Bohnanza The Duel

The app runs well, and I've encountered no technical issues in my time playing it. The interface and animations are a bit dated, but that's too be expected from a decade old app. I'm just glad the developer seems to sell be supporting it. The Duel is not as great of a game as Bhonanza, but it scratches the itch. I found the in-game tutorial to be kind of confusing, but there's a link in the app to a rules PDF that was much easier for me to understand. Still, there are a few nuances to this game that even a seasoned Bhonanza player will need to adjust to. Bluffing, bohnus cards, gifting, and the turn steps are all massive departures from the original game. But after a few games, I was finally able to figure out a winning strategy. Worth the reasonably low price at the time of this review (2025). But if a full Bohnanza app is ever released, I can't see myself coming back to this one.

Lost several games because it didn't notify me it was my turn and the time ran out. Often have to exit and go back to running games page because it won’t show any games there. Otherwise works well enough. It feels like, for such a light game, play is slowed by all the turn phases for minor actions. This is not a developer issue as it is faithful to the card game but may be a consideration for some.

I haven’t had any of the problems with freezing or crashing discussed in the other comments. But I have had the AI cheat in some of my games: you’re not allowed to harvest a one-bean field if you have other larger fields, but the AI opponent still does it regularly. Also, more of a quibble with the game itself than the app: the Bohnus cards make the game very lucky and very unbalanced...games are pretty much won and lost solely on those cards, rather than the actual gameplay. Just a warning for fans of the original Bohnanza who are looking for a good adaptation: the rest of this game is a pretty solid Bohnanza experience, but the Bohnus cards totally change (and, in my opinion, ruin) the game.