The best games where unchosen resources increase in value 📈 2025

Century: Golem Edition is an engaging and visually appealing board game that is a re-themed version of Century: Spice Road. Set in the imaginative world of Caravania, this game combines strategic planning and resource management, appealing to players who enjoy tactical decision-making.

Dune: Imperium is a strategic deck-building game inspired by the iconic Dune universe, incorporating elements from both the recent film adaptation and the classic novels. Players lead one of the Great Houses in the interstellar political landscape of the Landsraad.

Century: Spice Road is the first game in a series that delves into the rich and vibrant history of spice trading. Set against the backdrop of the legendary Silk Road, players take on the roles of caravan leaders, journeying across continents to trade spices and achieve fame and glory. This game combines elements of strategy and resource management, making it an engaging experience for players who enjoy economic and trading games.

Canvas is a creative and visually-driven board game where players take on the roles of painters competing in an art competition. The game combines elements of strategy and puzzle-solving, focused on creating and scoring paintings.

Lords of Waterdeep immerses players in the vibrant and politically charged city of Waterdeep, the Crown Jewel of the Forgotten Realms. In this strategic board game designed for 2-5 players, you assume the identity of one of the enigmatic Lords of Waterdeep, the city's clandestine rulers. As a Lord, you'll navigate a web of intrigue and compete with other powerful figures to exert control over this remarkable city. Let's explore the game's key features:

Startups is a competitive card game where players take on the roles of savvy investors looking to make their fortune by investing in the most promising companies. With a mix of strategy, luck, and keen observation, players must outmaneuver their opponents to become the wealthiest shareholder and dominate the market.

Ark Nova is a strategic board game where players take on the role of zoo planners, aiming to build and manage the most successful modern zoo.

Agricola: All Creatures Big and Small offers a specialized, two-player experience derived from the popular Agricola game, focusing exclusively on the aspect of animal husbandry.

Castles of Mad King Ludwig is a creative and strategic tile-laying game where players construct an opulent castle for King Ludwig II of Bavaria. This game combines architectural planning with economic strategy.

Small World is a board game where players compete for control of a tiny world, using unique fantasy races and special powers.

Puerto Rico is a strategy game where players become colonial governors in Puerto Rico, aiming to earn victory points through trade and construction.

Embark on an epic journey of galactic conquest in Twilight Imperium: Fourth Edition. As a leader of one of seventeen unique factions, you'll navigate the vastness of space, striving for dominance through military might, political maneuvering, and economic prowess. The game unfolds around Mecatol Rex, the central planet, where the throne of the galaxy awaits the faction that can skillfully navigate the challenges of a dynamic and strategically constructed universe.

Agricola is a strategic board game where players become farmers aiming to build thriving homesteads. Manage resources, expand your home, and feed your family to win.

Hallertau is set in the lush Hallertau region of Bavaria, Germany, around 1850, a pivotal time in its history as the largest hop-producing area in the world. Players take on the roles of village chiefs, striving to advance their village's prosperity and standing through agriculture and sheep breeding.

Caverna: The Cave Farmers is a worker-placement board game that builds upon the mechanics of its predecessor, Agricola. It combines farming and cave dwelling themes, where players manage a dwarf family and their expanding homestead.

Firenze is a strategic board game set in the historical context of Florence during the 12th to 14th centuries, a time when the city's elite families sought to showcase their wealth and influence not through warfare or commerce, but by erecting towering, square-based homes as symbols of their status. Players step into the roles of master builders, tasked with constructing these prestigious towers to win favor and prestige points from the city's leading families and the church.

Small World of Warcraft is a strategy board game that combines the mechanics of the beloved Small World game with the rich fantasy universe of Blizzard Entertainment's Warcraft. This fusion creates a dynamic game of area control and conflict, where players lead various iconic races from the Warcraft universe to expand their empires across the fantastical world of Azeroth. With a mix of strategy, luck, and diplomacy, players vie for dominance in a land where there's not enough room for everyone.

Welcome to the diverse and captivating land of Terra Mystica, where 14 distinct peoples inhabit seven unique landscapes. In this strategic board game, each group is intrinsically tied to its own home environment, and to expand and flourish, they must transform neighboring terrains into their native habitats, all while competing against rival factions.

Le Havre is a strategic board game that simulates harbor management, focusing on resource distribution, building construction, and economic development.

The Palaces of Carrara takes players to the renowned marble-producing region of Italy, where they compete to acquire marble at the best prices and use it to construct buildings. The game's strategic depth lies in balancing the cost of marble with its potential value in building construction. Players must be savvy in their purchases, as any decrease in marble prices can also benefit their opponents. The decision of when to buy marble becomes crucial, especially when considering the fluctuating values of buildings in the town. The Palaces of Carrara includes two levels of play – beginner and advanced – making it accessible to new players while offering depth for experienced gamers. Wolfgang Kramer, the co-designer, emphasizes the importance of starting with the beginner version to fully grasp the game's mechanics and how they interact.