How we chose
Knizia's games share a signature: short rules, scoring that creates hard choices, and almost no luck that cannot be managed. We ranked on three things:
- Decisions per minute. How many interesting choices the game gives you for its length.
- Staying power. Still played and still in print, or easy to find, decades later.
- Range. The list covers his auctions, tile games, card duels and family games, rather than ten versions of one idea.
Our bias: this site is a free, unofficial fan adaptation of Schotten Totten. We placed it where we honestly think it belongs, not first.
The ten at a glance
| # | Game | Best for | Style | Year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Tigris & Euphrates | his deepest strategy game | tile laying, conflict | 1997 |
| 2 | Ra | a tense, quick auction | auction, set collection | 1999 |
| 3 | Modern Art | groups who like to bargain | auction | 1992 |
| 4 | Lost Cities | a calm duel for two | two-player cards | 1999 |
| 5 | Samurai | clever area control | tile placement | 1998 |
| 6 | Schotten Totten | a head-on duel for two | two-player cards | 1999 |
| 7 | High Society | a light auction card game | auction | 1995 |
| 8 | Ingenious | an abstract anyone can learn | tile laying | 2004 |
| 9 | The Quest for El Dorado | a family race | deck building | 2017 |
| 10 | Keltis | Lost Cities for up to four | family | 2008 |
Why each one is here
- Tigris & Euphrates. Players grow civilisations from shared tiles, and kingdoms clash when they touch. Your score is your weakest colour, so you cannot specialise. It won the Deutscher Spielepreis in 1998 and is still the benchmark for his heavier games.
- Ra. An auction game where you bid with numbered suns, and the sun you win becomes a bid for later. Rounds can end without warning, so every pass is a risk.
- Modern Art. Players are gallery owners auctioning paintings to each other, and the market decides what each artist is worth. Pure player-driven economy.
- Lost Cities. Two players build expeditions in ascending order, each costing 20 points before it pays off. The classic calm duel. How it compares with Schotten Totten.
- Samurai. Tiles influence villages to win buddhas, rice and helmets, and you must lead in at least one kind to compete. Clean, tense area control.
- Schotten Totten. Nine border stones, three-card formations, and an early claim you may only make when you can prove it. His sharpest head-on card duel. Learn the rules, or play: officially on Board Game Arena, or free here.
- High Society. Bid for luxuries while avoiding disgrace, and whoever ends with the least money is eliminated before scoring. A small game with a nasty twist.
- Ingenious. Lay two-hex tiles to score colours, and, as in Tigris & Euphrates, only your weakest colour counts. An abstract that families and strategists both enjoy.
- The Quest for El Dorado. A race through the jungle driven by the cards you buy for your deck. Nominated for the Spiel des Jahres in 2017.
- Keltis. Lost Cities rebuilt as a board game for up to four. It won the Spiel des Jahres in 2008.
Where to start
- Two players? Lost Cities for a calm game, Schotten Totten for a fight. Our comparison of the two helps you choose; if you already own one, Schotten Totten vs Battle Line covers its closest relative.
- A group that likes to talk? Modern Art or High Society.
- A family table? Ingenious, The Quest for El Dorado or Keltis.
- Ready for something deep? Tigris & Euphrates.
Want to try one right now? Schotten Totten is free in your browser, against an AI at five levels or a friend.
The ranking in five lines
- Our top three: Tigris & Euphrates, Ra and Modern Art.
- For two players, Lost Cities (calm) and Schotten Totten (head-on) are his best card duels.
- Keltis won the Spiel des Jahres in 2008; The Quest for El Dorado was nominated in 2017.
- A Knizia signature: in Tigris & Euphrates and Ingenious, only your weakest colour counts.
- We make a free Schotten Totten adaptation, so we ranked it sixth on merit, not first.
Frequently asked questions
What is Reiner Knizia's best game?
Tigris & Euphrates is the most common answer among strategy players, and it tops our ranking. For two players, Lost Cities and Schotten Totten are the usual favourites.
Which Reiner Knizia games are best for beginners?
Lost Cities and High Society can be taught in minutes. Ingenious and The Quest for El Dorado work well for families.
Has Reiner Knizia won the Spiel des Jahres?
Yes, with Keltis in 2008. The Quest for El Dorado was also nominated in 2017.
Which Knizia games can I play online?
Schotten Totten has an official licensed version on Board Game Arena and a free unofficial version on this site. Lost Cities also has an official version on Board Game Arena.