The best games with bidding / auction 2023

Looking for a really good game with bidding/auction? Then we have just the thing for you: the list of the best auction games 2023.

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 2023:

This list was last updated on July 10, 2023. We compared 3097 board games for this list and selected the top 30. There's also a print version for this list.
  1. Skull

    All details for the board game Skull and similar games

    Nominated for 4 awards and won 1.

    More details for Skull
    • 3 - 6 Players
    • 15 - 45 Minutes
    • 10+ years old
    • Immediately playable

    Video reviews for Skull

    • YouTube Review for the game "Skull" by Shut Up & Sit Down
      Video is in English
    • YouTube Review for the game "Skull" by BoardGameGeek
      Video is in English
  2. For Sale

    All details for the board game For Sale and similar games

    Nominated for 1 award.

    More details for For Sale
    • 3 - 6 Players
    • 30 Minutes
    • 10+ years old
    • Immediately playable
  3. No Thanks!

    All details for the board game No Thanks! and similar games

    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
  4. High Society

    All details for the board game High Society and similar games
    • 3 - 5 Players
    • 15 - 30 Minutes
    • 10+ years old
    • Immediately playable
  5. Downforce

    All details for the board game Downforce and similar games

    Nominated for 3 awards.

    More details for Downforce
    • 2 - 6 Players
    • 20 - 40 Minutes
    • 10+ years old
    • Easy to learn
  6. Biblios

    All details for the board game Biblios and similar games

    Nominated for 2 awards.

    More details for Biblios
    • 2 - 4 Players
    • 30 Minutes
    • 10+ years old
    • Easy to learn
  7. Ra

    All details for the board game Ra and similar games

    Nominated for 1 award.

    More details for Ra
    • 2 - 5 Players
    • 45 - 60 Minutes
    • 12+ years old
    • Easy to learn
  8. TEN

    All details for the board game TEN and similar games

    Nominated for 2 awards.

    More details for TEN
    • 1 - 5 Players
    • 15 - 30 Minutes
    • 10+ years old
    • Immediately playable
  9. Stockpile

    All details for the board game Stockpile and similar games

    Nominated for 2 awards and won 1.

    More details for Stockpile
    • 2 - 5 Players
    • 45 Minutes
    • 13+ years old
    • Easy to learn
  10. Modern Art

    All details for the board game Modern Art and similar games

    Nominated for 6 awards and won 3.

    More details for Modern Art
    • 3 - 5 Players
    • 45 Minutes
    • 10+ years old
    • Easy to learn
  11. Bausack

    All details for the board game Bausack and similar games

    Nominated for 2 awards and won 2.

    More details for Bausack
    • 2 - 8 Players
    • 15 - 45 Minutes
    • 7+ years old
    • Immediately playable
  12. El Grande Big Box

    All details for the board game El Grande Big Box and similar games
    • 2 - 5 Players
    • 90 Minutes
    • 12+ years old
    • Medium difficulty
  13. Campy Creatures

    All details for the board game Campy Creatures and similar games
    • 2 - 5 Players
    • 20 - 30 Minutes
    • 10+ years old
    • Easy to learn
  14. Five Tribes

    All details for the board game Five Tribes and similar games

    Nominated for 14 awards and won 5.

    More details for Five Tribes
    • 2 - 4 Players
    • 40 - 80 Minutes
    • 13+ years old
    • Medium difficulty

    Video reviews for Five Tribes

    • YouTube Review for the game "Five Tribes" by BoardGameGeek
      Video is in English
    • YouTube Review for the game "Five Tribes" by Shut Up & Sit Down
      Video is in English
    • YouTube Review for the game "Five Tribes" by BoardGameGeek
      Video is in English
  15. Furnace

    All details for the board game Furnace and similar games

    Nominated for 4 awards and won 1.

    🔥 Deal: 12% cheaper than the best Geizhals deal, likely for a short time only!

    More details for Furnace
    • 2 - 4 Players
    • 30 - 60 Minutes
    • 12+ years old
    • Easy to learn
    🔥 Great price!30€ atAmazon.de
  16. Claim

    All details for the board game Claim and similar games

    Nominated for 1 award.

    🔥 Deal: 19% cheaper than the best Geizhals deal, likely for a short time only!

    More details for Claim
    • 2 Players
    • 25 Minutes
    • 10+ years old
    • Easy to learn
    🔥 Great price!6€ atAmazon.de
  17. Abyss

    All details for the board game Abyss and similar games

    Nominated for 7 awards and won 3.

    More details for Abyss
    • 2 - 4 Players
    • 30 - 60 Minutes
    • 14+ years old
    • Easy to learn
  18. Smile

    All details for the board game Smile and similar games
    • 3 - 5 Players
    • 30 Minutes
    • 8+ years old
    • Immediately playable
  19. Pan Am

    All details for the board game Pan Am and similar games
    • 2 - 4 Players
    • 60 Minutes
    • 12+ years old
    • Easy to learn
  20. Raccoon Tycoon

    All details for the board game Raccoon Tycoon and similar games
    • 2 - 5 Players
    • 60 - 90 Minutes
    • 8+ years old
    • Easy to learn

    Video reviews for Raccoon Tycoon

    • YouTube Review for the game "Raccoon Tycoon" by BoardGameGeek
      Video is in English
    • YouTube Review for the game "Raccoon Tycoon" by BoardGameGeek
      Video is in English
  21. Felicity: The Cat in the Sack

    All details for the board game Felicity: The Cat in the Sack and similar games
    • 3 - 5 Players
    • 20 Minutes
    • 8+ years old
    • Immediately playable
  22. Eggs and Empires

    All details for the board game Eggs and Empires and similar games
    • 2 - 6 Players
    • 25 Minutes
    • 8+ years old
    • Immediately playable
  23. The Estates

    All details for the board game The Estates and similar games
    • 2 - 5 Players
    • 40 - 60 Minutes
    • 10+ years old
    • Easy to learn

    Video reviews for The Estates

    • YouTube Review for the game "The Estates" by BoardGameGeek
      Video is in English
  24. El Grande

    All details for the board game El Grande and similar games

    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
  25. Panic on Wall Street!

    All details for the board game Panic on Wall Street! and similar games
    • 3 - 11 Players
    • 30 Minutes
    • 8+ years old
    • Easy to learn
  26. 12 Days

    All details for the board game 12 Days and similar games
    • 3 - 5 Players
    • 15 Minutes
    • 8+ years old
    • Immediately playable
  27. The Godfather: Corleone's Empire

    All details for the board game The Godfather: Corleone's Empire and similar games
    • 2 - 5 Players
    • 60 - 90 Minutes
    • 14+ years old
    • Medium difficulty
  28. Medici

    All details for the board game Medici and similar games
    • 2 - 6 Players
    • 60 Minutes
    • 10+ years old
    • Easy to learn
  29. Power Grid

    All details for the board game Power Grid and similar games

    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

    • YouTube Review for the game "Power Grid" by Shut Up & Sit Down
      Video is in English
    • YouTube Review for the game "Power Grid" by BoardGameGeek
      Video is in English
  30. Condottiere

    All details for the board game Condottiere and similar games
    • 2 - 6 Players
    • 20 - 45 Minutes
    • 10+ years old
    • Easy to learn

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