What game is most like Ethnos?

Abyss (2014) is the closest match to Ethnos, sharing fantasy, card drafting, hand management. It rates 7.3/10 on BoardGameGeek.

What should I play if I like Ethnos?

Abyss, Lords of Waterdeep, Onirim (Second Edition) are the top-ranked alternatives to Ethnos in the MeeplePick database, matched on medium-light complexity as well as mechanics. All 18 are ranked on this page with the shared mechanics shown for each.

Is Abyss harder than Ethnos?

Compared with Ethnos, Abyss is +0.3 heavier and about the same length (2.3 vs 2.0 complexity on BoardGameGeek's 1–5 scale).

Ethnos / Similar games

18 games like Ethnos

The best games like Ethnos are Abyss, Lords of Waterdeep and Onirim (Second Edition) — the closest of 18 ranked alternatives, scored by shared mechanics and category. Abyss shares fantasy, card drafting, hand management with Ethnos.

Check Abyss price on Amazon →

As an Amazon Associate, MeeplePick earns from qualifying purchases at no extra cost to you.

Every alternative below links to its own Ethnos-style fact page, drawn from MeeplePick’s fantasy shelf.

Ranked by shared category (3 pts) and mechanics (2 pts), bonus within 0.7 of Ethnos’s 2.0 weight, then BoardGameGeek’s Bayesian rating — one entry per series, 18 shown.

As an Amazon Associate, MeeplePick earns from qualifying purchases at no extra cost to you.

