13 Best Engine Building Board Games

I love games where I build up a bit of a snowball effect, where my turns become more powerful and more powerful as the game progresses. It’s that feeling of satisfaction you get when you see what you have built humming and improving each turn that I get a buzz out of. This sort of gameplay has a name (unsurprisingly) and it’s called engine building.

If you are still a little confused about what I am talking about and want a fuller explanation you can check out our engine building explainer. But I suspect since you are here you have probably had a taste of engine building board games and are hungry to try more. Well, if you want some great options this article has the very best engine building games I have tried so far. I thought I would do something a little different with this list, some of these games are great for families and some are better for more experienced gamers, so I split my list into two to cater for both audiences.

Now deck building games are also a type of engine builder, but my list doesn’t really include deck building games (there is one exception). That’s because for deck building fans I have an article dedicated to the best deck building games I have tried. So, if that sounds like what you’re after, you should probably read that. Otherwise sit back, relax, and read on. If there are any amazing engine building games you have tried that aren’t on my list, let me know with a comment, I am always keen to hear about awesome games I haven’t tried yet.

What You Will Find in Our Best Engine Building Board Games Article

Best Engine Building Games for Families

• 5.Century Spice Road
• 4.Gizmos
• 3.Project L
• 2.Machi Koro 2
• 1.Splendor

Best Engine Building Games for Experienced Gamers

• 8.Jump Drive
• 7.Fantastic Factories
• 6.Wingspan
• 5.Space Base
• 4.Res Arcana
• 3.Race for the Galaxy
• 2.It’s a Wonderful World
• 1.Terraforming Mars: Ares Expedition

Sponsored Links:

Best Engine Building Games for Families

Here are my top 5 engine building games for families. These games should be simple enough to accommodate younger players but still provide enough gameplay to keep older members of the family interested too.

5. Century Spice Road

Play Time: 30-45 Min / Players: 2-5 / Complexity: Low / Age: 8+ / Publisher: Plan B Games / Designer: Emerson Matsuuchi

The first game on our best engine building games list for families is Century Spice Road. In Century Spice Road your goal is to grow your wealth by gaining precious spice and using it to buy lucrative trading contracts. The contracts will grant you the points you need for victory.

If you love trading style games, then Century Spice Road is for you. There are four types of spice, and each contract requires a different combination of spice to allow you to purchase it. Players will be competing for merchant cards at the outset of the game that they can use to generate, upgrade and trade spice. You will find that trading spice efficiently and with a well-built deck is key to being successful here which adds some nice strategy. If you do happen to like Century Spice Road, there are two other games in the series that can be combined or played by themselves which is a great way to add more replay value to the base game.

Check out our full Century Spice Road review.

4. Gizmos

Play Time:  40-50 Min / Players: 2-4  / Complexity:  Low / Age: 14+ we think 8+  / Publisher:  CMON  / Designer:  Phil Walker-Harding

In Gizmos your job is to build more and more gizmos each turn in your tableau. To buy gizmos you need marbles of certain colours and to collect marbles you need to activate gizmos. Aside from allowing you to collect marbles gizmos can do a variety of things, they can allow you to store more marbles, draw more gizmo cards from the pile when researching, score points and more. Ultimately the points are what matters here to get the win.

Gizmos is a game I discovered this year and immediately loved. The sense of progression you get here is really satisfying and there is a fair amount of strategy here in getting gizmos that synergise well to pull off nice chain reactions in the late game. If you want a great engine building game with some toy factor, then Gizmos is definitely worth checking out.

3. Project L

Play Time: 20 – 40  Min  / Players: 1-4 / Complexity: Low / Age: 8+ / Publisher: Boardcubator / Designer: Michal Mikeš, Jan Soukal, Adam Spanel

I loved Tetris when I was growing up. For those that don’t know the video game, it was an exercise in arranging falling polyomino blocks to form solid lines that would then disappear, until you couldn’t keep up and the game ended. Yes, that was my idea of fun. I have fond memories of Tetris and they came flooding back when I tried Project L. It somehow manages to trigger the same parts of my brain that got so addicted to Tetris all those years ago.

