- BGG rank
- BGG #16,047
- BGG rating
- 6.2
Flußpiraten
- 3–6 players
- 90 min
- Complexity 2.0/5
- 1990
- BGG rank
- BGG #11,853
- BGG rating
- 6.4
Favoriten
1989
Rules assistance for Favoriten
Plain-language explanations of turns, card effects and disputed situations, with official source references and saved question history.
- 2–5 players
- 60 min
- 9+
- Complexity 1.3/5
For 2 players
Rules assistant for Favoriten
What would you like to know?
Answers come from the official rulebook, with the page to check.
Favoriten is a board game released in 1989 for 2–5 players, 60 minutes per game, and ages 9 and up. It was designed by Walter Müller and its main mechanics are Betting and Bluffing.
Similar games
- BGG rank
- BGG #270
- BGG rating
- 7.5
Camel Up (Second Edition)
- 3–8 players
- 30–45 min
- Complexity 1.5/5
- 2018
- BGG rank
- BGG #290
- BGG rating
- 7.8
Hot Streak
- 2–8 players
- 20 min
- Complexity 1.2/5
- 2025
- BGG rank
- BGG #375
- BGG rating
- 7.5
Long Shot: The Dice Game
- 1–8 players
- 25 min
- Complexity 2.0/5
- 2022
- BGG rank
- BGG #450
- BGG rating
- 7.5
Ready Set Bet
- 2–9 players
- 45–60 min
- Complexity 1.3/5
- 2022
- BGG rank
- BGG #527
- BGG rating
- 7.3
Downforce
- 2–6 players
- 20–40 min
- Complexity 1.7/5
- 2017
- BGG rank
- BGG #653
- BGG rating
- 7.0
Camel Up
- 2–8 players
- 20–30 min
- Complexity 1.5/5
- 2014
- BGG rank
- BGG #1,243
- BGG rating
- 7.0
Winner's Circle
- 2–6 players
- 45–60 min
- Complexity 1.6/5
- 2001
- BGG rank
- BGG #2,599
- BGG rating
- 7.0
Unicorn Fever
- 2–6 players
- 40 min
- Complexity 2.3/5
- 2020
- BGG rank
- BGG #2,778
- BGG rating
- 6.7
Long Shot
- 3–8 players
- 60 min
- Complexity 1.7/5
- 2009
- BGG rank
- BGG #2,934
- BGG rating
- 6.9
Horse Fever
- 2–6 players
- 90 min
- Complexity 2.4/5
- 2009
- BGG rank
- BGG #3,196
- BGG rating
- 6.8
Circus Maximus
- 2–10 players
- 120 min
- Complexity 2.6/5
- 1979
About the game
Favoriten is a simple betting/race game with a nifty element of press-your-luck thrown in. Five horses are involved in each of three races. Players do not own any horse. Rather, they each have three betting chips. On a player's turn, she/he rolls a die and moves one of the five horses forward based on the result of the roll. The race track pictured on the board has two lanes. These lanes are used by the player to keep track of which horses have been moved in the current turn. At the start of a turn all of the horses shall be in the same lane. Then as a player moves the horses forward, he/she also moves them to the other lane. The player continues until they've rolled five times and moved each horse once. The lane from where the horses started the turn will be empty. That's simple enough. But before each turn, players are allowed to place a bet on a horse (starting with the rolling player). After a person places a bet (e.g. "I'll back the green horse") the next player can choose to or not to place a bet. This continues until all players decline to place a betting chip. Then the player starts rolling and moving horses. Eventually, three horses will cross the finish line and will pay out for win, place, or show positions. The player who first placed a bet on the winning horse claims the greatest payoff. Payoffs diminish the longer a player waited to support a horse (e.g. the second person to bet on the horse that ultimately wins pays less than the first player to back the second-place horse). The constant wait-and-see is agonizing. If you back an unpopular horse, you'll watch it lag behind. If you wait until everyone else is pushing a particular horse, you gain very little for joining the bandwagon late in the game.
Categories
Mechanics
Designers
Publishers
- Walter Müller's Spielewerkstatt
Questions and answers
Favoriten supports 2–5 players according to the catalogue. This range comes from the publisher’s listed player count, so the game can be set up for any group size within it. Some setups, rules and scoring details may still vary by player count, so check your edition’s rulebook for the exact configuration.
The listed playing time for Favoriten is 60 minutes. This is the publisher’s estimate for a full game. The actual duration depends on the group, the player count and familiarity with the rules: first sessions usually run longer, while experienced groups often finish faster. Setup and teaching time are not included in this estimate.
The catalogue lists Favoriten for ages 9 and up. This is the publisher’s recommendation and reflects reading demands, rule complexity and small components rather than theme alone. Younger players can often join with help from an adult, so check the age guidance on your edition and consider your group’s experience with board games.
Favoriten has a complexity rating of 1.3 out of 5 from BoardGameGeek players, which makes it a light game. The rating reflects how much rules knowledge, planning and decision-making a typical game demands. Expect a longer first teach for heavier games, and use a preparation guide before game night.
Favoriten belongs to these categories: Racing. Its main mechanics are Betting and Bluffing. Categories describe the theme and setting of a game, while mechanics describe what players actually do on their turns. Each mechanic links to a catalogue hub with similar games, which helps when you want something comparable.
The credited designers of Favoriten are: Walter Müller. These credits come from the published game data and name the people responsible for the game’s design, not its illustrators or publishers. Designer pages on MeepleRules collect other titles by the same designers, which helps when you enjoy a game and want to find similar ones.
The catalogue lists Favoriten as a base game. It can be played on its own with the components in the box and does not require any other title. Expansions, if any exist, add new content or rules on top of it and are listed separately in the catalogue with a link back to this base game.