Continue if you are looking for games like Caylus and are curious about what similar games to play next. To strengthen the borders of the Kingdom of France, King Philip the Fair decided to have a new castle built. For the time being, Caylus is but a humble village, but soon, a city will rise up. Each turn, players pay to place their workers in various buildings in the village. These buildings allow players to gather resources or money, or to build or upgrade buildings with those resources.
To determine this list we broke down Caylus to what it is. This game is a worker placement game that is driven by ownership and kept interesting by the variable setup. The game deeply plugs into the medieval economic theme it is centered on. If you are looking for something similar, you have come to the right place. We took all this into consideration and came up with this list of the 5 board games like Caylus.
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#05 | The Pillars of the Earth
The Pillars of the Earth makes the list of board games like Caylus because it is another great worker placement game set in the Medieval time period. Properly weighing choices is key in both titles. Players must strike a balance between earning gold to fund their purchases and earning victory points.
At the beginning of the 13th century, construction of the greatest and most beautiful cathedral in England begins. Players are builders who try to contribute the most to this cathedral’s construction. You will use workers to produce raw materials, and then use craftsmen to convert the materials into victory points. For 2 – 4 players, games run 90 – 120 minutes.
FOR MORE: Buy The Pillars of the Earth on Amazon
#04 | Keyflower
Keyflower makes the list of games like Caylus because it also has that economic hustle and bustle of a burgeoning empire wrapped in a worker placement game. There is an auction system here that is quite different than Caylus but in terms of strategy, you are making similar decisions.
Each player starts the game with a “home” tile and an initial team of 8 workers being 1 of 3 colors. Workers of matching colors are used by the players to bid for tiles to add to their villages. Matching workers may alternatively be used to generate resources, skills and additional workers. Throughout the game, players will need to be alert to the opportunities to best utilize their various resources, transport and upgrade capability, skills and workers. For 2 – 6 players, games last 90 – 120 minutes.
FOR MORE: Buy Keyflower on Amazon
#03 | Great Western Trail
Great Western Trailer makes the list of games like Caylus because it is a worker placement game engine behind a game that is about exploration and investment. It is not just about how you are going place your workers each round, but more about all the different moves you make over a longer period of time.
You are a rancher and constantly herd your cattle from Texas to Kansas City, where you send them off by train. Each time you arrive in KC, you want to have your most valuable cattle in tow. However, the trail not only requires that you keep your herd in good shape, but also that you wisely use the various buildings along the trail and hire the right staff such as herders or craftsman. For 2 – 4 players, games last 75 – 120 minutes.
FOR MORE: Great Western Trail Page | Games Like Great Western Trail | Buy Great Western Trail on Amazon
#02 | Carson City
Carson City makes the list of games like Caylus because it also has that variable order structure and idea of ownership that is just not common across the great titles in the field. Worker placement drives everything but there is so much more to do and moves you need to think ahead for.
This strategic game played in four rounds, and in each one of them, the players choose a character from the seven available that gives certain advantages. After selecting characters, your cowboys are placed on action track locations that allow you to construct buildings, houses, or roads; claim ground; earn money; or score victory points. When more than one player is on the same location, get ready, it is time for a duel! For 2 – 5 players, games run about 90 minutes.
FOR MORE: Buy Carson City on Amazon
#01 | Lords of Waterdeep
Lords of Waterdeep takes the top spot on the list of games like Caylust because yes it is a worker placement game but it is so much more of that. The drafting mechanism helps drive the economy but at the end of the day you are a character that is trying to accomplish something.
In the game, you are one of the secret rulers of the city. This bustling metropolis gives you many opportunities to recruit adventurers to go on quests on your behalf, earning rewards and increasing your influence over the city. Expand the city by purchasing new buildings that open up new actions on the board, and hurt the opposing Lords of Waterdeep. For 2 – 5 players, games run 1 – 2 hours.
