Economic games, i.e. you can count on yourself!
The world of board games is huge, and one of its truly significant “islands” is economic games. If you're interested in titles like Monopoly, High Voltage, 7 Wonders of the World, and Splendor, check out what else you can find in this genre!
Anna Polkowska / BoardGameGirl.pl
First of all, we need to establish one thing: economic games are not (and certainly should not be) complex. Of course, we will also find games in which just reading the rules takes more than an hour, the game takes four, and coming up with the right strategy is a headache. However, these are not the items that I would like to show you today. In this text, we will look at games that you can easily put on the family table.
Economic games for beginners
Many people start their board game adventure with Catan and this is a great example of an economic board game for beginners. The whole game is to skillfully position yourself on the characteristic hexagonal board. If we do everything right, resources will flow like crazy to us, and if we run out of something, we can always trade with our opponents. Catan is a race - whoever scores the coveted ten points first will win, but the game forces other players to keep the situation under control. The closer to victory, the harder it will be for us!
If there are younger players at the table, show them the Super Farmer game. It is a name with a rich history because it was developed during World War II by the eminent mathematician Prof. Karol Borsuk. Today's edition has some additional rules and, of course, illustrations by Peter Sochi of the XNUMXst century, but otherwise it's still the same "Super Farmer" that our great-grandparents could play! In the game, we roll the dice and collect animals, trying to constantly exchange them for more and more interesting species. However, there is an evil wolf in the area that can take everything from us if we are too greedy!
Splendor is one of the most popular games on my home table. In general, there is nothing strange in this - the rules are explained in a few minutes, the game itself lasts no more than half an hour. It all culminates in beautiful, heavy chips (they look a bit like poker chips) and an unforgiving “I want to play again!” feeling. If you have Captain America, Black Widow, and Iron Man fans at home, I wholeheartedly recommend Splendor: Marvel. This is the same game, only re-illustrated in the world of the Avengers. We love her three thousand!
next step
7 Wonders of the World is one of my favorite card games. It can be played by three to seven people (okay, there are more components and game rules for two in the box, but I get the impression that it is a little forced and does not capture much of the spirit of the full campaign). During the game, we build our table of technologies and discoveries, which quickly accelerate as the game progresses, which gives the feeling of building a real "engine". Really worth it!
If you are not afraid of dice, then be sure to play the Stone Age game. This title was developed in 2008, but nothing is out of date! In the game, we play the role of a tribe of cavemen who collect food, wood, clay, stones and gold to expand their village and earn prehistoric victory points. The underlying theory of probability is presented in a very interesting way, and at the same time it is good to play with XNUMX-year-olds. There is really tough competition among advanced players!
Or maybe you prefer to play together? In this case, get to "Jaipur" and act as Indian merchants of spices, materials and valuables. The game is based on cards and tokens, fits in a small box, perfect for traveling and works great in the field. The rules are very simple and at the same time the game gives you a really great feeling of control and the satisfaction of winning. You must try this!
Desktop economy for players
"High Voltage" is a classic among economic games in which we act as energy tycoons in Germany (or elsewhere, if we have additional cards). We start by generating electricity from coal, and then learn how to build wind, oil and even nuclear power plants. We must constantly take care of the expansion of the network, the availability of resources and monitor the prices in the market. For lovers of counting, High Voltage will be a real treat!
Brave New World is a game that is similar in mechanics to the aforementioned 7 Wonders of the World, but with an emphasis on economics and proper resource management. Beautifully illustrated, with a very interesting resource basket mechanism, there is something new and refreshing about it. New additions are still being made to the game, so this definitely won't help you move forward quickly!
The last name on my economics list is "Oh my grain!" This inconspicuous box contains two decks of cards in which spells are a truly unusual economic game. Here cards can be buildings, resources and even currency! Interestingly, the game has two add-ons that introduce story scenarios that tell the interesting story of Newdale: Longsdale Revolt and Escape to Canion Brook - while retaining all the benefits of an economic game!
Hope you found something for yourself here. As soon as you play any of these games, be sure to let us know in the comments how you liked it! You can find more board game inspiration in the Passion Graham section.
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