Board Game Arena

Hey All,

Any recommendations for games on here that are or are similar to older german style games from pre-2000.

Thanks!

El Grande, Tikal, Mexica, Downforce
Tigris & Euphrates
Carcassonne
Incan Gold, Can't Stop, Gang of Dice (short push-your-luck games)
No Thanks, For Sale (quick auction games)
Linie 1 (aka, Streetcar)
Iwari (aka, Web of Power)
Imhotep (more recent, but plays old school)

I'd like to help you, but I am not sure what you are hoping to find. Maybe you are interested in games of area control (like Small World)? Or can you give us some examples, which kind of games you are looking for?

You can also go to the page of all games https://boardgamearena.com/gamelist, click on filter at the right top corner and filter the games by theme, mechanics and many more.

I was assuming older German games means Euros that are highly interactive, relatively simple rules, no individual player boards, no engine-building, nothing "heads down".

The search function here isn't great to identify such games. Games have there own 1-5 scores for interaction, complexity and strategy, but (a) I don't think you can can't sort by them and (b) they aren't rated properly anyway.

Strode wrote: ↑12 May 2025, 06:05 El Grande, Tikal, Mexica, Downforce
Tigris & Euphrates
Carcassonne
Incan Gold, Can't Stop, Gang of Dice (short push-your-luck games)
No Thanks, For Sale (quick auction games)
Linie 1 (aka, Streetcar)
Iwari (aka, Web of Power)
Imhotep (more recent, but plays old school)

Great list! Only missing CATAN

cigma wrote: ↑12 May 2025, 17:45 I'd like to help you, but I am not sure what you are hoping to find. Maybe you are interested in games of area control (like Small World)? Or can you give us some examples, which kind of games you are looking for?

You can also go to the page of all games https://boardgamearena.com/gamelist, click on filter at the right top corner and filter the games by theme, mechanics and many more.

I'm looking for games like Catan, or Thurn und Taxis that are on BGA. I'd like the games have minimal luck, i.e. less dice rolling.

Fizzy_Soda wrote: ↑13 May 2025, 04:50 I'm looking for games like Catan, or Thurn und Taxis that are on BGA. I'd like the games have minimal luck, i.e. less dice rolling.

Are you looking for classic Euro games or are you looking for Catan? The two are completely different. Catan is a pre-Euro style game in keeping with older Waddingtons or Parker Brothers offers (its literally a redesign of Monopoly). Tigris & Euphrates, El Grande, and For Sale, are actual late 90s Euro games. Carcassonne is a fraction later, 2000, but definitely a classic Euro, and Ticket to Ride though 2004 is still definitely in the period of Euro dominance and style.

Fizzy_Soda wrote: ↑13 May 2025, 04:50 I'm looking for games like Catan, or Thurn und Taxis that are on BGA. I'd like the games have minimal luck, i.e. less dice rolling.

Going for the less dice rolling part, I'd suggest Obsession or Newton.

Fizzy_Soda wrote: ↑13 May 2025, 04:50 I'd like the games have minimal luck, i.e. less dice rolling.

The luck factor of a game is not necessarily dependend on dice. For example, there are card games, which have a very high luck factor (like Flip 7), and dice games with a significantly lower luck factor (like The Castles of Burgundy or Troyes, but both rather complex).

Fizzy_Soda wrote: ↑13 May 2025, 04:50 I'm looking for games like Catan, or Thurn und Taxis that are on BGA. I'd like the games have minimal luck

Ok, based on the complexity and luck rate of Catan and Thurn und Taxis, I'd suggest trying the following games:

Engine Building:
Gizmos
Castle Combo
Potion Explosion
Stone Age
Aquatica
The Vale of Eternity

Tile Placing:
Patchwork
Azul
The Guild of Merchant Explorers
Nova Luna
My Shelfie
Loco Momo
My City
Medina

Collecting:
Butterfly
Sir Ocelots Cave
Cubirds
Jaipur
Finca

There should be a tutorial (or/and a video link) for all or most of them on their game page, so you can easily learn them and check if you like their style.

But if you really want to have zero luck or deductive games instead, here are some other threads suggesting those:
multiplayer games without luck involved https://boardgamearena.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=26629
Recommended games without luck factor? https://boardgamearena.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=28138
Recherche jeu avec zéro chance https://boardgamearena.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=36831
Puzzle games https://boardgamearena.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=32062
Deduction games? https://boardgamearena.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=36356

Strode wrote: ↑12 May 2025, 06:05 Incan Gold, Can't Stop, Gang of Dice (short push-your-luck games)
No Thanks, For Sale (quick auction games)

These games have definitely a very high luck factor. It turns out that Fizzy_Soda is looking for something else.

Strode wrote: ↑12 May 2025, 06:05 El Grande, Tikal, Mexica, Tigris & Euphrates

and

Spiegel428 wrote: ↑13 May 2025, 12:52 Going for the less dice rolling part, I'd suggest Obsession or Newton.

Those games are a lot more complex than Catan and Thurn und Taxis, so I’m not sure they fit in what Fizzy_Soda is looking for.

Cigma,

The problem now is, you're ignoring the "older German style" aspect. Or to the OP, does that simply mean simple rules and little luck (but Catan has luck)? OP -- help!

I always think of interaction and (some degree of) simplicity as defining characteristics of older German Euros. "Play the players, not the game." Gizmos and perhaps most/all of those engine builders are out. But again, maybe that's what the OP wants.