Project L doesn’t really have any theme but it’s easy to learn, lots of fun and has plenty of interesting decisions. In Project L you use polyomino tile pieces to complete puzzles and earn points. The more puzzles you complete the more pieces you get and the more effective your puzzle building engine becomes. It’s so satisfying building your pool of pieces and completing multiple puzzles in a turn once you get going. A fantastic game for families and a great engine builder.

Check out our full Project L review.

2. Machi Koro 2

Play Time: 45 Min / Players: 2-5 / Complexity: Low / Age: 10+ we think 7+ / Publisher: Pandasaurus Games / Designer: Masao Suganuma

If you love the thrill of chucking dice and earning cash, then Machi Koro 2 might be for you. Machi Koro 2 is essentially a large deck of cards, dice, and coins. Very simple to learn and plays quickly so it’s ideal for families.

In Machi Koro 2 you are creating a city full of buildings that will generate the money you need to build prestigious landmarks. The first player to construct three landmarks in their city wins!

As you buy bakeries, cafes, shopping centres and other buildings to expand your city you will be able to gain income from the relevant dice rolls. Each building will trigger on a certain dice roll and grant you a benefit, sometimes this means taking money from your opponent, sometimes from the bank. The strategy here is all about deciding which numbers you want to target and using building synergies effectively to get your income engine humming. The game play here is refined and improved from Machi Koro making it the version to get if you’re keen to get a copy.

Check out our full Machi Koro 2 review.

1. Splendor

Play Time: 30 Min / Players:2-4 / Complexity: Low / Age: 10+ we think 7+ / Publisher: Space Cowboys / Designer: Marc Andre

We bought Splendor for our youngest daughter, who loved the thought of a board game based on collecting gems. Boy were our expectations exceeded! Splendor is a hit with our whole family, we just love it. It is such a simple engine builder but there is some nice depth and strategy here.

In Splendor you are a rich merchant during the Renaissance, you must use your resources wisely to expand your production of gems. To win you must be the first merchant to gain 15 points. Points can be gained by acquiring development cards or securing visits from nobles who are suitably impressed by your exploits. As your tableau of cards grows your purchasing power increases and you can buy more expensive gems worth more points improving your gem discount engine.

This game has so much going for it for families. It is incredibly easy to learn, the art is gorgeous, and kids just love the thick poker chip style gems that come with the game. You can still be a bit mean in Splendor and interfere with your opponent’s plans, but it somehow doesn’t create as much ill will. 

This is one of our favourite family games and comes out regularly. In fact, we love it so much that we seldom finish a game when we reach 15 points, our girls demand we play until all the cards run out!

Check out our full Splendor review.

Best Engine Building Games for Experienced Gamers

If you happen to be looking for an engine building game for more experienced gamers, here is my list. These games are a step up or two in complexity compared to the family friendly engine builders in the list above.

8. Jump Drive

Play Time:  10-30 Min / Players: 2-4  / Complexity:  Medium  / Age: 13+  / Publisher:  Rio Grande Games / Designer:  Thomas Lehmann

I have a few games from designer Thomas Lehmann on this list, as it turns out I really like his brand of engine building in games. So, it seems fitting that I should start this section of the list with one of his games. Jump Drive is a quick and simple space empire themed engine builder. It is essentially a trimmed down and simplified version of the highly regarded Race for the Galaxy. Both games share similar iconography, but Jump Drive is a good stepping stone to the more complex Race for the Galaxy.

The thing I love about Jump Drive is that it ramps up so quickly. Every turn counts here as you may only have 6 or 7 turns before the game ends and someone wins. The aim here is to play cards that ramp up your points and card generating engine as quickly as possible. Cards are essentially your currency for playing other cards and points are needed for the win. You can’t neglect either and finding the quickest pathway to the 50 points required for a win is the crux of the game. Simple, satisfying and super quick to play, this is a great option for anyone wanting a great engine builder they can cram into a short timeframe.

7. Fantastic Factories

Play Time: 45-60 Mins / Players: 1-5 / Complexity: Medium / Age: 14+ / Publisher: Metafactory Games and Deep Water Games / Designer: Joseph Z Chen, Justin Faulkner

Fantastic Factories is about building the most efficient set of factories and generating the most points. You will start with a modest factory to begin with and a few resources. Over time you will add more factories to generate metals, energy, more cards, and goods for victory points.

