The best games where you can raise your bid until you pass 2026

Skull is a pure bluffing game: players lay face-down cards of roses and skulls, then bid on how many they can flip without hitting a skull. Two successful challenges win the game — a steady poker face does the rest.

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

Biblios is a strategic and competitive board game that immerses players in the role of abbots at a medieval monastery. The primary goal is to build the most impressive library of sacred texts, balancing resource management, strategic planning, and a bit of luck.

Raccoon Tycoon is a vibrant board game set in the bustling land of Astoria, where productivity and growth are the orders of the day. Players take on the roles of savvy business tycoons aiming to capitalize on this period of economic boom. Through strategic production of key commodities such as wheat, wood, iron, coal, manufactured goods, and luxuries, players compete to amass wealth and invest in expanding their business empires.

Nightmare Productions, designed by Reiner Knizia, is a unique auction-based board game centered around the theme of producing movies, with a special twist in its Nightmare Productions edition that brings a horror and fantasy element to the filmmaking process. The game is structured around bidding for various components necessary to complete a movie, with a focus on strategic bidding and resource management.

Manila is an engaging and speculative board game for 3-5 players, centered around the bustling world of maritime trade. Players take on the role of investors, speculating on and betting against a variety of goods shipments – jade, ginseng, silk, and nutmeg – as they make their precarious journey along sea routes to Manila. The game is a blend of strategy, risk, and luck, with the fate of each shipment ultimately being decided by dice rolls.

You're Bluffing! is a classic game of bidding and bluffing where players engage in the lively auction of farm animals, striving to complete sets for points. The game operates on a simple yet engaging mechanic where each animal type is represented by four cards, and players aim to collect complete sets through auctions and trades.

A new standalone version of the original game introduces several new rules and options. It accommodates 2-6 players instead of the original 3-5. New elements include the rat, which causes players to lose points, ancestry cards for bonus points based on cattle, and new auction mechanisms for rats and pedigree cards.

Players travel to distant places in "Lost Cities: Rivals," but they may run out of money for their desired expeditions. The game involves collecting colored expedition cards and placing them in ascending order in personal expeditions. Players must win auctions to place cards in their expeditions, which adds a strategic element to gameplay as they manage their bids and resources.

Manipulate the political landscape of King's Landing in this fast-paced card game for 3 to 6 players. Players embody one of nine iconic characters from A Song of Ice and Fire, using their influence to gain allies and shift the loyalties of others. Be cautious with your alliances, as betrayal can come when you least expect it!

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.

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.

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.