1. Abyss (2014)
2–4 players · 30–60 min · ★ 7.3 · Medium-light · See Abyss alternatives →
Shares with Ethnos: Fantasy, Card Drafting, Hand Management, Set Collection · 4 shared tags · 3 of Ethnos’s 4 mechanics (75%)
vs Ethnos: overlaps at 2–4 players · about the same length · +0.3 heavier
Check price for Abyss →
2. Lords of Waterdeep (2012)
2–5 players · 60–120 min · ★ 7.8 · Medium-light · See Lords of Waterdeep alternatives →
Shares with Ethnos: Fantasy, Card Drafting, Set Collection · 3 shared tags · 2 of Ethnos’s 4 mechanics (50%)
vs Ethnos: overlaps at 2–5 players · ~38 min longer · +0.4 heavier
Check price for Lords of Waterdeep →
3. Onirim (Second Edition) (2014)
1–2 players · 15 min · ★ 7.1 · Medium-light · See Onirim (Second Edition) alternatives →
Shares with Ethnos: Fantasy, Card Drafting, Hand Management, Set Collection · 4 shared tags · 3 of Ethnos’s 4 mechanics (75%)
vs Ethnos: both play at 2 · plays solo · ~37 min shorter · 0.5 lighter
Check price for Onirim (Second Edition) →
4. Ex Libris (2017)
1–4 players · 45 min · ★ 7.2 · Medium · See Ex Libris alternatives →
Shares with Ethnos: Fantasy, Card Drafting, Hand Management, Set Collection · 4 shared tags · 3 of Ethnos’s 4 mechanics (75%)
vs Ethnos: overlaps at 2–4 players · plays solo · about the same length · +0.5 heavier
5. Res Arcana (2019)
2–4 players · 20–60 min · ★ 7.8 · Medium · See Res Arcana alternatives →
Shares with Ethnos: Fantasy, Card Drafting, Hand Management · 3 shared tags · 2 of Ethnos’s 4 mechanics (50%)
vs Ethnos: overlaps at 2–4 players · ~12 min shorter · +0.6 heavier
6. Dale of Merchants The Guild of Extraordinary Traders (2015)
2–4 players · 30 min · ★ 7.2 · Medium-light · See Dale of Merchants The Guild of Extraordinary Traders alternatives →
Shares with Ethnos: Fantasy, Card Drafting, Hand Management, Set Collection · 4 shared tags · 3 of Ethnos’s 4 mechanics (75%)
vs Ethnos: overlaps at 2–4 players · ~22 min shorter · same complexity
7. Blue Moon City (2006)
2–4 players · 30–50 min · ★ 7.0 · Medium-light · See Blue Moon City alternatives →
Shares with Ethnos: Fantasy, Area Majority / Influence, Hand Management, Set Collection · 4 shared tags · 3 of Ethnos’s 4 mechanics (75%)
vs Ethnos: overlaps at 2–4 players · ~12 min shorter · +0.3 heavier
8. Century Golem Edition (2017)
2–5 players · 30–45 min · ★ 7.7 · Medium-light · See Century Golem Edition alternatives →
Shares with Ethnos: Fantasy, Card Drafting, Hand Management · 3 shared tags · 2 of Ethnos’s 4 mechanics (50%)
vs Ethnos: overlaps at 2–5 players · ~15 min shorter · 0.4 lighter
9. Hero Realms (2016)
2–4 players · 20–30 min · ★ 7.6 · Medium-light · See Hero Realms alternatives →
Shares with Ethnos: Fantasy, Card Drafting, Hand Management · 3 shared tags · 2 of Ethnos’s 4 mechanics (50%)
vs Ethnos: overlaps at 2–4 players · ~27 min shorter · same complexity
10. Roll Player (2016)
1–4 players · 60–90 min · ★ 7.5 · Medium-light · See Roll Player alternatives →
Shares with Ethnos: Fantasy, Card Drafting, Set Collection · 3 shared tags · 2 of Ethnos’s 4 mechanics (50%)
vs Ethnos: overlaps at 2–4 players · plays solo · ~23 min longer · +0.4 heavier
11. Smash Up (2012)
2–4 players · 45 min · ★ 6.7 · Medium-light · See Smash Up alternatives →
Shares with Ethnos: Fantasy, Area Majority / Influence, Card Drafting, Hand Management · 4 shared tags · 3 of Ethnos’s 4 mechanics (75%)
vs Ethnos: overlaps at 2–4 players · about the same length · same complexity
12. Omen A Reign of War (2011)
2 players · 30 min · ★ 7.4 · Medium-light
Shares with Ethnos: Fantasy, Area Majority / Influence, Card Drafting, Hand Management · 4 shared tags · 3 of Ethnos’s 4 mechanics (75%)
vs Ethnos: both play at 2 · ~22 min shorter · +0.3 heavier
13. Viceroy (2014)
1–4 players · 45–60 min · ★ 6.8 · Medium · See Viceroy alternatives →
Shares with Ethnos: Fantasy, Card Drafting, Hand Management, Set Collection · 4 shared tags · 3 of Ethnos’s 4 mechanics (75%)
vs Ethnos: overlaps at 2–4 players · plays solo · about the same length · +0.6 heavier
14. Nidavellir (2020)
2–5 players · 30–60 min · ★ 7.8 · Medium-light · See Nidavellir alternatives →
Shares with Ethnos: Fantasy, Card Drafting, Set Collection · 3 shared tags · 2 of Ethnos’s 4 mechanics (50%)
vs Ethnos: overlaps at 2–5 players · about the same length · +0.2 heavier
15. Bloodborne The Card Game (2016)
3–5 players · 30–45 min · ★ 6.9 · Medium-light · See Bloodborne The Card Game alternatives →
Shares with Ethnos: Fantasy, Card Drafting, Hand Management, Set Collection · 4 shared tags · 3 of Ethnos’s 4 mechanics (75%)
vs Ethnos: overlaps at 3–5 players · ~15 min shorter · same complexity
16. Fantasy Realms (2017)
3–6 players · 20 min · ★ 7.5 · Medium-light · See Fantasy Realms alternatives →
Shares with Ethnos: Fantasy, Card Drafting, Set Collection · 3 shared tags · 2 of Ethnos’s 4 mechanics (50%)
vs Ethnos: overlaps at 3–6 players · ~32 min shorter · 0.3 lighter
17. Clank! Legacy Acquisitions Incorporated (2019)
2–4 players · 90–120 min · ★ 8.7 · Medium · See Clank! Legacy Acquisitions Incorporated alternatives →
Shares with Ethnos: Fantasy, Card Drafting · 2 shared tags · 1 of Ethnos’s 4 mechanics (25%)
vs Ethnos: overlaps at 2–4 players · ~53 min longer · +0.7 heavier
18. Dragonrealm (2019)
2–4 players · 20–30 min · ★ 7.2 · Medium-light
Shares with Ethnos: Fantasy, Area Majority / Influence, Card Drafting, Hand Management, Set Collection · 5 shared tags · 4 of Ethnos’s 4 mechanics (100%)
vs Ethnos: overlaps at 2–4 players · ~27 min shorter · 0.5 lighter

Frequently asked

What game is most like Ethnos?: Abyss (2014) is the closest match to Ethnos, sharing fantasy, card drafting, hand management. It rates 7.3/10 on BoardGameGeek.
What should I play if I like Ethnos?: Abyss, Lords of Waterdeep, Onirim (Second Edition) are the top-ranked alternatives to Ethnos in the MeeplePick database, matched on medium-light complexity as well as mechanics. All 18 are ranked on this page with the shared mechanics shown for each.
Is Abyss harder than Ethnos?: Compared with Ethnos, Abyss is +0.3 heavier and about the same length (2.3 vs 2.0 complexity on BoardGameGeek's 1–5 scale).

Narrow it down

best 2-player board games · best 3-player board games · best 4-player board games · best 5-player board games · best 6-player board games · area majority / influence games · card drafting games · hand management games · set collection games

Looking for the original? See the full Ethnos fact page — players, play time, age and complexity.