Much like Gizmos, Fantastic Factories has this vibe of building an ever more complex and capable machine. You can see it growing in front of you as you continue to add components to your tableau. The variety of components and what they do, provides plenty of pathways to explore. I also like that no one can mess with what you have built, you don’t have to worry about other players interfering other than maybe drafting a card you want. Overall, a great theme and a great engine builder, especially if you enjoy a game like Gizmos.

6. Wingspan

Play Time: 40 – 70 Min / Players: 1-5 / Complexity: Low / Age: 10+  / Publisher: Stonemaier Games / Designer: Elizabeth Hargrave

If you have tried Wingspan before it will be no surprise that it’s on this list. It is very highly regarded and justifiably so. The thing I love most about Wingspan is how unique the theme is and how well the concepts just work together. The three rows where you can settle birds offer benefits to either your ability to gather bird cards, generate eggs required for settling birds or gathering food for placing birds. It all just works nicely together.

The challenge is in trying to balance achieving your personal objective, with the public objectives everyone must compete for and establishing an engine that will get you ahead. All of this must be achieved by carefully selecting birds that will synergise nicely and achieve your goals. But there are so many birds! All provide a unique benefit and there are so many strategies and pathways to explore. The theme in Wingspan will likely appeal to nature lovers, but the gameplay is solid enough that anyone who enjoys engine building games should give this game a try.

5. Space Base

Play Time: 60 Min / Players: 2-5 / Complexity: Medium / Age: 14+ we think 12+ / Publisher: Alderac Entertainment Group (AEG) / Designer: John D Clair

In Space Base you take charge of a small fleet of ships that must be deployed wisely to various sectors to engage in trade, improve your income and spread influence. Your goal is to snag that promotion to admiral by gaining 40 points before the other competing commodores. Each player has ships in 12 sectors and each ship will grant benefits when it is triggered by a dice roll. Roll dice, get a pay-out, buy cards, repeat its that simple. The trick is deploying your ships wisely to set up some nice combos and taking advantage of their special abilities to set up some big windfalls of points or credits.

Space Base has that same dice chucking income generating feeling that Machi Koro 2 provides but with a longer and deeper game. There is a lot more time here to see your engine evolve and hum. There are also a lot more cards on offer and a far wider range of abilities which give Space Base a lot more strategic depth than Machi Koro 2.

Check out our full Space Base review.

4. Res Arcana

Play Time:  30-60 Min / Players:  2-4 / Complexity:  Medium / Age: 12+  / Publisher: Sand Castle Games  / Designer:  Thomas Lehmann

Res Arcana is another game on this list by designer Thomas Lehmann. He seems to have a knack for being able to pack an amazing engine building experience into a short play time and Res Arcana is no exception. Games can last as little as 4 or 5 rounds especially with experienced players. But what you get for your short time investment is an amazingly satisfying experience with plenty of depth to explore game after game.

In Res Arcana you take on the role of a mage building up their power and abilities by acquiring artefacts, gaining control of places of power or monuments. Essence is the key currency of the game and players will have to use it efficiently to win. Over the course of the game, you will increase your tableau of cards by spending essence to place new cards. Each card will enable you to generate more essence, earn more points or gain some other benefit. The key is finding synergies between these cards to efficiently get to 10 points and the win.

One of my favourite parts about this game is how carefully you need to plan your strategy. You need to be as efficient as possible and often this means exercising restraint by not over investing in cards. Knowing when you should spend resources on placing a card and when you should simply discard it for the reward of more essence is important. I still feel like I have plenty to explore with Res Arcana and it may well climb up the rankings on this list in the future.

3. Race for the Galaxy

Play Time: 30-60 Min / Players: 2-4 / Complexity: High / Age: 12+ / Publisher: Rio Grande Games / Designer: Thomas Lehmann

This is where my list got tough, of all the engine builders I have tried my top 3 are consistently the ones that I like the best but ranking them is challenging. In the end I decided to start my top 3 with another gem from designer Thomas Lehmann called Race for the Galaxy. Race for the Galaxy is a great example of a snappy, deep, and satisfying engine builder.

