The best games from Michael Rieneck 🇩🇪👨 2025

Dissatisfaction reigns at court, leading to initial intrigues. The marshal confides in the treasurer, while the lady's attendant secretly whispers to the wizard. Players aim to play their cards so that each character appears only once in their display, as failing to do so allows others to gain favor with the king. The player with the most points at the end wins.

Santiago de Cuba is set in the colorful city of Cuba, where players act as brokers, strategically gathering and shipping goods like rum, tobacco, and fruit. The game revolves around interacting with locals who provide various benefits, utilizing buildings with special abilities, and efficiently managing resources to meet the demands of cargo ships. The dynamic setup of locals and buildings ensures each game offers new tactical challenges.

The Pillars of the Earth, inspired by Ken Follett's bestselling novel, is a strategy board game set in the early 13th century, centered around the construction of a grand cathedral in England. This game, part of the Kosmos line of literature-based games, challenges players to contribute to the cathedral's construction while vying for victory points.

A fast-paced dice game featuring cartoon characters by the popular German artist Uli Stein. Players represent one of five cartoon animals, rolling six dice and setting aside three, two, or one die in three rounds. Points are scored based on the most frequently rolled animal, but if two police officers appear, nobody scores. The first player to collect two points wins.

Around the World in 80 Days transports players into the adventurous spirit of Phileas Fogg's epic journey, as immortalized in Jules Verne's classic novel. This board game, adorned with Victorian-era decorations, challenges players to circumnavigate the globe faster than their rivals, using strategy, planning, and a bit of luck to outmaneuver one another and claim victory in this race against time.

The third game based on the German web cartoon "Nichtlustig" features the Mafia-lemming figures from the series. Players witness real lemmings racing to jump off a cliff, with members from different lemming mafia families competing to be the first to dive into the lake. Betting on the race adds excitement, as players try to influence the outcome with dice rolls and strategic moves. Each player has cards representing their lemmings and mission cards to earn bonus points at the end of the game.

Players follow Frodo on his perilous journey to destroy the One Ring in the fires of Mount Doom, supported by familiar companions who protect him from dangers. They collectively guide this group through various iconic locations from the beloved novels while avoiding the Nazgul and ensuring Frodo stays hopeful. The game features a unique dice mechanism that influences character movement and introduces threats and encounters through decisions made before and after rolling. Successful collaboration is essential for achieving their goal.

World Without End, inspired by Ken Follett's novel and a sequel to The Pillars of the Earth, is a standalone strategy board game set in the town of Kingsbridge, 200 years after the original story. This 2009 game is part of the Kosmos series of literature-based games.

Sauron threatens to plunge Middle-earth into eternal darkness in his quest for the One Ring. Frodo Baggins and his friends from the Shire must carry the Ring to Mordor and destroy it in Mount Doom. Players make decisions with each roll of the dice in their race to reach Mount Doom, aided by Gandalf and the Fellowship while being hindered by orcs and pursued by Ringwraiths.

Princess Tara has decided to marry and has high expectations for her future husband, requiring heroic deeds and valuable gifts. A group of daring adventurers sets out to battle dragons and excavate gems from the enchanted mines, all while trying to strike a good bargain, as the bride's father demands a hefty price for her hand. The dancing towers of Touria guide the heroes on their journey, leading them from one adventure to the next, with both brave men and women involved, including Tara’s handsome brother, Prince Talan, who is also of marriageable age.

The king is dead; long live the queen! In the intriguing game, it's hard to predict everyone's intentions and who will have the most influence until the end. Players hold four character cards and, on their turn, they play a card and follow its instructions, potentially affecting opponents while trying to avoid becoming a target themselves.

In this two-player game featuring the Gallic heroes Asterix and Obelix, Roman oppressors take their usual hits. Players take turns either defeating Romans or potentially running into trouble if they cannot deliver the right blows. The game consists of striking cards and Roman cards, with players aiming to collect the most victory points by the end.

