Review: Applejack

Introduction & Overview

A vast orchard of fruit trees stretches out in front of Applejack‘s cottage. Help him and his daughter grow and harvest delicious apples. Don’t forget to place beehives between the trees, as the winner of this truly ripe game will be whoever has collected the most honey by the end of the match!

This is how Applejack is presented, a design by Uwe Rosenberg (Agricola, Le Havre, Patchwork). First published in 2022 by The Game Builders in a German edition, the artwork is handled by Lukas Siegmon (Hallertau, Nusfjord, Nova Luna).

It is published in Spanish by Maldito Games (the game is entirely language-independent except for the rulebook). It accommodates 1 to 4 players, with a recommended minimum age of 8 and an approximate playing time of 30 to 60 minutes. The MSRP is €35. For this review, we used a copy of the Spanish edition provided courtesy of Maldito Games as a review copy.

Important: if you already know the game and/or are only interested in my opinion about it, you can go directly to the Opinion section. The Content and Mechanics sections are especially intended for those who do not know the game and prefer to get a general idea of how it works.

Go to Personal Opinion

Components

Inside a two-piece cardboard box (lid and bottom) measuring 25×25×5.5 cm (a medium square box similar in size to Nova Luna), we find the following components:

• 100 Tree Tiles (cardboard)
• 4 Double-sided Orchard Boards (cardboard)
• 2 Double-sided Harvest Boards (cardboard)
• 7 Apple Tokens (cardboard)
• 148 Honey Tiles (cardboard)
• Die (resin)
• Rulebook

How to Play

Applejack is a game driven primarily by tile placement where each player has a hexagonal board that must be completed by placing tiles displaying apples across up to 7 varieties. The goal is to collect the most points, keeping in mind that tiles have a point cost. These tiles are arranged in a circular supply around which a die moves to mark the progress of the game. On each turn, the active player must select one of the available tiles on either side of the die, paying its value (or placing it face-down to receive 2 points). Placing it on the player board can create honeycomb connections, granting income equal to the lower value of the connected honeycombs. At the end of certain turns, the die crosses specific apple varieties, triggering an income phase for the matching varieties in which each player earns points based on the number of apples of that variety on mutually connected tiles and the current value of the die (which increases at set intervals). The game ends when all players have completed their player boards, followed by a final evaluation phase that takes all apple varieties into account.

Key Concepts

Let’s begin with the Orchard Boards. Each player starts the game with an orchard board containing 19 hexagonal spaces arranged in a hexagon with 3 spaces per side. Along the outer edges of the corner spaces, there are beehives with a numerical value. These boards also feature a reverse side where three of these beehives are replaced by an apple of a different variety.

Throughout the game, players draft Tree Tiles and place them on their orchard board (with zero placement restrictions, meaning they do not need to be placed adjacent to previously placed tiles). On their edges, these tiles display one or more honeycombs with a numerical value matching their cost (the value shown on one honeycomb, regardless of how many honeycombs are present). Additionally, they can display anywhere from 0 to 4 apples of seven possible varieties (duplicate apples can appear on the same tile) and, optionally, flowers. The goal with apples is to build clusters of interconnected tiles that share at least one apple of the same variety. A tile displaying two or more varieties can belong to as many clusters as distinct varieties it contains. Connecting honeycombs yields income equal to the lowest number shown across the two connected honeycombs. Players may also place these tiles face-down if they cannot or choose not to pay the cost, gaining an income as compensation.

The primary currency is Honey Tiles. Players use these tokens to purchase tiles and subsequently generate income by linking tiles via honeycombs, as well as by resolving income phases that assess the cluster sizes of specific varieties. At game end, accumulated honey tiles convert into victory points, leading into a final scoring round that plays out as a slightly altered income phase compared to the mid-game ones.

Game progression is tracked on the Harvest Board using a moving Die. This die starts showing a value of 1 on the starting space of a spiral track that ultimately loops back to the beginning. Each space displays a geometric shape assigned to each player according to turn order. Between every two spaces, a column of tree tiles is formed, restricting the active player to choosing one tile from the two columns flanking the die’s current position. The die also plays a role when calculating income for apple varieties, as its top-face value is subtracted from each scored cluster (a player may score multiple clusters, but the subtraction applies to each one individually). There is a special income phase for flowers upon looping back to the starting space, at which point the die increases in value.

