The Best Games Where the Start Player Is Determined Randomly 2026

1775: Rebellion is an award-winning board game that immerses players in the tumultuous times of the American Revolution, part of the Birth of America series. It offers a blend of strategic planning, historical warfare, and alliance management, appealing to both history enthusiasts and strategy gamers alike.

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.

Players control massive, immortal frog-like creatures that gather terrain from the remnants of a shattered world called Aeth. They collect land to fill their vast gullets and then return to an interdimensional vault to store it, all while competing to prove themselves as the greatest gatherers by maximizing their treasures' value. Throughout the game, players can choose to harvest at their own pace or engage with others to steal land directly, but they must adapt their strategies to the chaotic nature of the ethereal realm and unexpected disruptions.

The 1930s is a time of recovery from the Great War and the subsequent Great Depression. A second world war could erupt at any moment. Players lead nations and must devise diplomatic strategies and build military strength to either prevent or engage in conflict.

Players take control of a small team of Judges or criminals, battling for justice or survival in the chaotic streets of Mega-City One. The game includes all the necessary rules, weapon guidelines, and character profiles to create your own patrols and criminal gangs. It also features rules for building combat, vehicle use, and the evolution of your faction through connected games.