Agricola Game Setup

We cover the essential instructions to help you quickly learn how to play Agricola. Finished setting up? Click here for the how to play Agricola rules guide. Note: these rules are based on the original edition.

The game is based in Central Europe, around 1670AD. Europe has overcome the devastating Plague. People are rebuilding their lives. You and your spouse are farmers looking to establish your new farmland.


Agricola Game Items

  • 5 farmyards for the players
  • 3 game boards for the game actions
  • 1 board for Major Improvements
  • 169 yellow “Occupation” cards
  • 139 orange “Minor Improvement” cards
  • 10 red “Major Improvement” cards
  • 14 blue Round cards
  • 16 green Action cards
  • 5 grey Begging cards
  • 5 Summary cards
  • 2 Deck cards (1 Deck I, 1 Deck K)
  • 5 Family member discs, 4 Stables and 15 Fences in each colors (blue, green, red, natural wood and purple)
  • 33 round, dark brown Wood counters
  • 27 round, light brown Clay counters
  • 15 round, white Reed counters
  • 18 round, grey Stone counters
  • 27 round, yellow Grain counters
  • 18 round, orange Vegetable counters
  • 21 Sheep tokens (white cubes)
  • 8 Wild boar tokens (black cubes)
  • 15 Cattle tokens (brown cubes)
  • 1 Starting player token
  • 33 brown/grey Field/Stone house tiles
  • 24 brown/red Wood/Clay hut tiles
  • 36 yellow Food markers labeled “1”
  • 9 Multiplication markers
  • 3 Claim markers (with “Guest” on the reverse)
  • 1 Scoring pad

Game Setup in Simple Steps

Choose your colour and take the pieces

Setup your farms

Take 1 farmyard and place it in front.
Place a Wooden Room Hut Tile on each of the 2 building spaces on the farmyard. Place your family member on each of these room tiles.
Place remaining playing pieces (additional family members, fences, stables) in bag and put aside. Remaining house and hut tiles and the rest of the game components are placed beside playing area.

Agricola Blue Round Stage Cards

Setup Blue Round Cards

Sort the blue Round cards ordered by game Stage. Shuffle each small pile and place the piles on top of each other with Stage 6 cards at the bottom, Stage 5 on top of that, etc – finishing with the four cards for Stage 1 on the top. Round cards make new actions available during the game.

Agricola Green Action Cards

Setup Green Action Cards

Sort the blue Round cards ordered by game Stage. Shuffle each small pile and place the piles on top of each other with Stage 6 cards at the bottom, Stage 5 on top of that, etc – finishing with the four cards for Stage 1 on the top. Round cards make new actions available during the game.

Agricola board game rules - occupation card

Shuffle and Deal Yellow Occupation Cards

The purple symbol on the left side of the yellow Occupation cards shows how many players the card is used for. Cards not used are removed from the game; Shuffle cards and deal 7 to each player, who may look at their cards. Remaining cards are put aside. Shuffle the cards and deal each player a hand of 7 Occupation cards
Players may look at the cards. The remaining Occupation cards are put to one side

Minor Improvement Card

Shuffle and Deal Orange Minor Improvement Cards

Shuffle the cards and deal each player a hand of 7 Minor Improvement cards, who may look at their hand. Remaining cards are put aside. The remaining Minor Improvement cards are put to one side

Agricola Game Setup (Original Edition) 1

Place Red Major Improvement Cards

Place the 10 cards face-up on the Major Improvements board. As soon as 9 Major Improvements have been bought, the board is turned over to show the scoring overview. Remaining Major Improvement card is placed on the space on the reverse of the board.

Begging Card

Place Grey Begging Cards

Place the grey Begging cards face-up beside the playing area.

Agricola Game Setup (Original Edition) 2

Players take Summary Cards

Each player takes a card which summarises the gameplay.

Select starting player and take food tokens

Choose a starting player who will get starting player marker and 2 food. Other players get 3 food.


Finished Setting Up? Click the button below to find out how to play Agricola step by step.

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