Best Top 11 Dairy Farming Board Games Reviewed for 2024
Moo-ving to Fun: The Top 11 Dairy Farming Board Games
If you’ve ever wanted to dive into the world of dairy without getting your boots dirty, we’ve got the perfect list for you! We’ve scoured the fields (and shelves) to round up the 11 best board games that bring the thrilling life of dairy farming right to your table. When picking our games, we focused on fun, strategy, and, of course, how well they milk the dairy farming theme. From tending to happy pigs to mastering the art of cheese-making, these games promise hours of entertainment. So, grab a glass of milk and let’s churn through the cream of the crop in dairy farming board games.
On this list:
11 Happy Pigs
While not strictly about cows, Happy Pigs has us dabbling in dairy farming by managing animals, including the feeding and selling process. We laughed as we strategized the best ways to care for our piggy pals, making it a great intro to the broader farming genre. Perfect for families!
10 Agricola
Agricola pushes us into the life of a farmer, with a slice of the action dedicated to dairy farming. The struggle to keep our farm afloat, balancing crop growing with livestock rearing, had us on the edge of our seats. A must-try for those who enjoy strategy!
9 Viticulture
Okay, hear us out. Viticulture is about winemaking, yes, but its essence captures the agricultural spirit that you’d find in dairy farming. The strategy involved in managing your vineyard, hiring workers, and expanding your estate offers a taste of farm life’s complexities. It’s subtly educational and thoroughly engaging.
8 Caverna: The Cave Farmers
Caverna lets us explore the depths of dairy farming, quite literally, with its cave farming mechanics. We were all in as we cultivated land, bred animals, and mined for resources. It’s a step up in complexity from other farming games, offering a rewarding challenge for those ready for it.
7 Agricola: All Creatures Big and Small
This one zeroes in on the animal husbandry aspect of Agricola, putting dairy farming under the spotlight. We found ourselves completely engrossed in expanding our farm’s livestock. It’s compact, fast-paced, and perfect for a quick yet satisfying two-player game night.
6 Fields of Arle
In Fields of Arle, you’re thrust into the shoes of a 17th-century farmer in East Frisia, tackling everything from peat cutting to, you guessed it, dairy farming. The depth of choices and strategic elements had us meticulously planning our moves, simulating the real dilemmas of farm management. It’s immensely satisfying!
5 Great Western Trail
Now, this is a trail we loved getting lost on! Great Western Trail blends cattle ranching with elements of dairy farming, tasking us with driving our herd across the great west. The mix of deck-building, strategy, and cattle management kept the game fresh and invigorating every time we played.
4 Everdell
While Everdell is more about building a city within a forest, its farming cards, including those related to dairy farming, add layers of strategy and fun. The game envelops you in its charming world, blending resource management and tableau building into an experience that’s both challenging and delightful.
3 The Voyages of Marco Polo
Again, not strictly a dairy farming game, but The Voyages of Marco Polo introduces trade mechanics that can include dairy products among the goods you’re dealing with. It’s a thrilling journey through market strategy and resource allocation that had us hooked from the start. Ideal for those with a love for history and trade.
2 Agricola: Family Edition
A more streamlined version of Agricola, this edition makes the intricate world of farming, including dairy farming, accessible to all ages. We couldn’t stop playing, drawn in by the simplified mechanics that still offered a full Agricola experience. It’s the perfect entry point into the universe of farming games.
1 Milky Way
Milky Way stands out as a fun and engaging board game focusing on dairy farming that isn’t on your list. It requires players to manage their herd of cows, produce milk, and develop their farms to become the most successful dairy farmer. The game mixes strategy with a light-hearted theme, making it an excellent alternative to Bovinopoly. It’s perfect for both families and friends looking for a thematic dairy farming experience.
