---
title: "ESSAY: Indie Game Essay – The Art of Filling Space, Game 10"
description: "Bohnanza turns bean farming into cutthroat negotiation. Players trade cards to optimize their harvests, but deal-making quickly spirals into political theater. A 1997 classic that still feels urgent."
published: 2019-10-03T00:00:00+00:00
author: "ONDA 편집팀"
category: "Insights"
image: "https://zqcfqfqgiyckyhazcfrk.supabase.co/storage/v1/object/public/blog-images/webflow/6316f3f75130788ec2d762dd/65a9fd066cd3b486f4c0b52a_62e76774dd3aac10c82f8839_5e942869efc8a068f0607a8d_img_2197.jpeg"
canonical: https://global.onda.me/en/blog?slug=essay-dogribgeim-esei---gongganeul-caeuneun-yesul-geim-10
locale: en
---
# ESSAY: Indie Game Essay – The Art of Filling Space, Game 10

### 10. Multiplayer: Wheeling and Dealing

**Writer: Ahn Min-woo, CEO of Ugergames**

**Editor: ONDA Manager So Mo-ra**

**Photo: Yu Hwa-garang & Studio Sio**

![](https://zqcfqfqgiyckyhazcfrk.supabase.co/storage/v1/object/public/blog-images/webflow/6316f3f75130788ec2d762dd/65a9fd076cd3b486f4c0b54c_62e76774dd3aacbe652f883f_5e942867639000d443d8a116_e18489e185b3e1848fe185b3e18485e185b5e186abe18489e185a3e186ba-2019-10-14-e1848be185a9e1848ce185a5e186ab-11.16.25.png)

![](https://zqcfqfqgiyckyhazcfrk.supabase.co/storage/v1/object/public/blog-images/webflow/6316f3f75130788ec2d762dd/65a9fd076cd3b486f4c0b54f_62e76774dd3aacbcce2f8841_5e94286673fd9d064b897f47_e18489e185b3e1848fe185b3e18485e185b5e186abe18489e185a3e186ba-2019-10-14-e1848be185a9e1848ce185a5e186ab-11.16.34.png)

Hello, I'm Ahn Min-woo, CEO of Ugergames. Fall is well underway, and winter is already knocking at the door. On these chilly days, gathering around for a board game is perfect. So today's picks are games that'll make time fly when you play them at a campground or pension—especially ones featuring wheeling and dealing. In cruder terms, games where you need "gift of gab"—or more elegantly, **sharp negotiation skills**. Let's dive in.

### **What defines wheeling and dealing games**

We're heading toward the endgame of multiplayer board games. Last time, we covered bluffing—games built on deception. Negotiation games take bluffing as a baseline and layer in **long-term stakes** that demand strategic thinking. You need to play politics, essentially. These games run longer than quick bluffing rounds—you're managing the whole game, so bluffing recedes to the background. The fun comes from teams constantly shifting, interests colliding, and **wild variables** emerging mid-game.

### **_1. Bohnanza_**

**01\_Game Overview**

A true classic from 1997: **Bohnanza!** Despite its fame, the name doesn't roll off the tongue easily. Most people who visit my space ask for "that bean-trading game."

Bohnanza is literally about holding bean cards, growing them according to certain rules, and selling them well—an economic activity loop. Like Go-Stop, it's about set collection and hand management at its core… but when you actually play Bohnanza, you feel like you've been dropped **into the middle of a bustling market**. That's because you can trade—a mechanic that changes everything. Let's take a closer look.

![](https://zqcfqfqgiyckyhazcfrk.supabase.co/storage/v1/object/public/blog-images/webflow/6316f3f75130788ec2d762dd/65a9fd076cd3b486f4c0b571_62e76774dd3aac0c992f8849_5e94286706600f3e29dc6821_img_0265.jpeg)

![](https://zqcfqfqgiyckyhazcfrk.supabase.co/storage/v1/object/public/blog-images/webflow/6316f3f75130788ec2d762dd/65a9fd076cd3b486f4c0b55e_62e76774dd3aacf60e2f8847_5e94286736c30b6998e8b2c9_img_0293.jpeg)

A game that drops you into the middle of a bustling market: 'Bohnanza'

**02\_Bohnanza Rules Explained**

The setup is simple: just cards. 126 bean cards and 7 "third bean field" cards. Set the field cards aside and shuffle the bean deck, then deal to all players. (Note: Bohnanza has different setups per player count, so check the rulebook!)

