Best games where you select actions from a rondel 2026
Looking for a really good game where you select actions from a rondel? Then we have just the right thing for you: The list of the best rondel games 2026.
What are rondel games?
Rondel games feature a circular action selection mechanism where players move a marker clockwise around a wheel to select available actions. Moving a few spaces is free, while jumping further ahead costs resources, creating strategic tension in action selection.
In German, "Rondel" is called "Aktionen aus einem Rondell auswählen".
Examples of games where you select actions from a rondel:
Notable examples include games designed by Mac Gerdts, where the rondel provides a unique pacing mechanism that forces players to plan several moves ahead and balance immediate needs with long-term strategy.
List of the best rondel games 2026:
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Patchwork
Patchwork is a two-player game where you compete to create the most beautiful and high-scoring patchwork quilt on your personal 9x9 game board.
Nominated for 11 awards and won 3.
More details for Patchwork- 👥 2 Players
- ⏱️ 15 - 30 Minutes
- 🧒 8+ years old
- 🧩 Easy to learn
Video reviews for Patchwork
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Wandering Towers
Players aim to bring all their wizards home to the Raven Castle before their opponents. The game board is set up in a circle with towers placed in a specific order, and each player starts with a certain number of wizards and movement cards. Players move their wizards or towers based on their played cards, capture opponents' wizards to fill their potion bottles, and ultimately try to place their last wizard in the Raven Castle to win. The game can also be played in teams with a variant that adds various spells.
Nominated for 10 awards and won 8.
More details for Wandering Towers- 👥 1 - 6 Players
- ⏱️ 30 Minutes
- 🧒 8+ years old
- 🧩 Easy to learn
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Planet Unknown
Planet Unknown is a competitive and strategic game for 1-6 players set in a future where Earth's resources are depleted. Players are tasked with developing the most efficient and habitable planet among a series of newfound worlds. Using polyomino-shaped tiles, each representing vital infrastructure, players work to efficiently cover their planets and build an effective support system for life.
Nominated for 11 awards and won 4.
⭐️ Nominated for Kennerspiel des Jahres 2023
More details for Planet Unknown- 👥 1 - 6 Players
- ⏱️ 60 - 80 Minutes
- 🧒 10+ years old
- 🧩 Easy to learn
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The Search for Planet X
The Search for Planet X is a captivating board game that immerses players in the world of astronomy and scientific discovery. Aspiring astronomers use a combination of observation, deduction, and a companion app to unravel the mystery of a hidden planet in our solar system.
Nominated for 6 awards.
More details for The Search for Planet X- 👥 1 - 4 Players
- ⏱️ 60 - 75 Minutes
- 🧒 13+ years old
- 🧩 Easy to learn
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In the Footsteps of Darwin
Twenty years after his journey around the world, Charles Darwin writes about the origin of species and seeks new information about animal life, especially from unexplored continents. Young, adventurous naturalists board the Beagle to assist him in completing his famous work. Players study animals, conduct surveys, publish findings, and develop theories, aiming to score more points than their competitors and demonstrate their significant contributions to Darwin's research.
Nominated for 5 awards and won 2.
⭐️ Nominated for Spiel des Jahres 2024
More details for In the Footsteps of Darwin- 👥 2 - 5 Players
- ⏱️ 20 - 30 Minutes
- 🧒 8+ years old
- 🧩 Easy to learn
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Nova Luna
Nova Luna is an abstract tile-laying strategy game that focuses on careful planning and decision-making. Players are tasked with fulfilling objectives by placing tiles strategically, creating a unique and engaging gameplay experience.
Nominated for 4 awards.
⭐️ Nominated for Spiel des Jahres 2020
More details for Nova Luna- 👥 1 - 4 Players
- ⏱️ 30 - 60 Minutes
- 🧒 8+ years old
- 🧩 Easy to learn
Video reviews for Nova Luna
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Fromage
Nominated for 4 awards and won 1.
