But while your cash reserves range from small to high value, you can’t get change: you’re forced to choose between creeping up your bid or risking being left with only high-value notes to fritter on paltry wins. Each round is a sequence of bids on some fancy item that indicates you’re part of monied culture. This is the lightest and fastest of the three (see one more below) but it still delivers thrills, spills and biting social commentary.

Given this is the second Reiner Knizia auction game on the list you may gather that the good doctor (he’s got a PhD in mathematics) is keen on the mechanic and good at delivering it.