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Did you know that the 189th Oktoberfest commences on 21st September and runs through to 6 October 2024. Established in Munich, this celebration of German culture has been adopted worldwide. Oompah bands, Bratwurst, and Bier – all essentials of the festival. But why not extend the festivities by adding some board games into the mix?
With no hangover, age restrictions, or stale-ale aroma, playing these Oktoberfest inspired games is guaranteed to hit the spot!
Beer & Bread
Scott Almes is one of my favourite designers, and this is fast becoming one of my favourite two player games. Baking bread and brewing beer by collecting the necessary ingredients sounds straightforward. But this is crunchy deliciousness to rival the best bratwurst in town. With close drafting and multi-use cards, every single decision counts. Fruitful years have wheat and rye aplenty, but lean years will stretch you. Choosing between collecting stuff and upgrading your abilities competes for headspace with working out which cards you want to keep and which you are prepared to give to your opponent. Adding super-sneaky scoring into the mix where you only get points for your lowest valued commodity and this game is a bier-inspired banger!
Brass Birmingham
Dark, moody, and malty is the order of the day in Brass Birmingham. A reimplementation of Brass Lancashire, this game is a mid-heavyweight economic euro-style, resource management game from Martin Wallace. Incorporating many well recognised mechanisms, this is a game to settle into with a chocolatey stout, or perhaps a juicy sausage! Beer is big business in Brass Birmingham, so be sure to use your money, factories, and network wisely.
The Taverns of Tiefenthal
Wolfganz Warsh is inviting us to an evening in the pub in The Taverns of Tiefenthal. Well, actually his objective is to get us to expand our beery empires and make them the go-to destination! Like a perfect ale, this game layers up flavourful dice placement and deck building. Your player board represents your own tavern, and you’ll be using draughted cards to populate your tables with patrons. Some will be flush with cash but others will demand a lot for their libations! The best drinkers could be worth the extra work and cost, however, so manage your dice carefully. With a box chock full of mini-expansion content included, you can play the base game or spice it up with some optional modules. Easy to learn with plenty of simultaneous play, the Taverns of Tiefenthal is a bright and bubbly choice for Oktoberfest!
Hallertau
Another mid-heavyweight game, Uwe Rosenberg is taking us into the world of farming hops. Noted as “expert level” by the publisher, Lookout Games, you and up to 3 other players are playing chiefs of small towns in Bavaria. At its core, Hallertau’s focus is worker placement and resource management. Visiting spots on the main board and carrying out actions, the game lasts 6 rounds, and each round is divided into different phases. The cost of the actions varies, however, so you must manage your workers carefully. This is a super strategic game, and the interchangeable cards ramp up the replayability. It also wouldn’t be a Uwe game without some sheep, so if all else fails, go heavy on breeding!
Sosig
The sausages in this wee box may be small but they be meaty! And they make a perfect filler for Oktoberfest! A snack-sized game with funny illustrations, this is a fast playing family game that you will want to get your teeth into. In Sosig, you will be drafting tiles and trying to build the best bratwursts. But, as well as making your own, you can mess with your opponents’ tasty treats and leave them with burst bangers! A fun mix of drafting, set collection, take that, and bonuses to gain, Sosig is a sizzler!
Homebrewers
From Taverns to your own garage (or bathtub!), homebrewers is all about curating and brewing your own delicious craft beers! Billed as engine building and “dice-trading”, you use your dice to carry out various actions that will let you gather ingredients, promote yourself, and brew. Ale, Porter, Stout, and IPAs vie for your artisan attention, and your reputation becomes everything. So be sure to keep quality high and impress the judges at, yep you guessed it, Oktoberfest!
I hope this list has whetted your whistle in anticipation of Oktoberfest! Personally, I don’t drink alcohol, but I can assure you that these games are fun to play whether you are clinking steins or sipping tea!
