Modern Art (1992)
(1992)Hans im Glück, CMON, Oink Games
Modern Art is an auction game where players represent art dealers buying and selling paintings by five different artists. Players use four different types of auctions to manipulate the art market, trying to maximize their profits by determining the value of artwork through strategic bidding and selling.
The Verdict
based on 18 reviews
I would put it solidly in that narrow slice of games on my shelf that I will bring out with occasional and hardcore gamers alike, and its brevity makes it an excellent choice for most situations.
Ultimately, it's this feeling of high stakes, paired with the very human interactions they engender, that ensures that this game will have a well-deserved place on our shelves for decades to come.
The reviewer highly praises Modern Art as a brilliant and captivating auction game, highlighting its player-driven market dynamics as its best feature, despite acknowledging that some new players might find the concept of art having no intrinsic value challenging to grasp.
Shut Up & Sit Down highly praises Modern Art as a timeless masterpiece, an incredibly quick and strategic auction game that is easy to learn but offers endless depth and replayability.
Modern Art possesses FOUR different types of auctions that keep each session saturated with bombastic bidding from start to finish.
Knizia is known for his use of the auction mechanic, and Modern Art is one of his defining games in the genre. It is called the “auction-iest” of the auction games, but it also has elements of set collection.
The reviewer highly recommends Modern Art as an essential purchase and one of the best auction games available today, praising its variety of auction mechanics and strategic depth, while noting minor drawbacks with fiddly components and occasional lulls in excitement during certain auction types.
The Thoughtful Gamer describes Modern Art as a 'gem of a game' with a lean design that creates a fascinating interplay of game theory and human psychology through its expert use of various auction mechanics.
The reviewer highly praises Modern Art as a timeless and triumphant auction game, highlighting its simple rules, engaging auctions, and the excellent integration of components and theme that contribute to a wonderfully streamlined experience.
Engage in the captivating world of art commerce with Modern Art. As both buyer and seller, players navigate the vibrant art market, aiming to turn their transactions into lucrative endeavors.
The reviewer enthusiastically praises Modern Art as a classic board game, especially highlighting its outstanding gameplay with three or more players, though strongly recommending against two-player sessions.
The reviewer highly enjoyed Modern Art, finding it a surprisingly fun auction game that kept them engaged and entertained, describing it as one of the most enjoyable games they had played recently.
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