More details for Fromage- 👥 1 - 4 Players
- ⏱️ 30 - 45 Minutes
- 🧒 14+ years old
- 🧩 Easy to learn
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Wonderland's War
Wonderland's War is an imaginative and strategic board game set in a war-torn Wonderland. Players take on the roles of iconic characters like Alice, the Mad Hatter, and the Red Queen, each leading their faction to vie for control in a beautifully chaotic Wonderland.
Nominated for 10 awards and won 1.
More details for Wonderland's War- 👥 2 - 5 Players
- ⏱️ 45 - 125 Minutes
- 🧒 13+ years old
- 🧩 Medium difficulty
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New York Zoo
More details for New York ZooNew York Zoo invites players into a world where they can unleash their creativity while managing a unique animal park. Designed by the acclaimed Uwe Rosenberg, this game combines the joy of puzzling with the challenges of animal breeding. As a player, you'll embark on a journey to construct captivating animal enclosures, introduce diverse animal species, and nurture their offspring. Your choices are simple: strategically fit new enclosure tiles into your zoo or acquire new animals to enrich your exhibits. Timing is key, as you aim to maximize animal breedings and create a thriving and harmonious zoo.
- 👥 1 - 5 Players
- ⏱️ 30 - 60 Minutes
- 🧒 10+ years old
- 🧩 Easy to learn
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Space Park
More details for Space ParkTravel with a rocket to extraordinary destinations in our galaxy. Collect exotic crystals to enhance your understanding of the universe and use them to earn exploration badges or trade them at the mysterious Outpost 13 to prove yourself as the next great space explorer.
- 👥 1 - 4 Players
- ⏱️ 30 Minutes
- 🧒 14+ years old
- 🧩 Easy to learn
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The Red Cathedral
The Red Cathedral is a strategic Euro-style board game set in Moscow during the construction of St. Basil's Cathedral. Players assume the roles of construction teams competing to gain the favor of Tsar Ivan the Terrible by contributing to the cathedral's construction.
Nominated for 6 awards and won 1.
More details for The Red Cathedral- 👥 1 - 4 Players
- ⏱️ 80 Minutes
- 🧒 10+ years old
- 🧩 Medium difficulty
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Finca
Welcome to the sun-soaked island of Mallorca, where the game of Finca unfolds against a backdrop of golden beaches, a light-blue sea, and abundant orchards. In this strategic board game, players take on the role of Mallorcan farmers as they endeavor to cultivate and deliver the island's finest fruits, including oranges, lemons, almonds, and grapes. The key to success lies in efficiently managing your resources and outpacing your competitors in the race to deliver your crops.
Nominated for 8 awards and won 3.
⭐️ Nominated for Spiel des Jahres 2009
More details for Finca- 👥 2 - 5 Players
- ⏱️ 45 Minutes
- 🧒 10+ years old
- 🧩 Easy to learn
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Crusaders: Thy Will Be Done
Crusaders: Thy Will Be Done delves into the historical period of the Crusades, offering players a strategic board game experience where they lead their knights on holy quests to spread the influence of their Order. The looming threat of King Philip disbanding the Templar orders adds a layer of urgency to the gameplay, pushing players to optimize their actions and expand their influence swiftly.
Nominated for 1 award.
More details for Crusaders: Thy Will Be Done- 👥 2 - 4 Players
- ⏱️ 40 - 60 Minutes
- 🧒 14+ years old
- 🧩 Easy to learn
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Glasgow
Players travel through an abstract version of Glasgow to gather resources, perform special actions, and construct buildings. By building factories, players can increase their goods production based on the positioning of other buildings. The game features a randomized arrangement of city figures, from which players collect resources and can acquire building plans to expand their creations. After constructing the sixteenth building, the game concludes, and players tally points to see who contributed the most to Glasgow's development.
Nominated for 2 awards and won 1.
