The Speicherstadt
- Players
- 2-5
- Best withThe player count this game plays best at.
- 4 players
- Play timeHow long a full game runs once everyone knows the rules.
- 45 min
- AgeThe minimum age printed by the publisher.
- 8+
- ComplexityHow demanding the rules are, from 1 (very light) to 5 (very heavy).
- 2.3 / 5
- Year
- 2010
About the game
The Speicherstadt is an auction card game set among Hamburg's historic warehouse district, where players compete for victory points through contracts and special card sets. Players bid for cards by stacking meeples in towers atop them, with each added meeple raising the price for players below it: and each player limited to just three bids per round. Ignoring firemen cards costs negative points at the end, adding Stefan Feld's signature punishing mechanic to the design. Cards are drawn from a deck split across four seasons, with increasingly powerful cards appearing as the year progresses.
Hobbli's Notes
The Speicherstadt's tower-bidding auction mechanism is wonderfully clever: deciding when to place your meeple to make others pay more (or to grab a card cheaply) creates constant tension. Stefan Feld's trademark negative-scoring twist with firemen cards keeps players honest about balancing greed and safety. A fantastic quick auction game for fans of Feld's denser economic titles looking for something lighter.
What we like
- Innovative tower-bidding auction mechanism keeps every bid meaningful.
- Negative scoring for ignored firemen cards adds strategic tension.
- Four-season card structure escalates power and stakes over time.
- Quick 45-minute playtime with real depth.
Keep in mind
- Limited three-bids-per-round can feel restrictive to aggressive players.
- Auction mechanics may be less appealing to non-auction-game fans.
- Card availability luck affects which sets you can pursue.
Who it's for
Fans of auction and set-collection games, especially Stefan Feld enthusiasts; best for 2-5 players, ages 8 and up, in about 45 minutes.
