donkey markers reset (see 8.1).

Each player may carry out deliveries to all six craft buildings. However, at the start of the game, three of the six buildings are “blocked” and have a marker to denote this (see 8.3.2). Players may not make deliveries to blocked buildings.

Each craft building has a symbol row for each player. Symbol rows are separated by lines. A player chooses an empty row when he carries out his first delivery. He is now assigned to that row. The symbols show which farm goods must be delivered to a craft building.

A player may deliver farm goods to various craft buildings in one transportation phase.

To carry out a delivery, the player takes the farm good in question or the trade commodity from his farm and places one of his player markers on the symbol in “his” row at the craft building. Farm goods may be delivered in any order to a craft building; a player does not have to deliver goods in the order shown in his row. Deliveries to craft buildings may be spread out over as many rounds as necessary.

When a player has fully supplied a craft building (i.e. his player markers occupy each space in his row), he immediately transfers one of these markers to one of the spaces at the building highlighted in light-gray. The player may no longer make deliveries to this craft building. His remaining player markers are returned to his pool. If the player is the first one to fully supply a craft building, he immediately takes the victory point from the gray spot.

The player also takes one of the craft markers from the building and places it, front side (the side with the lightning symbol) up, on the corresponding space of his farm and receives a number of victory points according to the current game round. Each player keeps his craft markers until the end of the game.

The player may immediately use the function of the front side of the marker once! Note: The front side of the markers has a lighning symbol, the back side has an ∞ symbol. Craft markers are flipped to their back side at the end of the current round.

Four of the six markers allow the owner to use the craft marker´s function once in its respective phase starting with the next game round. The color of the marker corresponds with the color of the phase(s) in which the marker may be used:

• Blue: These markers provide increased income.
• Gray/Green: These markers may be used in the Revenue or Transportation Phase.
• Gray: These markers provide a bonus function the Transportation Phase.