Reef Encounter / Similar games

18 games like Reef Encounter

The best games like Reef Encounter are Spirit Island, Dominant Species and Terraforming Mars — the closest of 18 ranked alternatives, scored by shared mechanics and category. Spirit Island shares environmental, territory building, area majority / influence with Reef Encounter.

Every alternative below links to its own Reef Encounter-style fact page, drawn from MeeplePick’s animals / environmental shelf.

Ranked by shared category (3 pts) and mechanics (2 pts), bonus within 0.7 of Reef Encounter’s 3.7 weight, then BoardGameGeek’s Bayesian rating — one entry per series, 18 shown.

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1. 

   1. Spirit Island (2017)

   1–4 players · 90–120 min · ★ 8.4 · Medium-heavy · See Spirit Island alternatives →

   Shares with Reef Encounter: Environmental, Territory Building, Area Majority / Influence, Hand Management · 4 shared tags · 2 of Reef Encounter’s 5 mechanics (40%)

   vs Reef Encounter: overlaps at 2–4 players · plays solo · ~15 min longer · +0.3 heavier

   Check price for Spirit Island →
2. 

   2. Dominant Species (2010)

   2–6 players · 120–240 min · ★ 7.8 · Medium-heavy · See Dominant Species alternatives →

   Shares with Reef Encounter: Animals, Environmental, Area Majority / Influence, Card Drafting · 4 shared tags · 2 of Reef Encounter’s 5 mechanics (40%)

   vs Reef Encounter: overlaps at 2–4 players · scales to 6 · ~90 min longer · +0.4 heavier

   Check price for Dominant Species →
3. 

   3. Terraforming Mars (2016)

   1–5 players · 120 min · ★ 8.4 · Medium · See Terraforming Mars alternatives →

   Shares with Reef Encounter: Environmental, Territory Building, Hand Management · 3 shared tags · 1 of Reef Encounter’s 5 mechanics (20%)

   vs Reef Encounter: overlaps at 2–4 players · plays solo · scales to 5 · ~30 min longer · 0.4 lighter

   Check price for Terraforming Mars →
4. 

   4. War of the Ring Second Edition (2012)

   2–4 players · 150–180 min · ★ 8.5 · Medium-heavy · See War of the Ring Second Edition alternatives →

   Shares with Reef Encounter: Territory Building, Area Majority / Influence, Hand Management · 3 shared tags · 2 of Reef Encounter’s 5 mechanics (40%)

   vs Reef Encounter: overlaps at 2–4 players · ~75 min longer · +0.5 heavier
5. 

   5. Lords of Hellas (2018)

   1–4 players · 60–90 min · ★ 7.8 · Medium · See Lords of Hellas alternatives →

   Shares with Reef Encounter: Territory Building, Area Majority / Influence, Card Drafting, Hand Management · 4 shared tags · 3 of Reef Encounter’s 5 mechanics (60%)

   vs Reef Encounter: overlaps at 2–4 players · plays solo · ~15 min shorter · 0.4 lighter
6. 

   6. Root (2018)

   2–4 players · 60–90 min · ★ 8.1 · Medium-heavy · See Root alternatives →

   Shares with Reef Encounter: Animals, Area Majority / Influence, Hand Management · 3 shared tags · 2 of Reef Encounter’s 5 mechanics (40%)

   vs Reef Encounter: overlaps at 2–4 players · ~15 min shorter · same complexity
7. 

   7. A Few Acres of Snow (2011)

   2 players · 60–120 min · ★ 7.4 · Medium · See A Few Acres of Snow alternatives →

   Shares with Reef Encounter: Territory Building, Area Majority / Influence, Card Drafting, Hand Management · 4 shared tags · 3 of Reef Encounter’s 5 mechanics (60%)

   vs Reef Encounter: both play at 2 · about the same length · 0.6 lighter
8. 

   8. Ginkgopolis (2012)

   1–5 players · 45 min · ★ 7.5 · Medium · See Ginkgopolis alternatives →

   Shares with Reef Encounter: Environmental, Territory Building, Area Majority / Influence, Card Drafting, Tile Placement · 5 shared tags · 3 of Reef Encounter’s 5 mechanics (60%)

   vs Reef Encounter: overlaps at 2–4 players · plays solo · scales to 5 · ~45 min shorter · 0.8 lighter
9. 