Bean cards are numbered, each with a unique name and illustration. The number indicates how many of that bean exist in the deck. Lower numbers mean rarer beans—so lower is better. The bottom of each card shows how many you need to collect to convert to 1–4 gold coins. Rare beans convert to gold faster with fewer cards.

Typically, players start with 5 cards (varies by player count). **Critical rule: you can never rearrange your hand.** Right-handed or left-handed, hold them in order—front card to back. This restriction is what makes Bohnanza's trading mechanic work. Honor it!

Stack the remaining deck face-down in the center. Starting with the first player, each turn involves four actions in order:

1) Plant 1–2 cards from the front of your hand

2) Flip 2 cards from the deck and plant them

3) Plant any traded beans

4) Draw cards and add them to the back of your hand

In detail: on your turn, you **must** plant the front card of your hand into your field. The second card is optional. You only have two bean fields, so once you've planted two bean types, you can't plant anything else. _(You can plant the same bean type in separate fields, and you can buy a "third bean field" card anytime for 3 gold coins.)_ If your fields are full and your front card is a different bean type, you have to **uproot** one of your fields and replant.

You can harvest (cash out) your bean fields anytime, but here's the catch: **you need enough beans to convert to coins.** If you're forced to uproot a field before it's ready, you lose those beans. This constraint drives trading—because when you trade, you can use any card from your hand, not just the front.

Bohnanza keeps pushing you into these tight spots. After you plant 1–2 cards from your hand, you flip 2 more from the deck—which you also must plant. **That's when trading kicks in.** Those 2 cards might be duds no one wants, or treasure everyone's fighting over. Use your hand cards to make **efficient deals**. Once all trading wraps, everyone involved plants what they acquired.

You can sell beans anytime. Flip the cards to show the gold coin illustration—each flipped card becomes 1 coin. Cards that don't convert to coins get discarded. After your turn ends, draw 3 new cards from the deck and slide them to the back of your hand. Pass the turn clockwise.

Keep playing until the deck runs out—don't panic, just shuffle the discards and continue. Think of one deck cycle as "one year of farming." After three years (three deck cycles), the game ends. Whoever has the most gold wins.

**03\_Strategy Tips**

The game gets spicy when someone says: "I don't have anything to trade right now, but **I'll owe you later!"** Welcome to unsecured bean futures. When payback time comes and someone else offers you a better deal, what do you do? Honor your word, or chase the profit?

That choice shifts based on game phase. Early on, the deck is thick and the end feels distant—but cards burn fast. In years two and three, the game ends quicker than you think, especially with more players (fewer turns per person). How you **manage trust** across early-mid-late game is a key strategy layer.

**04\_Visuals**

The game's designer is **Uwe Rosenberg**, the genius behind Agricola and Patchwork—games I've praised for their brilliant mechanics. I only knew him for heavy strategy games, so I was shocked to learn Bohnanza was his debut. A raucous party game like this! It's 20 years old, so the art feels a bit **kitschy** by today's standards—but it perfectly captures the game's energy. Goofy and cheeky games thrive on goofy art. Each bean type has its own character design, so take a moment mid-game to appreciate them.

![](https://zqcfqfqgiyckyhazcfrk.supabase.co/storage/v1/object/public/blog-images/webflow/6316f3f75130788ec2d762dd/65a9fd076cd3b486f4c0b56c_62e76775dd3aacdb582f884a_5e94286706600ff7f0dc6820_img_0291.jpeg)

Each bean type is illustrated as its own character.

### **_2. I'm the Boss_**

**01\_Game Overview**

Probably the most **immersive** game in the negotiation genre. Once you start, you can't escape. Why? Because **I'm the Boss** is pure negotiation from A to Z. Player freedom is sky-high; the rules are just a rough framework.

In this game, you're a powerbroker in the underworld, pulling strings on big deals alongside powerful investors. I'm the Boss has a hefty component list: a main board, investor tiles (A–F), deal tiles (1–15), money, 98 influence cards, game markers, dice, and more.

