Buy Bohnanza if you want a cheap, 45-minute trading game that anyone can learn in five minutes. Buy Catan if you want a bigger game with a board, building and a 60–120 minute arc. Both are built on trading with the other players. Bohnanza trades harder and more often; Catan gives the trading a map to fight over.
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We’ve played Bohnanza about a dozen times, and Catan is one of the most-covered games on this site. We rate Bohnanza 5/5 Bamboo and 4/5 Pandas, and Catan 4/5 Bamboo and 4/5 Pandas.
| Bohnanza | Catan | |
|---|---|---|
| Players | 2–7 (3–5 in the base game) | 3–4 (5–6 with an extension) |
| Play time | About 45 min | 60–120 min |
| Age | 10+ (12+ on the US box) | 10+ |
| Components | One deck of bean cards, field mats | Board tiles, dice, roads, settlements, cities, cards |
| How often you trade | Every turn, it’s the core action | Most turns, alongside building |
| Luck | Card draws | Dice rolls |
| Typical price | About $14 at Walmart | Several times that |
| KPG Bamboo / Pandas | 5 / 4 | 4 / 4 |
Trading Is Different in Each Game
In Bohnanza, trading is the whole game. You can never rearrange your hand, so you have to get rid of beans that don’t fit your fields. That makes people trade constantly, and even give cards away for free.
In Catan, you trade resources so you can build. Wood and brick become roads, wheat and ore become cities. Trades are fewer but bigger, and you can refuse to trade with the leader.
What people expect: Catan is the trading game and Bohnanza is the silly bean game.
What’s actually true: Bohnanza has more trading per minute than Catan. Every turn opens a market, because the active player usually has beans they need to get rid of.
Which Is Easier to Teach?
Bohnanza. A turn is four steps: plant, flip two cards and trade, plant again, draw three. There’s no board to set up and nothing to read on the cards. The only odd rule is that you can’t rearrange your hand.
Catan takes longer. Players need to learn resource production, building costs, the robber, development cards and the longest-road and largest-army bonuses. Our Catan review estimates a teach under 20 minutes, which is still about four times as long as Bohnanza’s.
Which Handles More Players?
“Can Bohnanza play more people than Catan?” Yes. The current US Bohnanza box plays 2 to 7 with its included variants. Base Catan plays 3 to 4, and you need the 5–6 player extension for bigger groups.
That makes Bohnanza the better pick for big families or parties. Catan is the better pick for a set group of four who want a longer game.
Check Bohnanza price at Walmart →
Which Should You Buy?
- First trading game, or a tight budget: Bohnanza.
- You want a board, building and a game that fills an evening: Catan.
- Five to seven players: Bohnanza.
- You already own Catan: add Bohnanza. It scratches the same itch in half the time, at a fraction of the price.
Worth knowing: Bohnanza and Catan both reward being a fair trader early. A player who drives a hard bargain on every deal will find nobody wants to trade with them later, in either game.
If you’re still deciding on Bohnanza itself, read our full Bohnanza review. For Catan, our Catan versions guide covers which box to buy.
You can also find Bohnanza on Amazon, or pick up the current US edition at Walmart.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Bohnanza like Catan?
Both are trading games, but they work differently. Bohnanza is a card game where trading is the main action every turn, while Catan is a board game where you trade resources to build roads and cities.
Which is easier, Bohnanza or Catan?
Bohnanza. Its turn is four simple steps, with no board or building costs to learn. We rate it 5/5 on our Bamboo ease-of-learning scale, against 4/5 for Catan.
Which is shorter, Bohnanza or Catan?
Bohnanza takes about 45 minutes. Catan usually takes 60 to 120 minutes, depending on the group.
Is Bohnanza good for people who like Catan?
Yes. If your group enjoys Catan’s trading, Bohnanza gives you more of it in a shorter, cheaper game. It’s a good second trading game for Catan fans.
Which game is better for a big group?
Bohnanza. The current US box plays up to seven with its included variant, while base Catan tops out at four without an extension.