In Race for the Galaxy, you build a space empire using essentially a deck of cards. You expand your empire by building a tableau of planets and developments that ultimately will gain you victory points and provide other benefits. The word ‘Race’ in the title is there for a reason, games are often quick and so you must be efficient with your actions. The use of phase selection to determine what players do adds a nice element of trying to predict your opponent’s plans to optimise your choice of phase. This is a mechanic that is stripped out of Jump Drive.

The thing I love about Race for the Galaxy is how much depth and strategy there is to explore in such a short game. It is very quick to set up and everything you need is pretty much contained in a deck of cards; it is a masterclass in efficient use of components. I am coming up to about 150 plays of Race for the Galaxy and I still love it!

Although I don’t own the solo expansion, there are some fantastic fan made solo options which I really enjoy as well. The only thing to watch out for here is that this game has a pretty steep learning curve and that can be a put off for new players. If you can be patient with the iconography though the rest of the game is pretty easy to get to grips with and it’s worth it. Although I enjoy Jump Drive, I prefer Race for the Galaxy a lot more.

Check out our full Race for the Galaxy review.

2. It’s a Wonderful World

Play Time: 30-60 Min / Players: 1-5 / Complexity: Medium / Age: 14+ we think 10+ / Publisher: La Boite de Jeu and Lucky Duck Games / Designer: Frederic Guerard

It’s a Wonderful World is another amazing engine builder/tableau builder combo you can play in under 30 minutes. It kind of feels like Splendor evolved to the next level. It is still a very simple card driven engine builder but there is a bit more to it that makes it amazing. In It’s a Wonderful World you have four rounds to generate as many points as possible. To do this you will draft cards into your hand, slate some for production and others to be recycled for resources. The more cards you build the more resources and points you will generate. There are also financiers and generals you can accumulate that give you a nice points boost.

It’s a Wonderful World was a bit of a hidden gem for me. It doesn’t seem to have had a lot of hype and I am not sure why that is. I love how simple the ruleset is here, you can teach it in a few minutes. The part I like the most though, is the ability to set up some very satisfying combos due to the way production is staggered in the game. Because each resource is produced in a sequence, it allows you to use resources earlier in the sequence to build cards just in time to have them produce resources that come later in the sequence. There is a huge variety of cards here and plenty of avenues to explore to get your engine humming. It also scales incredibly well at high player counts and has an amazing solo mode.

Check out our full It’s a Wonderful World review.

1. Terraforming Mars Ares Expedition

Play Time: 60 Min / Players: 1-4 / Complexity: Medium / Age: 14+ / Publisher: Fryx Games and Stronghold Games / Designer: Sydney Engelstein, Jacob Fryxelius and Nick Little

Our top spot on my best engine building games list goes to Terraforming Mars: Ares Expedition. This is kind of like a trimmed down version of the very popular Terraforming Mars game but with Race for the Galaxy style action selection blended in. Much like the original game, players will take charge of a corporation doing their bit to terraform the red planet so that humanity can safely colonise. Over the course of the game players will play project cards that will make them more effective at generating the resources they need to terraform Mars more effectively and ultimately make their shareholders happy.

I really like Terraforming Mars but I found it was too lengthy a game to justify owning it, I just didn’t think it would get played much. But when I found out about the trimmed down Terraforming Mars Ares Expedition, I was keen to get a copy. I am so glad I did. It gives me that great engine building card play from the original, but it can be played in less than an hour and it also has a great solo mode.

Check out our full Terraforming Mars Ares Expedition review.

Sponsored Links:

We hope you enjoyed my perspective on the Best Engine Building Games in this article. If you have any questions or comments, please post them below in the comments section or get in touch through our contact us page.

About the Authors

We are parents who love board gaming. We have three children and have been enjoying board games as a family ever since we had our first child. We share our real unbiased experiences and opinions on board games so you can decide if they are right for your family. We also write guides and articles to help you get the most out of your family game time. If you enjoy our content and want to support us you can do that through our Ko-fi page by clicking on the button below.