More details for Glasgow- 👥 2 Players
- ⏱️ 30 Minutes
- 🧒 10+ years old
- 🧩 Easy to learn
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Three Sisters
Three Sisters is a thoughtfully designed roll-and-write game that takes inspiration from the companion planting method known as the Three Sisters, used by indigenous peoples for centuries. This game intricately weaves the concepts of farming, gardening, and sustainability into a strategic and competitive board game experience.
Nominated for 1 award.
More details for Three Sisters- 👥 1 - 4 Players
- ⏱️ 30 - 60 Minutes
- 🧒 14+ years old
- 🧩 Medium difficulty
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Vikings
Vikings is a fast-paced economic board game that, despite its title, focuses more on resource management and strategy than on traditional Viking themes like exploration or combat. The game's standout feature is its unique pricing wheel, which introduces an innovative approach to acquiring resources.
Nominated for 6 awards.
More details for Vikings- 👥 2 - 4 Players
- ⏱️ 60 Minutes
- 🧒 13+ years old
- 🧩 Medium difficulty
Video reviews for Vikings
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Finca
More details for FincaPlayers take on the role of Mallorcan farmers striving to harvest as many tropical fruits as possible, including figs, almonds, olives, oranges, grapes, and lemons. They must deliver their harvested fruits to island communities, which have constantly changing requirements throughout the game. Players earn victory points for these deliveries, and the player with the most points at the end wins.
- 👥 2 - 5 Players
- ⏱️ 45 Minutes
- 🧒 10+ years old
- 🧩 Easy to learn
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Mandragora
Nominated for 1 award.
More details for Mandragora- 👥 2 - 4 Players
- ⏱️ 25 - 30 Minutes
- 🧒 8+ years old
- 🧩 Immediately playable
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Bunte Runde
Bunte Runde is an abstract game suitable for adults and children. Depending on the players' ages, they can choose to play with 36 wooden pieces or 25 picture tiles, with the other components not being required. Players move their pieces around a circle and earn gold coins by collecting pieces of specific colors or shapes, with scoring occurring when the last piece of a type is taken. The game ends when all coins are distributed, and the player with the most coins wins.
Nominated for 1 award.
⭐️ Nominated for Kinderspiel des Jahres 2006
More details for Bunte Runde- 👥 2 - 6 Players
- ⏱️ 15 Minutes
- 🧒 6+ years old
- 🧩 Immediately playable
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Ishtar: Gardens of Babylon
Ishtar: Gardens of Babylon is a captivating game designed by Bruno Cathala that transports players into the role of gardeners tasked with a monumental challenge: to transform the arid desert into the legendary Hanging Gardens of Babylon. Through strategic placement of flowers, you'll unlock the potential to collect valuable gems, enabling a variety of actions to enhance your garden and earn points.
Nominated for 6 awards and won 3.
More details for Ishtar: Gardens of Babylon- 👥 2 - 4 Players
- ⏱️ 45 Minutes
- 🧒 14+ years old
- 🧩 Easy to learn
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IKI
In IKI: A Game of EDO Artisans, players are transported to the bustling streets of historical Edo (now Tokyo), specifically the renowned Nihonbashi district. This game offers a vivid portrayal of life in Edo, where an estimated one million people, including townspeople and samurai, thrived. The vibrant shopping culture of Nihonbashi, with its array of shops selling kimonos, rice, and other goods, forms the backdrop for this immersive game.
Nominated for 4 awards.
⭐️ Nominated for Kennerspiel des Jahres 2023
More details for IKI- 👥 2 - 4 Players
- ⏱️ 60 - 90 Minutes
- 🧒 14+ years old
- 🧩 Medium difficulty
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Viscounts of the West Kingdom
Viscounts of the West Kingdom is set in the turbulent era around 980 AD, a time when the once powerful monarchy begins to falter. Players, as viscounts, navigate this uncertain period, striving to maintain loyalty to the weakening king while also gaining favor with the people, preparing for any sudden shifts in power.