That is enough to get started.

Preparación de la Partida

1. Set up the harvest board matching the player count. Players may randomize the first income phase for the 7 apple varieties by placing the tokens on them.
2. Place the die with the number 1 face-up on the starting space (the one next to the player count symbol).
3. Shuffle the tree tiles and form several draw piles. Reveal 2 tiles for each display slot.
4. Create a general supply with the honey tiles.
5. Each player takes an orchard board (players decide which side to use).
6. Choose a starting player and, depending on the player count and turn order, distribute the following initial amounts of honey tiles:
   • 2 Players: 16/20 tiles for first/second player.
   • 3 Players: 16/19/22 tiles for first/second/third player.
   • 4 Players: 16/18/20/22 tiles for first/second/third/fourth player.

We are ready to begin!

Game Flow

A game of Applejack takes place over 19 turns per player. Players take turns starting with the first player and proceeding clockwise.

On each turn, the active player performs the following steps:

1. Refill. If, at the start of the player’s turn, there is only one or zero tree tiles left between the columns flanking the die’s current position (in total across both columns), the display must be replenished by drawing one tile per column.
2. Choose a Tile. The player chooses one of the available tiles in either of the two columns flanking the die’s position or, alternatively, draws a blind tile from the draw piles.
3. Place the Tile. The player places the chosen tile on an empty space of their orchard board, rotating it as desired and returning honey tiles to the supply equal to its cost. If placing the tile forms one or more honeycomb connections, the player receives honey tiles from the supply equal to the lower value of each connected pair of honeycombs. Alternatively, if the player cannot or does not wish to pay the tile’s cost, they may place it face-down (showing the sheep side) to collect 2 honey tiles from the supply.
4. Advance the Die. The player advances the progress die one space along the harvest board. If it crosses a connection showing apple symbols, an income phase triggers for the corresponding varieties, granting each player honey tiles for each cluster of connected tiles containing at least one more apple than the current value of the die. The honey income earned per qualifying cluster equals the total number of apples in that cluster minus the die’s current value. A special case occurs when crossing the flower connection, triggering an income phase where each player earns twice as many honey tiles as the number of flowers on their tiles, regardless of whether they are connected. Immediately following this flower income phase, the die value must be increased by one.

After completing these steps, the turn passes to the player on the left.

Game End

The game ends once all players have completely filled their boards. Final scoring is then carried out, where players add the following amounts to their current honey tiles:

• Calculate the income value for all varieties (as if an income phase occurred for every single variety), earning double this amount.
• 4/11/21/35 honey tiles for successfully scoring 4/5/6/7 distinct varieties in the previous step.
• Honey tiles equal to the total number of flowers present on their tiles.

The player with the most honey tiles is declared the winner. In case of a tie, players share the victory.

Variants

Extra Tile. At the beginning of the game, each player receives a tree tile placed next to the cottage on their orchard board. On their turn, a player may play this cottage tile instead, immediately refilling that personal slot by taking a tile from the columns flanking the die or drawing blindly from the supply.

Solo Mode. The single-player side of the harvest board is used. Only 1 tile per column is placed in the supply (instead of two). Another tile is placed in one of the open spaces on the orchard board. When the die reaches the space between the three tiles, the player gains honey tiles equal to the combined cost of those tiles. The player may then choose one tile from these three spaces. If one or zero tiles remain, replenish the spaces until there are 2 tiles. Flowers do not score during the game, but they are scored at final tallies. The goal is to collect at least 65 honey tiles.

Personal Opinion

Uwe Rosenberg will always hold a special place in my heart for designing that masterpiece called Agricola (tocho-review here), which in my book remains the greatest game ever created, without taking anything away from Le Havre (tocho-review here), his other indispensable work. The trouble with Uwe is that over the years he has morphed into something akin to a video game studio milking a franchise: every year he picks one of his proven designs, applies a few tweaks, and rolls it out as a brand-new release. Admittedly, this design approach can be amusing at first, but when subsequent iterations fail to surpass the original and turn out flatter, goodwill runs dry. To make matters worse, his credit is running dangerously thin at this point.

