The best games with bidding / auction 2024
Looking for a really good game with bidding/auction? Then we have just the thing for you: the list of the best auction games 2024.
What are auction games?
The bidding or auction mechanism requires you to place a bid, usually a monetary bid, on items in an auction of goods to improve your position in the game. These goods allow players to take future actions or improve a position. The auction consists of taking turns placing bids on a particular item until a winner is determined, allowing the winner to take control of the item being bid on.
By the way, in English, "auction" is "auctioning" and "bidding" is "bidding."
Usually several items are auctioned
Usually there is a game rule that helps lower the price of the item being bid on if no player is interested in the item at its current price. In most games, once a winner is determined for an item, another auction is held for additional items. This process repeats until a game condition is met or the items are exhausted in the auction phase of the game. This is similar to worker placement, but workers can be displaced from places by higher bids.
Examples of games with auction mode:
In Power Grid, for example, you start without power plants and must win bids to be able to produce electricity. If you win the bid for a particular power plant, that player can add it to their current power plant inventory and produce more electricity in a given round.
In Vegas Showdown, players bid on rooms such as a slot machine or restaurant to build a larger hotel with more prestige and value. The winning players pay for the room based on their bid and place it in their hotel. In both examples, bidding is done in turn format and players have the option to pass on bids.
List of best auction games 2024:
Skull
Embark on a journey of bluffing and suspense with Skull & Roses. This game is the epitome of strategic cunning, where every move unfolds in the minds of the players. Each participant starts by placing a face-down card, gradually revealing them one by one. The thrill escalates as players confidently claim the ability to uncover cards adorned only with roses. But beware, as opponents can challenge and bid to reveal even more cards. The highest bidder must then courageously unveil the specified number, hoping for a bed of roses and not the dreaded skull. Successfully navigating this bluffing showdown requires a poker face and unwavering eye contact, with victory hinging on two successful challenges.
Nominated for 5 awards and won 2.
More details for Skull- 3 - 6 Players
- 15 - 45 Minutes
- 10+ years old
- Immediately playable
Video reviews for Skull
For Sale
For Sale is a fast-paced, engaging game about buying and selling real estate, involving strategic bidding and sales to maximize profits.
Nominated for 1 award.
More details for For Sale- 3 - 6 Players
- 30 Minutes
- 10+ years old
- Immediately playable
No Thanks!
No Thanks! is a straightforward and captivating card game that offers a blend of strategy and luck. The game's simplicity makes it appealing and accessible to a wide range of players.
Nominated for 4 awards.
⭐️ Nominated for Kinderspiel des Jahres 2005
More details for No Thanks!- 3 - 7 Players
- 20 Minutes
- 8+ years old
- Immediately playable
High Society
More details for High SocietyHigh Society is a competitive auction-style card game designed by Reiner Knizia, where players vie to acquire wealth and status while avoiding financial pitfalls. The game focuses on strategic bidding and careful money management.
- 3 - 5 Players
- 15 - 30 Minutes
- 10+ years old
- Immediately playable
Downforce
Downforce is a fast-paced and exhilarating board game that captures the intense world of motor racing. Combining elements of card-driven gameplay, bidding, and betting, it offers a thrilling race experience for 2-6 players.
Nominated for 3 awards.
More details for Downforce- 2 - 6 Players
- 20 - 40 Minutes
- 10+ years old
- Easy to learn
Biblios
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.
Nominated for 2 awards.
More details for Biblios- 2 - 4 Players
- 30 Minutes
- 10+ years old
- Easy to learn
Ra
Ra is an engaging board game that combines elements of auction and set-collection within an Ancient Egyptian theme. Players are immersed in a competition of power and fame across 1500 years of Egyptian history, condensed into an intense gaming experience.
Nominated for 1 award.
More details for Ra- 2 - 5 Players
- 45 - 60 Minutes
- 12+ years old
- Easy to learn
Modern Art
Engage in the captivating world of art commerce with Modern Art. As both buyer and seller, players navigate the vibrant art market, aiming to turn their transactions into lucrative endeavors. Five unique artists have contributed a plethora of paintings, and it's your task to strategically auction them for maximum profit. Each turn, players auction a painting from their hand, gaining wealth if others purchase it or incurring costs if they buy it themselves. The key lies in shrewd decision-making.
Nominated for 6 awards and won 3.
More details for Modern Art- 3 - 5 Players
- 45 Minutes
- 10+ years old
- Easy to learn
Stockpile
Stockpile is an engaging economic board game that simulates the thrills and strategies of the stock market. Combining classic principles of buying low and selling high with unique game mechanics, it offers a fast-paced and interactive experience where players aim to outsmart the market and each other to amass wealth.
Nominated for 2 awards and won 1.
More details for Stockpile- 2 - 5 Players
- 45 Minutes
- 13+ years old
- Easy to learn
TEN
Nominated for 2 awards.
More details for TEN- 1 - 5 Players
- 15 - 30 Minutes
- 10+ years old
- Immediately playable
Bandu
Bausack is a unique and engaging game that combines elements of strategy, dexterity, and auctioning. Players challenge each other to build precarious structures using a variety of uniquely shaped wooden blocks. The game tests your architectural skills and your ability to make strategic decisions under pressure. Players must balance the risk and reward of accepting or refusing blocks, using 'beans' as currency in auctions to influence decisions. The game ends when a player's structure collapses, leaving the last player standing as the winner.
Nominated for 2 awards and won 2.
More details for Bandu- 2 - 8 Players
- 15 - 45 Minutes
- 7+ years old
- Immediately playable
El Grande Big Box
- 2 - 5 Players
- 90 Minutes
- 12+ years old
- Medium difficulty
Five Tribes: The Djinns of Naqala
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.
