The best games from Thomas Lehmann 🇺🇸👨 2026

Looking for a really good game from game designer Thomas Lehmann 👨? Then we have just the thing: the list with the best Thomas Lehmann games 2026.

Who is Thomas Lehmann anyway?

Thomas Lehmann has been designing dice, card & board games since 1992. The game designer comes from the USA🇺🇸, was born in 1958 in Paris, France 🇫🇷 and currently lives in Palo Alto, California, USA🇺🇸. He is also known as "Tom Lehmann."

Lehmann's first game "Time Agent" he developed in 1992 at the age of 34 – so he has been designing games for over 34. Famous Lehmann games include Race for the Galaxy, Roll for the Galaxy & Res Arcana.

Much traveled in his childhood

Lehmann grew up in Tunisia, Indonesia, Korea and also in the USA. His formative years at the age of 5-10 were spent in Carthage, Tunisia – where he designed a game about the Phoenicians.

Studies in the USA

He graduated with a Bachelor's degree in Engineering Arts from Michigan State in 1979 and a Master's degree in Engineering-Economic Systems from Stanford in 1982.

Game development part-time for the time being.

He then worked as a programmer and technical writer. In the early 1990s he started to pursue his hobby as a board game inventor more intensively but part-time – at the beginning mostly with James "Jim" Hlavaty. With him he also founded a game publishing company. First successes he could celebrate with the game Magellan (it was for example on the shortlist for the Spiel des Jahres 2002).

Even more success with Race for the Galaxy & Pandemic expansions

After developing a few more games, Race for the Galaxy was such a success in 2007 that he turned to developing card, dice, and board games full-time.

Together with Matt Leacock, Lehmann has invented several Pandemic-expansions.

How good are "Thomas Lehmann" games?

There are 6 games by Thomas Lehmann in our Top1000 games list, making Lehmann the #37 best game designer out of a total of 708 designers in our database.

More information about Lehmann

More information about Lehmann can be found on:

List of best games by Thomas Lehmann 2026

In this list we have listed the best board games that Thomas Lehmann either designed himself – or was involved in designing.

Unfortunately, not all of Thomas Lehmann's games are currently available. In the following list you can find all dice, board & card games by Thomas Lehmann that you can buy 2026:

This list was last updated on June 24, 2026. There's also a print version for this list .
  1. Res Arcana

    Res Arcana

    Embark on a mystical journey into the enchanting world of Res Arcana, where mages harness the powers of Life, Death, Elan, Calm, and Gold to shape their destiny. Prepare your place of power and engage in a strategic contest to achieve victory.

    All details & rating
    2–4 30–60 min 12+ Medium complexity
    + 5 € above the best price
    30 € at Amazon*
  2. Race for the Galaxy

    Race for the Galaxy

    Race for the Galaxy is a captivating card game that immerses players in the challenge of building galactic civilizations. In this race through the cosmos, players use game cards to represent worlds, technologies, and developments as they strive for supremacy. Let's delve into the gameplay and discover what makes Race for the Galaxy unique.

    All details & rating
    2–4 30–60 min 12+ Medium complexity
  3. Roll for the Galaxy

    Roll for the Galaxy

    Roll for the Galaxy is a dice-based strategy game for 2-5 players, where dice represent the populace tasked with building a space empire. It's a dice adaptation of the popular card game Race for the Galaxy.

    All details & rating
    2–5 45 min 13+ Medium complexity
  4. Jump Drive

    Jump Drive

    Jump Drive propels players into the vast expanse of the Race for the Galaxy universe through a swift and engaging card game. In this game of galactic expansion, players harness the power of the Jump Drive to explore new worlds, develop advanced technologies, and establish a dominant space empire. Players aim to find potent card combinations that propel their civilizations to prosperity and victory. As a standalone game, Jump Drive offers a more streamlined and quicker gameplay experience compared to its predecessor, Race for the Galaxy, making it accessible to newcomers while still challenging seasoned players with its strategic depth.

    All details & rating
    2–4 10–30 min 13+ Easy to learn
  5. The City card game

    The City card game

    Players quickly and cleverly build their own city, aiming to earn income and victory points (VPs). The first to collect 50 VPs wins the game. Each round, players secretly select a card to play, which can represent buildings or currency, and reveal them simultaneously to construct their city. Some buildings generate income or increase VPs based on specific symbols associated with them.

    All details & rating
    2–5 30 min 10+ Easy to learn
  6. Pandemic: Hot Zone – Europe

    Pandemic: Hot Zone – Europe

    Pandemic: Hot Zone – Europe is a compact and quick-playing version of the beloved cooperative game Pandemic. Set against the backdrop of Europe, this iteration maintains the core mechanics of the original game but in a streamlined format that's ideal for players looking for a shorter game time and greater portability.

    All details & rating
    2–4 30 min 8+ Easy to learn
  7. Res Arcana Duo

    Res Arcana Duo

    Res Arcana Duo is a standalone two-player version of the engine-building card game Res Arcana that can later be combined with the base game and its expansions. As a mage you gather essences, craft artifacts, and use them to summon dragons or claim places of power on the way to victory. Anyone who enjoys tight, tactical card games with a clear engine will find a focused duel with a short playtime here.

