The best games where the starting player is determined by auction 2026

Players engage in a dexterity game where they load wooden "cargo" onto a swaying wooden ship. Items like bottles, sailors, and rats are placed on the ship's body and on three throwing arms extending from the mast.

Step into the charming, rustic world of Viticulture Essential Edition, where players assume the roles of individuals in picturesque, pre-modern Tuscany. Inherit meager vineyards, a handful of plots, an aged crushpad, a quaint cellar, and three diligent workers. With dreams of making their wineries renowned successes, players embark on an unforgettable journey.

Five Tribes: The Djinns of Naqala is a strategy board game set in the mystical land of Naqala. Designed by Bruno Cathala, it puts a unique spin on the traditional German-style worker placement games.

Sekigahara: The Unification of Japan is a strategic war game for two players, allowing them to relive the pivotal battle of Sekigahara in 1600, which unified Japan under the Tokugawa shogunate for over 250 years. Players take on the roles of either Ishida Mitsunari, defending the rightful heir, or Tokugawa Ieyasu, the most powerful daimyo, as they gather armies from their allies, all the while questioning their loyalty. With no use of dice, the game emphasizes strategy and loyalty through card mechanics, where cards are essential for motivating armies to fight. Loyalty is a fluctuating resource, represented by hand size, and battles involve deploying hidden units based on loyalty, with the potential for defections. The game aims to provide a historically accurate experience within a concise and intuitive set of rules, focusing on strategic deployment and the significance of loyalty without relying on luck to determine outcomes.

El Grande is a classic strategy board game set in medieval Spain, where players, as powerful lords or "Grandes," vie for control over various regions in a declining kingdom. The game is known for its blend of tactical depth and strategic planning.

Railways of the World, initially released as Railroad Tycoon, is a grand-scale board game where players build and manage their own railroad empire. This 2009 edition revitalizes the original with several improvements and expanded features.

Boomtown combines the thrill of gold rush era mining with strategic gameplay elements, including auctions, dice-rolling, and tactical use of action cards. Players start as hopeful gold diggers and aim to rise to the status of wealthy tycoons by smartly acquiring mining concessions, becoming influential in local politics, and capitalizing on the economic opportunities of the era.

Keyflower is a strategic board game designed for 2-6 players that spans over four rounds, each representing a different season: spring, summer, autumn, and winter. The game combines elements of auction, tile placement, and resource management set in a medieval world. Players start with a "home" tile and a team of workers, using them to bid for new tiles, gather resources, and build their village.

Players participate in the exciting story of the mysterious Easter Island, located in the harsh Pacific away from other civilizations. They pay homage to the gods at the Orongo ceremonial site to create the famous giant stone heads, known as Moais. By bidding the most shells, players secure the best building locations and resources for constructing these stone colossi.

Lead a great civilization at the height of its influence, but can you prevent its collapse? In a game for 2-4 players, participants work to avert disaster by using an intuitive reverse bidding mechanism combined with machine building, long-term planning, and strategic depth. As players face common threats like famine and floods, they develop wisdom and resilience, gaining new abilities and innovations that reflect their civilization's adaptability. The game progresses through various phases, with players moving along a progress track that influences their experiences and victory paths.

Journey back to North America around 10,000 BCE in Endless Winter: Paleoamericans, a game designed by Stan Kordonskiy, developed by Jonny Pac, and illustrated by The Mico. In this immersive experience, you guide your tribe's evolution across generations, from nomadic hunter-gatherers to thriving tribal societies. With each passing era, your tribes will migrate, establish traditions, hunt massive prehistoric creatures, and construct magnificent megalithic structures.

Scoville sets players in the spicy role of pepper farmers in the pepper-loving town of Scoville. The game revolves around planting, crossbreeding, and harvesting peppers to create the hottest new breeds. It’s a fun blend of strategy and resource management as you strive to meet the fiery demands of the town.

Players race on a modular game board using cards numbered from 1 to 9. Each player chooses a card to reveal simultaneously, with the highest card moving first. Certain spaces, like TURBO, offer special features that enhance gameplay. Players take additional movement points to advance past opponents. The winner is the player with the most points from their three cars.