Nominated for 14 awards and won 5.
More details for Five Tribes: The Djinns of Naqala- 2 - 4 Players
- 40 - 80 Minutes
- 13+ years old
- Medium difficulty
Video reviews for Five Tribes: The Djinns of Naqala
Campy Creatures
- 2 - 5 Players
- 20 - 30 Minutes
- 10+ years old
- Easy to learn
Furnace
Furnace is a strategic engine-building Eurogame set in the 19th century. Players act as capitalists aiming to develop their industrial corporations and maximize profits through effective resource management and company acquisitions.
Nominated for 4 awards and won 1.
More details for Furnace- 2 - 4 Players
- 30 - 60 Minutes
- 12+ years old
- Easy to learn
Claim
Claim is a captivating card game set in a realm thrown into chaos by the sudden death of its king. Players compete to win the support of five factions and claim the throne for themselves. The game is played in two phases: first, recruiting followers, and then using those followers to win over the factions. Each faction possesses unique powers that can influence the game, and these powers may vary between the phases. The goal is to secure the majority of followers in at least three of the five factions to win the game and ascend to the throne.
Nominated for 1 award.
More details for Claim- 2 Players
- 25 Minutes
- 10+ years old
- Easy to learn
👍 Good price!10€ at.de*Abyss
Abyss plunges players into a deep-sea realm of power struggles, where they aim to ascend the throne and rule the underwater city. This game intertwines development, combination, and collection strategies in a captivating underwater setting.
Nominated for 7 awards and won 3.
More details for Abyss- 2 - 4 Players
- 30 - 60 Minutes
- 14+ years old
- Easy to learn
Pan Am
More details for Pan AmPan Am is an engaging board game that immerses players in the era of pioneering air travel, where they compete to build and expand their own airline empires. The game cleverly integrates strategy, bidding, and economic elements, allowing players to navigate through the historical landscape of the aviation industry.
- 2 - 4 Players
- 60 Minutes
- 12+ years old
- Easy to learn
👍 Good price!35€ at.de*Smile
- 3 - 5 Players
- 30 Minutes
- 8+ years old
- Immediately playable
Raccoon Tycoon
More details for Raccoon TycoonRaccoon 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.
- 2 - 5 Players
- 60 - 90 Minutes
- 8+ years old
- Easy to learn
👍 Good price!26€ at.de*Video reviews for Raccoon Tycoon
Felicity: The Cat in the Sack
Felicity: The Cat in the Sack is a clever and engaging auction-style game where players aim to collect the most valuable cats while avoiding the less desirable ones. The game involves bluffing and strategic bidding, as players use their mice to bid for cats hidden in a sack.
Nominated for 4 awards.
More details for Felicity: The Cat in the Sack- 3 - 5 Players
- 20 Minutes
- 8+ years old
- Immediately playable
El Grande
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.
Nominated for 3 awards and won 3.
⭐️ Spiel des Jahres 1996
More details for El Grande- 2 - 5 Players
- 60 - 120 Minutes
- 12+ years old
- Medium difficulty
Eggs and Empires
- 2 - 6 Players
- 25 Minutes
- 8+ years old
- Immediately playable
The Estates
More details for The EstatesThe Estates is a competitive auction and building game where players become real estate investors in a newly zoned urban area. The game challenges 2 to 5 players to develop high-end infrastructure across the city, balancing ambitions with the city council's regulations. The aim is to profit from constructing buildings while navigating the risks of an evolving urban landscape.
- 2 - 5 Players
- 40 - 60 Minutes
- 10+ years old
- Easy to learn
Video reviews for The Estates
12 Days
- 3 - 5 Players
- 15 Minutes
- 8+ years old
- Immediately playable
Panic on Wall Street!
- 3 - 11 Players
- 30 Minutes
- 8+ years old
- Easy to learn
Medici
More details for MediciMedici is a classic auction-style board game designed by Reiner Knizia, known for its strategic bidding and set collection mechanics. Players take on the roles of merchants during the Renaissance, aiming to acquire the most valuable cargo through competitive auctions. The game is well-regarded for its ability to accommodate various player counts effectively.
- 2 - 6 Players
- 60 Minutes
- 10+ years old
- Easy to learn
Power Grid
Power Grid is a strategic board game that combines elements of network building and commodity trading. Players aim to supply power to the most cities as their networks expand.
Nominated for 10 awards and won 4.
More details for Power Grid- 2 - 6 Players
- 120 Minutes
- 12+ years old
- Medium difficulty
Video reviews for Power Grid
The Godfather: Corleone's Empire
The Godfather: Corleone's Empire is a standalone big box board game designed by Eric Lang, renowned for his "dudes on a map" games. In Lang's words, this game can be described as "thugs on a map." It delivers a streamlined, confrontational worker placement experience filled with intrigue and criminal activities. Players assume the roles of rival mafia families, competing for economic control over the organized crime networks of New York City. Deploy your thugs, don, wife, and heir on the board, extort businesses, and engage in turf wars to establish dominance.
Nominated for 2 awards.
More details for The Godfather: Corleone's Empire- 2 - 5 Players
- 60 - 90 Minutes
- 14+ years old
- Medium difficulty
Condottiere
More details for CondottiereCondottiere is a strategic game set in 13th century Italy, a period marked by flourishing trade and frequent conflicts among city-states. The game revolves around the theme of mercenary leaders, known as Condottieri, who were hired to fight for different city-states.
- 2 - 6 Players
- 20 - 45 Minutes
- 10+ years old
- Easy to learn
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