   9. Bios Origins (Second Edition) (2019)

   1–4 players · 120–240 min · ★ 8.0 · Medium-heavy

   Shares with Reef Encounter: Environmental, Territory Building, Area Majority / Influence, Card Drafting · 4 shared tags · 2 of Reef Encounter’s 5 mechanics (40%)

   vs Reef Encounter: overlaps at 2–4 players · plays solo · ~90 min longer · +0.4 heavier
10. 

    10. Tigris & Euphrates (1997)

    2–4 players · 90 min · ★ 7.7 · Medium-heavy · See Tigris & Euphrates alternatives →

    Shares with Reef Encounter: Territory Building, Area Majority / Influence, Hand Management · 3 shared tags · 2 of Reef Encounter’s 5 mechanics (40%)

    vs Reef Encounter: overlaps at 2–4 players · about the same length · 0.2 lighter
11. 

    11. Inhabit the Earth (2015)

    2–4 players · 60–90 min · ★ 7.0 · Medium

    Shares with Reef Encounter: Animals, Environmental, Card Drafting, Hand Management · 4 shared tags · 2 of Reef Encounter’s 5 mechanics (40%)

    vs Reef Encounter: overlaps at 2–4 players · ~15 min shorter · 0.5 lighter
12. 

    12. Three Kingdoms Redux (2014)

    3 players · 135–165 min · ★ 7.9 · Medium-heavy

    Shares with Reef Encounter: Territory Building, Area Majority / Influence, Card Drafting, Hand Management · 4 shared tags · 3 of Reef Encounter’s 5 mechanics (60%)

    vs Reef Encounter: both play at 3 · ~60 min longer · +0.4 heavier
13. 

    13. Glen More II Chronicles (2019)

    2–4 players · 90–120 min · ★ 8.0 · Medium · See Glen More II Chronicles alternatives →

    Shares with Reef Encounter: Territory Building, Commodity Speculation, Tile Placement · 3 shared tags · 2 of Reef Encounter’s 5 mechanics (40%)

    vs Reef Encounter: overlaps at 2–4 players · ~15 min longer · 0.6 lighter
14. 

    14. Darwin's Choice (2019)

    2–6 players · 60–120 min · ★ 7.6 · Medium

    Shares with Reef Encounter: Animals, Environmental, Area Majority / Influence, Hand Management · 4 shared tags · 2 of Reef Encounter’s 5 mechanics (40%)

    vs Reef Encounter: overlaps at 2–4 players · scales to 6 · about the same length · 0.7 lighter
15. 

    15. Bios Megafauna (2011)

    1–4 players · 60–120 min · ★ 6.9 · Medium-heavy

    Shares with Reef Encounter: Animals, Environmental, Area Majority / Influence, Card Drafting · 4 shared tags · 2 of Reef Encounter’s 5 mechanics (40%)

    vs Reef Encounter: overlaps at 2–4 players · plays solo · about the same length · same complexity
16. 

    16. Great Western Trail (2016)

    1–4 players · 75–150 min · ★ 8.3 · Medium-heavy · See Great Western Trail alternatives →

    Shares with Reef Encounter: Animals, Hand Management · 2 shared tags · 1 of Reef Encounter’s 5 mechanics (20%)

    vs Reef Encounter: overlaps at 2–4 players · plays solo · ~23 min longer · same complexity
17. 

    17. Scythe (2016)

    1–5 players · 90–115 min · ★ 8.2 · Medium · See Scythe alternatives →

    Shares with Reef Encounter: Territory Building, Area Majority / Influence · 2 shared tags · 1 of Reef Encounter’s 5 mechanics (20%)

    vs Reef Encounter: overlaps at 2–4 players · plays solo · scales to 5 · ~13 min longer · 0.3 lighter
18. 

    18. Clash of Cultures (2012)

    2–4 players · 180–240 min · ★ 7.6 · Medium-heavy · See Clash of Cultures alternatives →

    Shares with Reef Encounter: Territory Building, Area Majority / Influence, Hand Management · 3 shared tags · 2 of Reef Encounter’s 5 mechanics (40%)

    vs Reef Encounter: overlaps at 2–4 players · ~120 min longer · same complexity

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