Chickwood Forest comes in a modest box but offers a robust gaming experience focused on exploring castles, gathering loot, giving alms, and earning glory. Players scout the castles for valuable targets and play cards from their hands, either face up or face down. They then raid a castle, hoping to steal treasures while avoiding unpleasant surprises, and can donate their riches to the poor, showcasing their generosity on village cards.

Carolus Magnus is a strategic board game where players vie for control over a medieval landscape using mercenaries represented by wooden blocks. The game's board consists of hexagonal clusters arranged in a circle, creating a dynamic battlefield where control shifts with each move. Players deploy their mercenaries to gain dominance over different types of lands and to consolidate their power by constructing towers, which serve both as markers of control and as the primary means to achieve victory.

Age of Steam transports players back to the pioneering days of U.S. railroad expansion, offering a strategic gaming experience centered around building and operating a railroad empire.

The Great Zimbabwe is a strategic board game that takes players back to ancient Africa, where they aim to build a thriving civilization around the iconic Great Zimbabwe. Inspired by the rich history and culture of southern Africa, the game challenges players to construct monumental edifices to honor their chosen deity. Each of the twelve gods in the game offers unique blessings but demands varying efforts to achieve victory. Players must develop an efficient logistics network across the region, producing and acquiring ritual goods to elevate their monuments and gain the favor of their god. The game blends historical inspiration with Splotter's signature approach to creating engaging, replayable experiences, offering a mix of strategic planning, resource management, and tactical positioning.

Players collect the right types of cards to reach 40 victory points in Friesematenten. They build an economy and purchase status points with money, but they may need to buy points early to secure a win. This new version has streamlined gameplay with new cards and artwork, making it more accessible for less experienced players; marker management is included in the expansion.

The captivating legend of the great hero Beowulf is brought to life in this game. Players accompany the Geatish warrior Beowulf as he aids the Danish king against the terrifying monster Grendel, returns to Geatland to become king, and ultimately faces a dreadful dragon.

A Game of Thrones: The Board Game (Second Edition) is a strategy board game that immerses players in the world of George R.R. Martin's A Song of Ice and Fire series. It's a game of diplomacy, warfare, and intrigue, capturing the essence of the epic fantasy saga.

Merv: The Heart of the Silk Road immerses players in the competitive economic landscape of the most prosperous city along the Silk Road. As the city thrives, players engage in a strategic blend of resource management, trade, and influence to accumulate wealth and power. The game encapsulates the tension between personal gain and the collective defense against the looming threat of Mongol invasions. Strategic decisions influence both the city's fate and the players' standing, making every choice critical in the pursuit of victory.

The race to space was a façade. The moon landing wasn't faked; it truly happened. However, the lie is that we ever wanted to go to the moon—we needed a spectacle to justify our immense budgets.

Players take on the role of a politician striving to gather enough money and influence to become the next president. They start with a set of 10 cards, including "fatherly friends" that generate money and influence. Each round, players draw cards, place workers in government offices, and acquire new cards or gain influence, aiming to be the first to collect enough influence points or buy all the doctorates to end the game.

Indonesia is a strategic economic game for 2-5 players who dive into the competitive world of growing economies in Indonesia. Each player aims to amass the most money by acquiring and developing production and shipping companies. These companies produce and deliver goods such as rice, spices, rubber, and oil to expanding cities, which in turn increases demand. The strategic depth of the game comes from managing production costs and shipping fees, researching advancements, and possibly merging companies to outmaneuver competitors. Players must keep their wealth secret and strategically time their operations, as money earned in the last round counts double. The game unfolds over three eras, each introducing new cities, companies, and goods, culminating in a final tally where the wealthiest player emerges victorious.

Players take on the role of Norse gods, striving to prevent evil forces from ravaging the nine worlds and destroying Yggdrasil while aiming to survive Ragnarök. Each player selects one of the seven gods, gathers life points and enemy cards, and interacts with a rotating 3D game board representing the nine worlds.

In the fourteenth century, the Atlantic was an endless ocean and America had yet to be discovered. The Mediterranean thrived as the sole link between East and West, with powerful trading cities like Venice, Genoa, and Istanbul establishing lucrative trade routes. Players assume the roles of these city-states, aiming to expand their influence and build a prosperous trade empire through constructing ships, hiring crews, and managing resources. Control over ports influences income and resource availability, creating a competitive balance between trading goods and maintaining naval strength throughout the game's rounds.