![](https://zqcfqfqgiyckyhazcfrk.supabase.co/storage/v1/object/public/blog-images/webflow/6316f3f75130788ec2d762dd/65a9fd076cd3b486f4c0b55a_62e76775dd3aac86e12f884b_5e9428673338325748438786_img_0256.jpeg)

The most immersive negotiation game: 'I'm the Boss'

**02\_I'm the Boss Rules Explained**

Stack the deal tiles in order (1 on top) in the center. Each player randomly takes investor tiles (2 each in a 3-player game, 1 each in 4–6 players). Leftover investors go beside the board. Deal 5 influence cards to each player, then shuffle the rest into a central deck.

The first player places the game marker on any space, rolls the die, and moves clockwise that many spaces. Now they have two choices: start a deal in that space, or draw 3 influence cards and pass. (Max hand size: 12 cards.) The next player can either start a deal in the current space or roll the die again—same choice loop. That's the game flow.

I'm the Boss has **two game layers**: the "waiting for a good deal" layer (drawing cards, rolling dice) and the "deal is on" layer. The latter is the game's centerpiece—and it's **pure chaos.**

_A deal is, in a word, a free-for-all._

Let's understand the goal first. At game end, whoever has the most money wins. The only way to make money is by getting a cut of closed deals. The spaces you land on show which investors are needed and how big the pot is (marked by $ symbols). Each $ symbol multiplies by the current deal tile number. As deals close, deal tiles flip and the number increases—so the pot grows each round.

We're big-time operators, so if a deal closes, everyone involved gets paid. But closing deals is hard. The person who starts the deal becomes the boss and divides the pot. They also need consent from players holding the required investors. The boss wants a bigger cut, naturally—but they need other players to close the deal, so they have to offer **fair terms**, right? This dilemma alone is nerve-wracking. But wait—there are **influence cards.**

Influence cards can be played by anyone during a deal. Now the game goes haywire. These five card types will explain everything:

**・ Cousin Card:** Bring in an investor's cousin to satisfy the space's conditions as if you had that investor.

**・ Travel Card:** Send an investor or cousin on a trip—they're out of this deal.

**・ Hire Card:** Collect 3 to steal another player's investor tile.

**・ Boss Card:** You become the boss and decide who's in and how the money splits.

**・ Stop Card:** Blocks Travel, Hire, or Boss cards. (Can't stop a Stop card!)

Powerful, right? If you start a deal in a space where you hold the required investors and the pot is decent, you control negotiations as boss. But influence cards can **yank the boss title away**. That's when the deal turns into an absolute circus, and tension hits **the stratosphere.**

After screaming yourselves hoarse, once someone closes the 10th deal, flip the deal tile. Whenever the next tile's number shows, you might end the game. The last boss rolls the die—if it matches the number on the back of the tile, the game ends immediately. Otherwise, keep playing. Richest player wins.

**03\_Strategy Tips**

The rulebook translates investors as generic "investors" and cousins as "clan members"—awkward phrasing. Since I'm the Boss relies on players quickly grasping the rules and jumping into negotiations, **explain the game in simple, intuitive terms.** That's strategy step one.

Next comes the essence of negotiation: **"There are no permanent allies or enemies."** Shift allegiances based on real-time interests. Since the pot swells in later rounds, taking a small loss early to build goodwill can pay off. Why? Because I'm the Boss exposes the core dilemma to everyone:

**You can't eat a big deal alone.** You have to cut people in—or they'll sabotage the deal. More partners = more security, but smaller shares. Fewer partners = risk that excluded players will torpedo you.

![](https://zqcfqfqgiyckyhazcfrk.supabase.co/storage/v1/object/public/blog-images/webflow/6316f3f75130788ec2d762dd/65a9fd076cd3b486f4c0b557_62e76775dd3aac74cc2f884c_5e9428694596931ad375ad18_img_0282.jpeg)

![](https://zqcfqfqgiyckyhazcfrk.supabase.co/storage/v1/object/public/blog-images/webflow/6316f3f75130788ec2d762dd/65a9fd076cd3b486f4c0b57a_62e76775dd3aac533e2f884e_5e94286973fd9daeda897f49_img_0271.jpeg)

"There are no permanent allies or enemies." Time your allegiance shifts based on shifting interests.