Nominated for 4 awards.
More details for Viscounts of the West Kingdom- 👥 1 - 4 Players
- ⏱️ 60 - 90 Minutes
- 🧒 12+ years old
- 🧩 Medium difficulty
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Pirate's Cove
Pirate's Cove is a thrilling board game of adventure and piracy on the high seas. Players take on the roles of daring pirates, each striving to become the most famous and feared buccaneer in the world. The game is a blend of strategic navigation, fierce combat, and treasure hunting, set against the backdrop of a legendary pirate haven.
Nominated for 3 awards.
More details for Pirate's Cove- 👥 3 - 5 Players
- ⏱️ 60 - 90 Minutes
- 🧒 8+ years old
- 🧩 Easy to learn
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Indian Summer
More details for Indian SummerIndian Summer is a strategic puzzle game by Uwe Rosenberg, the second in a trilogy that began with Cottage Garden. Set against the vibrant backdrop of New England's fall season, players immerse themselves in the beauty of the forest, collecting treasures as they aim to cover their board with leaf tiles.
- 👥 1 - 4 Players
- ⏱️ 15 - 60 Minutes
- 🧒 10+ years old
- 🧩 Easy to learn
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Pocket Rockets
More details for Pocket RocketsPlayers assume the role of astronauts constructing rockets. A circular "assembly line" is formed using six special cards, and astronauts move along this circle, selecting various actions at different locations. Tasks include drawing a card, adding parts to a rocket, collecting fuel tokens, or changing the direction of play. Special privileges are granted by certain rocket tips, and the winner is determined by the comparison of completed rockets when fuel reserves run out, with the most bodies achieving victory.
- 👥 2 - 4 Players
- ⏱️ 20 Minutes
- 🧒 10+ years old
- 🧩 Immediately playable
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Amerigo
Amerigo takes players on an adventurous journey with the famed explorer Amerigo Vespucci, as they discover new lands in South America, establish trading routes, and build settlements. The game stands out with its unique cube tower mechanic, which adds an element of surprise and strategy to the gameplay.
Nominated for 1 award.
More details for Amerigo- 👥 2 - 4 Players
- ⏱️ 90 Minutes
- 🧒 10+ years old
- 🧩 Medium difficulty
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Windmill Valley
Nominated for 5 awards and won 1.
More details for Windmill Valley- 👥 1 - 4 Players
- ⏱️ 45 - 90 Minutes
- 🧒 14+ years old
- 🧩 Medium difficulty
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Heaven & Ale
Heaven & Ale is a strategic board game set in the intriguing world of monastic brewing. Players take on the roles of monks in charge of ancient monasteries, tasked with brewing high-quality beer. The game combines resource management, timing, and competitive elements, challenging players to skillfully balance the upgrading of their monastery's garden with the efficient harvesting of resources necessary for brewing.
Nominated for 7 awards and won 2.
⭐️ Nominated for Kennerspiel des Jahres 2018
More details for Heaven & Ale- 👥 2 - 4 Players
- ⏱️ 60 - 90 Minutes
- 🧒 12+ years old
- 🧩 Medium difficulty
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Seeland
Set in the golden era of the Netherlands in the 17th century, players aim to expand the province of Zeeland by reclaiming land from the sea. The game board features three main sections: a scoring track, a rondel for collecting seed and windmill tiles, and land areas where players place tiles for scoring. Players can gain bonus points by uncovering farm tiles and earn points based on the types of adjacent tiles when scoring windmill tiles. The game ends when the supply of windmill or seed tiles runs out, and the player with the highest score wins.
Nominated for 1 award.
⭐️ Nominated for Kinderspiel des Jahres 2010
More details for Seeland- 👥 2 - 4 Players
- ⏱️ 45 - 60 Minutes
- 🧒 9+ years old
- 🧩 Easy to learn
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