Still, you never know when he might hit the mark and surprise us again. That is why we are diving into Applejack, the debut title from Andreas “ode” Odendahl and Thorsten “han” Hanson’s new imprint, The Game Builders. It is a move reminiscent of what Edition Spielwiese pulled off back in the day with Cottage Garden (tocho-review here), though hopefully with better results this time around. Naturally, thanks to Maldito Games for providing the review copy that kicked off the lengthy breakdown you are now reading.

With Applejack, we are looking at a game playing it safe by leaning into a tried-and-true formula: drafting, tile placement, and pattern building. Each player receives a personal board with hexagonal spaces (19 in total in a hexagonal grid of 3 spaces per side) where tiles are placed under the sole restriction of occupying an open spot. Each tile costs victory points (players start with a specific amount based on player count and turn order).

These tiles depict several apples across up to seven distinct varieties, each featuring a recognizable shape and color. The main challenge is to assemble clusters of each variety as large as possible—in other words, maximizing the number of mutually connected tiles containing at least one apple of that type. Consequently, a tile displaying two or more apple varieties can count toward as many clusters as it has matching types.

The size of these clusters proves critical both at game end and throughout the session. On specific turns, income phases trigger for designated varieties, awarding victory points to every player based on their cluster sizes for those types. Each variety will be scored six times over the course of the game (the final scoring being doubled).

The crux of the matter lies in managing these victory points during the game, given that they double as the currency for purchasing tiles. Hence, the focus is not merely maximizing variety clusters, but also connecting tiles so that their purchase cost becomes free or even turns a profit—achieved when a placement forms two or more connections with the beehives shown on the tile edges (which dictate the tile’s initial price).

Flowers are an interesting exception: mechanically, they behave much like apples and will also score, though only five times across the entire game. The twist is that their first two scorings pay out double while the final one is single-value—the exact opposite of apple varieties, which score single-value four times and double-value at the end. Because of this, when selecting and placing a tile, one can calculate how many honey tokens it will yield down the line by expanding apple clusters and hoarding flowers.

A die moves along the track on the central board to dictate which sets of tiles the active player can pick from and to trigger intermediate scorings. Its face value is paramount because it is subtracted from cluster sizes; thus, claiming any payout in the first cycle requires at least a two-tile cluster for the scored variety, three tiles in the second cycle, and four tiles in the third cycle (which only covers half the track), an offset that applies to final scoring as well.

Given the substantial end-game bonus for scoring all varieties during final scoring, the primary milestone players should aim for is qualifying across every variety with clusters of four or more tiles, all while spending minimal honey tokens and maximizing income—either through honeycomb matching or via intermediate evaluations.

So, let’s address the core question teased earlier: is Applejack a rehash? Short answer: yes. Long answer: yes, but it is a rehash that blends elements from external designs alongside Uwe’s past catalog. And it does so remarkably well. Let’s break it down.

The most notable element borrowed from Patchwork (tocho-review here) is precisely what turned that quilt-sewing exercise into a massive mainstream hit. That secret sauce is neither the tile placement nor the spatial puzzle itself. It is the underlying economy. Players reached a whole new level in Patchwork once they began computing the return on investment of buying a patch based on button cost and time spent. Here, honey tiles stand in directly for buttons: they act as end-game victory points while serving as the currency to buy tiles, allowing you to estimate how much income a piece will generate upon being fitted into your orchard.

Here, this math becomes trickier: in Patchwork, spatial placement had no bearing on future button yields (slotting it anywhere onto the board sufficed). In this game, a single tile can influence between one and four clusters, so the objective is ensuring that every depicted apple directly expands its respective group to trigger payouts. Things get even more demanding when these payouts are staggered, meaning enlarging brown apples on one turn has an entirely different value than doing so later. Factor in the puzzle of matching up honeycombs, and the enterprise turns out far less trivial than it appears on paper.

