Cash Dome: What's your favorite Economic games?

I'm looking for suggestions for good economic games. Before anyone replies, I'd guess that popular favorites around here would be Acquire and Imperial. I've tried Acquire several times. It's fun, but never really clicked for me, and I ended up trading my copy (the latest hasbro anniversary edition with cardboard chits). It always felt pretty random. I know the game's a classic, and am willing to entertain the possibility I simply sucked at it and the game is fine. Perhaps I need to give it another chance. Imperial looks cool, but I see the whole wargame aspect possibly turning off some of the people I'd play an economics game with from the get go. I want something that makes you feel like a business mogul, not a war profiteer...I think. So any thoughts on those two games are welcome, but also any others. Thanks!

1830 or indeed any of the 18XX. Its all about the money!!

Greed
Imperial 2030
Chez Geek

I'm not into economic games...so probably my favorite would be Railroad Tycoon. It is mostly about money and I really, really suck at the game -- but it is a fun game with tension that makes it seem like I am a Tycoon trying to build an empire than merely an accountant working on balancing the books efficiently. Again, it may be the way I played the game, but I found it fun.

Logistico, Neuland, Roads & Boats, After the Holocaust, Logistics Command, working up to the more involved.

I've only ever played I'm the Boss once, but the game ended abruptly when a couple of players lost their tempers and stormed away. I felt a little bit badly, but I also thought to myself "any game that can elicit that kind of reaction is AWESOME!"

The game is chaotic and zany; it makes Magical Ath[e]lete look like an exercise in deep strategy.

Around here we like Power Grid, Planet Steam, McMulti and the offerings of Winsome Games (Wabash Cannonball, Baltimore & Ohio, etc).


-Will

Acquire. From age 5 until I got into Gamma World and D&D at age 13, I played Acquire more than anything else. My dad was addicted to it.

Just play Imperial, it's the dog's fucking bollocks when it comes to Eurogames. I thought the theme might be vaguely offputting as well but, frankly, Dune this isn't and you barely notice it's there. War just becomes economic policy by other means and it largely takes a back seat to clever number-juggling during play.

If the conflict bit really won't wash you could check out the latest by the same designer, Navegador. I haven't played it but early signs are good, with a lot of commentators being pleasantly surprised at a high level of direct player interaction in what is effectively a game about maps. Plus it has a rondel to make you feel all dirty.

Failing that I still think Puerto Rico is a pretty good game although whether it's truly "economic" is debatable.

GREED INC. is one of the best economic games I've ever played. Barring that, the IMPERIAL and IMPERIAL 2030 suggestions are great because they really are economic games despite some direct conflict and war elements.

ACQUIRE is a masterpiece, of course...but if you're either tired of ACQUIRE or want something a touch more dynamic, BIG BOSS is an awesome variation. The "bingo grid" is replaced with a linear track and stuff builds UP.

The FORTUNE 500 game actually isn't bad. Dated, but it has some interesting things going on.

MCMULTI is awesome, but you've got to wait for the reprint on that one.

WEALTH OF NATIONS is interesting, but not much fun.

PLANET STEAM is purely an economic game...and a pretty good one to boot.

Rail games were mentioned, they're always a good pick for an economic game. Even simple ones like RAILWAYS OF THE WORLD have plenty of what you're probably looking for.

Acquire's been suggested in this thread, but you said it didn't quite click. So, following in the theme of a variation like Michael suggested, how about Fast Food Franchise?

Dang, I forgot FAST FOOD FRANCHISE, that game is awesome. I really wish that would get a reprint.

I enthusiastically second Imperial and Acquire.

I'll add Modern Art. That game is a ton of fun: lots of room for mind-games, lots of interaction, potentially quite intense. All you need to know in addition to the rules is that a reasonable bid is usually between 50-75 percent of what you think the painting might eventually be worth. Pushing people one way or another in that wiggle room is what makes this game super fun.

Michael Barnes wrote:

the IMPERIAL and IMPERIAL 2030 suggestions are great because they really are economic games despite some direct conflict and war elements.

One lesson I had to learn during my first play of IMPERIAL 2030, is that you shouldn't attack the most powerful nation, but invest in it instead.

I've also recently played ANTIKE, but I didn't really like the rondel mechanic there. It fits IMPERIAL a lot better.

the more i play imperial, the less i like it. i do like how it all dawns on you as you play "fuck, this is exactly how capitalism works"

economic games are generally dull, i've found. i could play acquire with anyone, and power grid and imperial with the right people. beyond that, i'd rather play whatever else was on offer.