The best games from Stefan Dorra 🇩🇪👨 2025

For Sale is a fast-paced, engaging game about buying and selling real estate, involving strategic bidding and sales to maximize profits.

Triqueta is a set-collection game for 2-5 players. Over four rounds, players draw animal tiles and aim to create sets of three tiles for each animal type, forming a "Triqueta." Timing is crucial as players must pick their favorite rows before getting stuck with unwanted ones. High scores come from completed Triquetas, but having more than three tiles of the same type will cost points.

Pick Picknic is a delightful board game that combines strategy and chance with a charming farmyard theme. Designed by Stefan Dorra, this game invites players to help their flock of hungry chickens, geese, and ducks feed on as much corn as possible while avoiding the cunning foxes looking for a feathered feast. A remake of Dorra's earlier game Razzia, Pick Picknic integrates fun poultry antics with tactical gameplay suitable for both children and adults.

Turn the Tide is a clever card game that combines strategy, prediction, and a bit of luck. Players start with a hand of 12 cards from a deck numbered 1-60, with the remainder set aside for the entire game. Each round involves choosing a card secretly and then revealing them simultaneously. Scoring involves collecting cards from a separate deck, with the highest card played taking the lower scoring card and the second-highest taking the other. A unique aspect is the rotation of hands, as players pass their entire hand to the next player after each round, challenging them to score well with the same cards their neighbor previously used.

A card game with an unusual scoring system involves players using sets of animal cards to knock over opponents' bucket pyramids. Each player starts with 12 cards from five colors, numbered 1-8, and must strategically attack or defend against opponents' moves.

Gameplay involves players following the usual trick-taking rules, where cards numbered from 1-15 in five colors are played, with blue as the trump color. Players predict their tricks using colored chips, and failing to cover a trick results in penalties. There is also a Sluffer role that aims to burden opponents with unwanted tricks, potentially reducing their scores while allowing the Sluffer to manipulate the game dynamics.

Players draw random symbols and objects to create memorable and funny stories. The goal is to build the best mnemonics and listen well to others' stories, increasing their chances of winning.

A card game with five sets of differently colored cards numbered from 1 to 8, accompanied by five matching sets of wooden chips, with 10 of each color. Players take turns playing a card face up, and if a card of the same color with a lower value is played, the higher card is removed from the game. The player collects chips based on the value of their played card, but if their card is face down, they earn no chips, leading to constant risk of losing chips to opponents. The winner is the player who accumulates the most chips after the designated rounds.

Nyet! is a cleverly designed trick-taking card game that adds a unique twist to the genre through its interactive setup phase. Players engage in a pre-game strategy session where they decide the rules for the upcoming round by systematically eliminating options on a grid. This phase determines key elements like the starting player, trump suit, and other game variables, which adds a layer of strategy and unpredictability before the cards are even played.

Players lay down sets of animal cards to try to knock over other players' bucket pyramids. By using their hand cards, they can defend their own buckets or attack others, potentially triggering a cascade effect that topples even more buckets. The game ends when a player loses their last bucket, and the player with the most remaining buckets in their pyramid wins.

The year is 1822, and it is time to rebuild Medina at the foot of the Atlas Mountains after years of decline. Architects and engineers are working to construct grand palaces and renovate the damaged city walls. Players place two game pieces on the board each turn, expanding existing buildings or features like the market or city walls, aiming to claim buildings of each color for points. Bonuses are awarded for owning the largest building of a specific color and for connecting a building to the growing city walls. This exciting edition features a double-sided board for two players, nearly 200 detailed wooden pieces, and updated gameplay elements.

There are six different game communities, each receiving bits representing money at the start of each round. Players simultaneously select a card, representing either a player or a police officer, to play. The money is allocated based on the cards played, with a negotiation mechanism coming into play if there's a clash for resources. Strong performance in simultaneous puzzles and effective negotiation can determine who finishes in first or second place.

Animals rush down the river at night in the Jungle Party, and players must remember where they all are. Which animal is swimming in the river? Who can discover each creature and recall where they are hidden? Moving the correct animal cards along the right arm of the river will help ensure a swift journey.

Players must quickly reveal and replicate construction plans that display colored blocks in a specific arrangement, competing against an opponent. Each player uses their own set of blocks but works from the same blueprint. A new feature is the use of a wooden tongs to handle the colored blocks.

Players engage in a tactical collecting game centered around the excavation of archaeological finds and managing their exhibition. Set in 1878, participants bid for government research funds to cover excavation costs and race to the sites, where the first to arrive gets to dig first. Throughout the game, players showcase their treasures in valuable exhibitions, earning glory and recognition, with the player accumulating the most fame after 12 rounds declared the winner.

Each player starts with five chips. To take a ship card, players must have a stack of chips, with the minimum required for each ship indicated on the card. A unique twist allows players to add their chip or stack to an opponent's, gaining ownership of the entire stack, but it can only be used in the following turn, potentially leaving it vulnerable to being taken. The scoring system has been expanded, introducing new tokens and a consolation prize for the player with the highest stack, adding more strategic depth to the gameplay.

A Pasha (also known as "padisha") is a powerful governor. Players roll five dice to achieve the best combination, aiming to become a Pasha and acquire the most valuable card. By cleverly using action dice and playing cards to determine points, players can win bonus tokens for special actions.

Players take on the role of shop owners in a Moroccan marketplace, purchasing various stores as color-coded tourists appear at the entrance. They can bring tourists to their matching stores for profit or direct them to opponents' shops to share in the earnings. The player with the highest bank balance at the end wins, combining auction elements with spatial relationships for an engaging experience.