Moving along with the comparisons, let’s address an obvious omission. Many likely suspected Applejack was simply a reworked Nova Luna (tocho-review here) due to the concept of grouping adjacent spaces sharing specific traits. While superficially true, Applejack is not a race; it is an optimization puzzle with a fixed piece count, bearing closer resemblance to Calico (tocho-review here) or, most notably, Take it Easy! (tocho-review here), with which it shares the hexagonal 3-per-side grid.

I appreciate that Uwe opted against a time track to govern turn order this time around. Instead, it is replaced by a column-based display paired with fixed turns, allowing players to calculate well in advance which columns will be available to them. The furthest column remains entirely predictable unless a refill occurs right before their turn, which only widens their options. In short, players enjoy reliable foresight regarding a set of tiles that is guaranteed to be within reach regardless of player count. That dynamic introduces a compelling strategic layer, particularly considering how challenging piecing those clusters together can be.

Now onto the grievances. The biggest culprit is the graphic design, so, breaking personal habit, I will bring forward the visual critique (normally reserved for right before the closing remarks). I have enjoyed Lukas Siegmon’s artistic touch ever since discovering his work on Nusfjord (tocho-review here). He feels like a modern Michael Menzel. Unfortunately, the graphic design here can prove disorienting. First off, the apple varieties: opting for relatively realistic illustrations means certain varieties look quite similar, creating headaches when checking cluster sizes. Furthermore, displaying the tile cost directly on every honeycomb feels clunky. Placing a single central honeycomb with the cost alongside neutral perimeter honeycombs would have been far clearer, as newcomers constantly ask whether a tile’s cost is the sum of every honeycomb printed on it. These are minor hiccups, but they trip up the flow. They do not break the experience, but they were certainly avoidable.

Setting aesthetics aside, another aspect that might test player patience is scoring maintenance. Whenever an income phase hits, everyone must inspect the active varieties and subtract the die value from their cluster totals. While not inherently difficult, this bookkeeping halts the brisk tempo enjoyed during regular turns (of which there are relatively few between scorings). You often come away feeling like you spent as much time tabulating points as actually placing tiles. An auxiliary track with eight markers where players could record real-time cluster and flower progression upon tile placement might have been a welcome addition, reducing mid-round checks to a simple subtraction against the die.

When it comes to player scaling, as is standard for drafting and pattern-building designs, the game functions smoothly across all counts without dragging out downtime, provided nobody at the table suffers from chronic analysis paralysis. Luck of the draw affects everyone equally, as players are subject to the choices of whoever precedes them and shares that column. Additionally, an optional variant grants an extra buffer by providing a private reserve tile that can be played instead of drafting from the central market.

In terms of replay value, despite a straightforward premise and symmetrical starting positions, it provides a very satisfying experience that invites back-to-back plays—a hallmark of this weight class. The blend of input randomness and a shrinking puzzle grid keeps the tension taut down to the final turn. Best of all, it accomplishes this without inducing the agonizing helplessness felt in Calico when the tile bag refuses to cooperate.

Turning to component quality, Applejack cannot really boast premium materials, relying on noticeably thin punchboard. It doesn’t sink to vintage Alea levels of flimsy, but it falls short of standard expectations (think Carcassonne as an industry baseline). The die-cutting leaves something to be desired, so punching out components warrants extra care. Publishers have undoubtedly had to cut corners amidst rising costs, and leeway is understandable for a brand-new studio’s maiden release. Nevertheless, players judge the product in their hands, and the overall finish feels somewhat cheap. On the bright side, the rulebook is well laid out and crystal clear.

And let’s wrap this up. Applejack relies on the proven formula of tile placement, drafting, and pattern building that consistently delivers an engaging session. Uwe discards the time track to double down on the economic engine that turned Patchwork into a triumph, injecting a rich layer of depth that unfolds as the game settles in. It is breezy, engaging, and mitigates its luck factor through a clever display mechanism. On the downside, the graphic design—while artistically pleasant—could be much more functional. An auxiliary tracker to streamline the stop-and-go income phases would also have been welcome, and the physical production is far from premium. Even so, these shortcomings do not significantly undermine the gameplay, making it a very solid recommendation. For all these reasons, it earns a…