Your goal in Money! is to trade currencies with the bank and other players so that you end up with more value than anyone else.
Each player starts with a hand of six cards from a deck that contains cards in seven currencies ranging in value from 20-60, along with coins worth 10. Four cards from the deck are placed face up to its left and to its right.
In a round, each player chooses a bid of one or more cards from their hand, then everyone reveals their bid simultaneously. Whoever bid the highest sum takes the four cards to the left or right of the deck or another player's bid, adds these cards to their hand, then places their bid next to the deck or in front of the player whose bid they took. (Alternatively, the player can return their bid to hand.) Then the next player with the highest bid resolves their bid similarly. Once all players have resolved their bids, draw cards from the deck to refill the lots to the left and right of the deck to four cards. When the deck runs out, play one final round, then score your cards in hand.
If you have 200 or more in a single currency, score that many points. If you have less than 200 in a currency, subtract 100 from that amount but don't go below 0. If you have all three 20s or 30s in a currency, score 100 points in addition to whatever the currency itself scores for you. Sum these amounts, along with whatever coins you have in hand. Whoever has the highest score wins.
Money
- Clear scoring card and walk-through scoring
- Gorgeous artwork
- Deluxe components
- Fast play (15-20 minutes)
- Suitable 3-5 players; more fun with more bidding options
- Initial scoring rules can be confusing
- Complex scoring logic for some expansions
- Requires tracking many values in scores; surface-level players may miss bonuses
- Set collection and bidding in a currency-based economy
- Abstract economy with currency cards and a central market, multi-denomination currencies
- Procedural, scoring-driven
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
- Auction / Bidding — Players bid by placing cards and a fake money card to influence what they can exchange; highest bid determines turn order
- bidding — Players bid by placing cards and a fake money card to influence what they can exchange; highest bid determines turn order
- Card/Chit Market — There is a central market with cards on both sides; players swap market cards into their hand
- hand management — Cards in hand are multi-use for bidding and for end-of-game scoring
- hand_management — Cards in hand are multi-use for bidding and for end-of-game scoring
- market_drafting — There is a central market with cards on both sides; players swap market cards into their hand
- set_collection_scoring — Endgame scoring based on collecting sets of currency by denomination; additional bonuses for triple-of-an-kind sets and 200+ thresholds (optional expansion)
- Simultaneous reveal — Bids are revealed simultaneously, then swaps occur based on bid values
- simultaneous_bid_reveal — Bids are revealed simultaneously, then swaps occur based on bid values
Video topics + discussion points
Quotes (from this video)
- This game is quick.
- I think the artwork on this is just gorgeous.
- This game is fantastic.
- Super fast game. Really fun.
References (from this video)
- Array
- Array
- Money as both bidding currency and scoring resource
- Array
- Abstract economic bidding; players bid on piles of cards in the middle of the table.
- Array
- Array
- Array
- positive
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
Video topics + discussion points
Quotes (from this video)
- every time you do an auction that you participate in an auction you are going to win something
- I really like that every player is going to walk away with something
- my favorite mechanism is that you always win
- Money is also points
- you could even just win your current pile
References (from this video)
- Elegant auction where bids directly influence what you’re buying and the turn you get
- Compact footprint with surprising depth and replayability
- Strong production values: varied currency designs, attractive art, premium components
- Clear opportunities for strategic planning and in-the-moment decision making
- Premium components (e.g., wooden figures) may be considered luxury by some players
- Auction tension can be punishing for groups that dislike high-stakes bidding or rapid shifts in position
- economic bidding and currency management
- Contemporary market/auction environment
- abstract economic competition
- Medici
- High Society
- Raw
- Modern Art
- Amun-Re
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
- Auction — Players bid with currency cards to claim two market lots and to determine turn order; bids also reflect strategic choice under pressure.
- Auction / Bidding — Players bid with currency cards to claim two market lots and to determine turn order; bids also reflect strategic choice under pressure.
- Card/Chit Market — A deck-like market presents two sets of four cards; players aim to claim desirable lots while managing risk of being outbid.
- market_lots — A deck-like market presents two sets of four cards; players aim to claim desirable lots while managing risk of being outbid.
- money_management — Players juggle scarce currency to bid optimally, balancing long-term goals with immediate auction needs.
- production_and_score_tracking — Dry erase scoreboard and centerboard track market state and scoring progress, contributing to streamlined scoring after each round.
- set_collection_and_scoring — Score derives from currency totals and specific card sets; scoring can be influenced by optional upgrades during play.
Video topics + discussion points
Quotes (from this video)
- Does money count for anything in the end?
- Yes, everything.
- If you enjoy auction games where what you're auctioning with is also what you're auctioning for, then Money is possibly one of the cleanest and strictest of that ilk.
- I give Money as a game an 8 out of 10.
- The dry erase boards do a splendid job on their own.
- These little wooden figures are incredible, but I think they will be very unnecessary for many folks.
- Money is a phenomenal game and this new production from All Play is a lot of fun.
- Are you gonna casually gloss over the unnecessary animals in the game?