Influence cards are your power to override that dilemma. They flip the game instantly. Your hand size = your leverage, so manage it well and stay in sync with others. Don't blow all your cards and leave yourself defenseless, profitless, and investor-less. In the base rules, turn order changes with each boss swap, so card draw isn't guaranteed—if you fall behind, you stay behind!

**04\_Visuals**

Also from 1994—quite old. My space has a German edition with caricature-style art, similar to Bohnanza. The English edition (same as the Korean localization) got a design refresh with bolder colors. I'm the Boss uses a rich color palette that creates a sense of abundance—like you should be talking a lot. The big box and the vibrant spread during play make it perfect for group vacation rentals, party rooms, and guesthouses.

### **_3. Chinatown_**

**01\_Game Overview**

Chinatown. You're a Chinese immigrant in 1960s New York, building your empire in Chinatown. Unique theme, right? It's also the most complex game in today's lineup. The game runs 6 rounds, each with 6 phases. Not immediately intuitive—but the rich components and structured rules give Chinatown a **deeper trading satisfaction** than other games. It's not simple. Plus, in Chinatown, **everything is tradable.** Even money.

![](https://zqcfqfqgiyckyhazcfrk.supabase.co/storage/v1/object/public/blog-images/webflow/6316f3f75130788ec2d762dd/65a9fd076cd3b486f4c0b569_62e76775dd3aac39802f884d_5e9428699610464c157f2c8d_img_2181.jpeg)

![](https://zqcfqfqgiyckyhazcfrk.supabase.co/storage/v1/object/public/blog-images/webflow/6316f3f75130788ec2d762dd/65a9fd076cd3b486f4c0b574_62e76774dd3aac75852f8846_5e94286936c30b43cfe8b2cd_img_2196.jpeg)

Build your Chinatown empire as a Chinese immigrant in 1960s New York: 'Chinatown'

**02\_Chinatown Rules Explained**

The board is intense: 6 districts with buildings numbered 1–85. Think of it as district addresses, not street addresses. Each number represents a building where you can open a shop. At game start, each player gets 30 ownership markers (choose a color), a reference card, and $50,000. Put shop tiles in a bag and shuffle them. Shuffle the building deck and set it aside. Place the year marker on 1965—the starting point of 6 rounds. **Each round = 1 year.**

The player who most recently visited a Chinatown goes first. Play proceeds clockwise. Each round has 6 phases, starting with the first player:

**1) Distribute Building Cards:** Each player (starting with first player) draws the number of building cards shown on the reference card, then keeps the specified number and discards the rest. Once everyone's discarded, reveal your kept buildings simultaneously, place your markers on those spaces, and remove used building cards from the game.

**2) Draw Shop Tiles:** Again, each player draws the specified number of shop tiles from the bag. Everyone reveals simultaneously, then trading begins.

**3) Trading:** Trading happens simultaneously—no turn order. You can trade buildings, land, shop tiles, money, buildings with shops… anything in the game. When all players agree there are no more deals, trading ends.

**4) Place Shop Tiles:** Starting with the first player, place shop tiles clockwise. You place shops on your empty buildings. Identical adjacent shops generate more income. (Diagonal connections don't count as adjacent. You don't have to place a shop on your turn.)

**5) Collect Income:** Each player collects income from their open shops. The income calculation is unique and complex: it combines shop size (numbers 1–6) and shop status (complete/incomplete). This is shown on the back of the reference card. A shop is complete if you've made at least as many adjacent connections as the number on the shop tile. **Complete shops earn far more than incomplete ones.** So a size-6 shop is hard to complete, but the reward is huge. Once placed, shops generate income every round—so plan adjacencies carefully each round.

**6) Advance Year Marker:** After the above, move the year marker forward one space—1 year has passed.

After 6 rounds (reaching 1970), the game ends. After final income collection, richest player wins.

**03\_Strategy Tips**

The reference card has **finely tuned balancing** by player count and round. The red/black text UI isn't the easiest to parse, but once you understand it, rounds flow smoothly. Since building cards and shop tiles are distributed according to the card, strategize each round carefully. Each shop tile appears in the deck 3 more times than the number printed on it—so track what's in play to avoid getting fleeced. Don't overpay for a shop you can't complete.