    All details & rating
    2 20–60 min 12+ Medium complexity
  8. Favor of the Pharaoh

    Favor of the Pharaoh

    Favor of the Pharaoh immerses players in ancient Egypt, where even a humble peasant could catch the eye of the Pharaoh. This game for 2–4 participants is all about ascending through the social hierarchy by accumulating influence, symbolized by dice and special abilities. The ultimate goal? To gain the Pharaoh's favor and win the game.

    All details & rating
    2–4 45 min 13+ Easy to learn
  9. Jericho card game

    Jericho card game

    Players aim to build the longest walls in various colors by playing wall cards. They can use trumpet cards to remove pieces from these walls. At the end, the player with the most cards wins the game.

    All details & rating
    3–5 15 min 8+ Immediately playable
  10. Chu Han
    2 25 min 14+ Easy to learn
    + 6 € above the best price
    33 € at Amazon*
  11. Dice Realms

    Dice Realms

    Players compete to improve and expand their medieval realms while facing fate in Dice Realms. Realms are represented by customizable dice, allowing players to exchange sides for better options.

    All details & rating
    1–4 45–60 min 14+ Easy to learn
  12. New Frontiers

    New Frontiers

    New Frontiers is a standalone strategy game that expands the Race for the Galaxy universe into new realms of empire building and exploration. Players vie to construct the most powerful galactic empire by strategically selecting actions that benefit all, but with a special advantage to the chooser.

    All details & rating
    2–5 45–75 min 14+ Medium complexity
  13. Roll Through the Ages: The Iron Age

    Roll Through the Ages: The Iron Age

    Players build an Iron Age civilization in under an hour by establishing provinces, raising armies, and conquering or trading with barbarians. Various strategies from Greek, Phoenician, and Roman civilizations can be explored as they construct monuments and manage resources. Grab the dice, including the fate die, and prepare to build the greatest empire while rolling through the ages!

    All details & rating
    1–4 40–60 min 10+ Easy to learn
  14. Ciúb

    Ciúb

    Prove your skills at the annual assembly of wizards. Seek help from magical creatures and use the various abilities granted by your dice. Navigate your path with valuable spell cards to win the crown of your craft: the Opus Magnum, but never underestimate the power of the dice!

    All details & rating
    2–4 45 min 10+ Easy to learn
  15. Pizarro & Co.

    Pizarro & Co.

    Players take on the role of kings or queens competing for the services of six famous explorers: Ferdinand Magellan, Christopher Columbus, Francisco Pizarro, Vasco da Gama, James Cook, and Marco Polo. As the game progresses, competition intensifies for these explorers, as fewer expeditions become available for investment. Players bid on explorer cards in a series of rounds, striving to balance the acquisition of money with the pursuit of victory points.

    All details & rating
    3–6 45 min 12+ Easy to learn
  16. Middle Kingdom

    Middle Kingdom

    Players bid blindly on dynasty cards such as warriors, nobles, bureaucrats, farmers, and merchants. They must balance their claims to score well, and the player with the most cards in a category receives a bonus that can influence the bidding process. In each round, players play bid cards to claim dynasty cards and gain control over key positions, but unexpected events can disrupt their strategies. The game concludes when the emperor dies, and the player with the most influence ascends to the throne.

    All details & rating
    2–5 40 min 12+ Easy to learn
  17. 1846: The Race for the Midwest

    1846: The Race for the Midwest

    1846: The Race for the Midwest is a distinguished title within the 18xx series of board games, focusing on the strategic development and expansion of railway companies across the Midwestern United States during the period of westward expansion. This game combines elements of route building, stock trading, and financial management, offering a deep and immersive experience that challenges players to think like investors and railway magnates.

    All details & rating
    3–5 120–240 min 14+ For connoisseurs
  18. Starship Merchants

    Starship Merchants

    In 4049, two millennia after the dawn of space travel, prosperity and peace reign in the galaxy. As humanity colonizes the stars, the demand for resources surges, fueling revolutionary discoveries in terraforming, construction, and energy technology.

    All details & rating
    2–4 90 min 14+ Medium complexity
  19. Phoenicia

    Phoenicia

    Empires rise and fall. In the buffer zones between civilizations, a clever ruler can introduce new ideas, trade, and establish city-states like Tyre and Sidon, which may outlast neighboring realms. Players must expand their economy and grow their population while navigating challenges and technological advancements to sustain their citizens.

    All details & rating
    2–5 90 min 12+ Medium complexity

Frequently asked questions

Which game ranks first on this list?

Res Arcana currently tops our list. The ranking is derived from player community ratings and is recalculated continuously.

How many players do the games on this list support?

Most games on this list support 2 to 4 players. The exact player count is listed with each game.

What age are these games suitable for?

Publisher age recommendations on this list start at 8 years. Each game carries its own age rating.

How long does a game take?

A typical game takes about 40 to 45 minutes. Each game's playing time is listed individually.

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