Graf Dracula has left his homeland of Transylvania to travel to London by ship, where he seeks innocent victims. The renowned Dr. van Helsing learns of Dracula's plans and rushes to London to stop him. It's a race against time as van Helsing tries to locate and destroy Dracula's coffins while the Count seeks to find five victims to transform into vampires.

Vibrant reefs surrounding the former pirate island of Coralia create a paradise for scientists worldwide. They explore the underwater world with their remotely operated vehicles (ROVs), searching for specific species while keeping an eye out for lost pirate treasures. Players aim to score the most points through luck and strategic decisions in this family-friendly dice game.

Asterix and Obelix face a great challenge as the Gauls need plenty of tools and supplies. The strong duo embarks on an adventurous journey through ancient France, navigating paths filled with Romans and pirates that require caution against ambushes.

Even the most powerful pirates must eventually retire from their lives of plundering. On the five islands of Grog Island, they can invest their spoils into solid businesses like peg leg shops, figurehead carpentries, voodoo doll workshops, or the infamous "Grog Hole" tavern.

Merlin is a strategic board game where players vie to become King Arthur's successor with the assistance of the legendary wizard Merlin. Set in the iconic Arthurian kingdom, players maneuver their knights and Merlin himself around an action ring to secure the most advantageous actions. The unique twist is that while each player controls their own knights, Merlin is a communal piece moved by all players, adding a layer of strategic depth and unpredictability.

Cuba is a strategic board game set in pre-revolutionary Cuba, where players compete as leaders of various villages on the island, striving for wealth, influence, and ultimately victory points. The game captures the essence of this historical period with a focus on economic management, trade, and political maneuvering.

Players take on the role of scholars in early 20th century New England, fighting the encroaching madness brought by the Great Old Ones. They work together to seal eight portals into other dimensions, banishing monsters and collecting items before time runs out. The game features various victory conditions and challenges players to confront a yet-to-be-revealed Great Old One while battling dark servitors and mastering mystical challenges.

Who is the best angler? One player takes on the role of the anglers, trying to catch as many fish as possible. The other player is the fish, using bluffing and skill to prevent the anglers from succeeding. The angler must fish in the dark without knowing where the fish are, risking to catch trash instead. Once a fish is caught, its value is revealed only after it's landed. After one round, players swap roles, and the player with the most points after two rounds wins.

This card game version is a trick-taking game with a twist. The player with the highest card of their color wins the trick, regardless of who played it. Players aim to earn victory points by winning tricks with their workers and using the resources from other cards, while various character cards provide additional options to influence the game's outcome.

Set during the time of Elizabeth I in Europe, players compete for power and influence between Catholics and Protestants in England, France, Spain, and the Netherlands. Clever agents and daring spies plot to secure power for their rulers amid thwarted assassinations and successful rebellions. The real conflict lies not in rival religions, but in the struggle between those who believe in tolerance and compromise, and tyrants who would impose their beliefs at any cost.

The Big Box includes a new expansion called Morgana, along with the Arthur and Knights of the Round Table expansions and two queens. It features enhanced components as well.

Set in the Roman Empire during Caesar's era, players are ambitious Romans seeking influence. They leave their village to travel to Rome in pursuit of power, fortune, and happiness. Players can cultivate land to harvest grain and wine, trade for the best prices, and either build an army or serve the gods. The game intensifies as players approach Rome, vying to demonstrate their contributions to the empire, with the ultimate victor being the one who has done the most for the emperor and the people of Rome.

In this strategic game for two players, participants aim to protect their own trees while stealing those of their opponents. Each player controls four trees inhabited by tree spirits. By playing these spirits, they initiate the "Dance of the Druids," where cards move around the trees and can either harm or help in confrontations between equally strong druids. The game is won when one player captures two opponent trees, either through successful competitions or when a tree loses all its spirits.