Chinatown requires much more **long-term vision** than the previous two games. It really does feel like land speculation. You can sell a shop that's already placed on a building. If you draw a building card sandwiched between two other players' properties, you can spark a bidding war. Within a well-structured ruleset, trading is wide open. Success in Chinatown comes down to quickly calculating your **expected profit** and negotiating well.

The game hits its stride around year 3. The map fills in, shop layouts solidify, and critical buildings and shops become obvious. Most importantly, since the first player places shops and land first, their actions heavily influence everyone else—that forced attention and the reactions that follow are where the real fun lives.

I use a variant to amplify this: instead of revealing building cards simultaneously, I have the first player reveal first—so everyone else sweats bullets.

![](https://zqcfqfqgiyckyhazcfrk.supabase.co/storage/v1/object/public/blog-images/webflow/6316f3f75130788ec2d762dd/65a9fd076cd3b486f4c0b577_62e76774dd3aace3312f8848_5e942869241fd8b3a87dc6b7_img_2198.jpeg)

![](https://zqcfqfqgiyckyhazcfrk.supabase.co/storage/v1/object/public/blog-images/webflow/6316f3f75130788ec2d762dd/65a9fd066cd3b486f4c0b52a_62e76774dd3aac10c82f8839_5e942869efc8a068f0607a8d_img_2197.jpeg)

**04\_Visuals**

What's impressive is how Chinatown captures the 1960s New York Chinese immigrant experience—the formation of Chinatown—and transplants it into a game. (Though hopefully they didn't backstab each other this viciously…) Playing Chinatown makes me feel like I'm genuinely chasing the **American Dream.** That immersion comes from the visuals. The game has tons of components, and as you play, the board fills up—it feels like a strategy game. The soft color palette is easy on the eyes. After the game, definitely snap a photo!

**Fine.**

Bohnanza, I'm the Boss, Chinatown—these are the multiplayer negotiation games that got the best reactions from thousands of guests over five years. They're hilarious, but they're player-dependent and vibe-dependent—so introduce them with **high energy** and you won't go wrong. For detailed rules, check the official rulebook on each publisher's site or community boards like BoardGameGeek or Board Life (Korean). Next installment: the grand finale—**Mafia-style games.** Get excited!

![IMG_2107](https://zqcfqfqgiyckyhazcfrk.supabase.co/storage/v1/object/public/blog-images/webflow/6316f3f75130788ec2d762dd/65a9fd076cd3b486f4c0b581_62e76775dd3aac6a6f2f884f_5e94286a4596933d3c75ad36_img_2107.jpeg)

Thanks to the amazing photographer who took these shots:

[@studiosio](http://www.instagram.com/siostudio)
[http://studiosio.co.kr/](http://studiosio.co.kr/)

**\[Series Index\]**

[2019.01 Introduction 紹介](https://onda.me/magazine/25/post/1975)
[2019.02 Two Players: Abstract Strategy](https://onda.me/magazine/26/post/2100)
[2019.03 Two Players: Mind Games](https://onda.me/magazine/27/post/2205)
[2019.04 Two Players: Cards](https://onda.me/magazine/28/post/2260)
[2019.05 Special: Big Games](https://onda.me/magazine/29/post/2293)
[2019.06 Three or Four: Placement](https://onda.me/magazine/30/post/2367)
[2019.07 Three or Four: Deduction](https://onda.me/magazine/31/post/2413)
[2019.08 Three or Four: Cards](https://onda.me/magazine/32/post/2506)
[2019.09 Multiplayer: Bluffing](https://onda.me/magazine/33/post/2601)
**2019.10 Multiplayer: Negotiation**
2019.11 Multiplayer: Mafia
2019.12 Reflections 所懷

![bon](https://zqcfqfqgiyckyhazcfrk.supabase.co/storage/v1/object/public/blog-images/webflow/6316f3f75130788ec2d762dd/65a9fcffe5026815bf760650_62e766b9ab6135417325b14f_5e8a8a4b4fbaea73a7254a1e_bon.jpeg)

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