While players will recognize much of the card art from Mü & More, this edition of "Die besten Trickspiele" features a different selection of games, some of which have been revised. It also includes more components and cards.

Players control a ship around a small group of islands, aiming to visit four of the five remote islands and return to the harbor. Winning requires not just island visits, as players earn money by rolling dice and assigning movement points to opponents' ships. The game features various mechanisms to balance player positions, creating opportunities to challenge the leader, making for engaging decisions without a single best strategy.

In 1566, Jean Parisot de Valette laid the foundation for Valletta, the future capital of Malta. Inspired by him, players gather resources, hire merchants, masons, and roofers to build their own version of the magnificent city with its powerful bastions and baroque buildings. Throughout the game, players must maintain their connections with the Order of St. John to enhance their reputation, while de Valette oversees their progress as he patrols the streets. The game concludes when he finishes his patrol, and a winner is determined.

Intrigue is a cutthroat negotiation game set in the Renaissance period, where players embody powerful families engaging in ruthless nepotism. The objective is to secure lucrative positions in other families’ businesses through strategic bribery. What makes Intrigue especially intense is that once a bribe is accepted, there's no obligation for the recipient to honor any agreements, leading to unpredictable alliances and betrayals.

At the start, each player receives a unique set of picture tiles. A topic is announced, such as "Women like...", and players select a tile from their set without revealing it. The goal is to have your tile rank highest in meeting the topic's requirements.

Enuk is an exciting adventure for a young Eskimo boy who joins his brothers on an icy journey. Players must build an igloo while simultaneously observing as many animals as possible. The game combines memory and luck as players flip animal tiles, trying to collect the most before one flees in fear.

The game board depicts a livestock market where pigs, goats, donkeys, chickens, and other animals are for sale. Players strategically position their farmers to achieve the best prices or block competitors. Once animals are acquired, they must be fed each round, and a player can sell their herd for victory points when they own four of the same animal, with different animals having varying values.

Players start with a secret set of train stations and a trolley line, using tiles to build a shared rail network. They aim to create a route from one terminal to another, passing through required stations. The first player to travel from one terminal to the other while visiting all necessary stations wins.

Medina is a strategic board game set in 1822, where players are tasked with rebuilding the beautiful city of Medina, situated at the foot of the Atlas mountains. Designed by Stefan Dorra, this game captures the essence of urban planning and architecture, challenging players to construct palaces and restore the city walls to their former glory. As the city is rebuilt, players vie to claim the most prestigious buildings and secure their legacy as the greatest architects of Medina.

Players use various character cards to move figures across Crete, gaining influence in the island's provinces. Each card triggers scoring in adjacent provinces, awarding victory points to the most influential players. Careful placement of followers in key provinces and strategic timing are essential to gain the upper hand, but the shifting influence and potential conspiracies from others can quickly complicate your plans.

Participate in a race for the treasures of the island kingdom! Beware, the sea routes to the islands are treacherous. Some will lead you to the islands, while others will not, so remember the correct path! Unique flip cards and variable settings keep each game exciting and fresh.

Seven magnificent cities await to be plundered. Each turn, players choose their target, but they often interfere with one another. The longer a rogue stays in a city, the more loot they can take to the next city and cash in, but taking too much time might attract the sheriff's attention. The player who leaves the seventh city with the most money becomes the unbeatable bandit and wins the game.

The 19th century sets the stage as explorers venture into the lush tropical jungle of the Amazon in search of rare plants and animals. Players navigate winding paths and waterways, establishing outposts in villages while battling the risks posed by lurking crocodiles and prowling jaguars. Time is of the essence, as delays increase the costs of building new outposts, and fulfilling a secret mission from your sponsor is essential for maintaining your hard-earned fame.

Following the call of the gods, players settle at the foot of Mount Meduris. They must build huts, offer sacrifices to the druid, collect valuable runestones, and construct monumental temples to earn the gods' favor. Strategic placement of huts and temples, along with careful resource management, is essential for victory.

Players influence product values by playing cards and must decide when the best time to sell on the black market is.

Players act as noble builders in a land settlement. They work together to construct roads, create marketplaces, and build houses while moving deeper into the territory with each milestone. However, each player must independently gather materials, money, and grain, requiring them to carefully develop and optimize their own network of goods and trade materials to secure valuable building sites and achieve victory.

Players engage in a rhythmic reaction game with an Indian theme. They must recognize the rhythms created by another player on the tambourine and quickly hit the corresponding motif card to collect the most cards and win. The game also offers advanced variants that introduce memory elements and cards that change the meaning of the symbols on motif cards.

In the province of Salamanca, young noble families are reclaiming the arid land in the mid-16th century. They expand their estates by building fields, forests, and lakes around their castles while managing farms and founding monasteries. Players strategically use hand cards to acquire tiles for placement, execute actions, and ultimately compete to have the most doubloons by the end of the game.

Flynn, the pirate owl, is a troublemaker who has hidden treasures like golden drinking cups, a captain's sword, and a treasure chest in the crow's nest. Players must find the items he's stashed away by rolling a die to determine their search. Using a string stick to pull a card, they hope Flynn stays put and the nest doesn't topple over.

The pasture is foul with sheep droppings, and chaos erupts when the farmer arrives. All the sheep race to grab the only fork to clear the field first. Players aim to toss wooden cylinders of their color into a hole at the center of the board before their opponents do.