The Pursuit of Happiness / Similar games

18 games like The Pursuit of Happiness

The best games like The Pursuit of Happiness are The Manhattan Project, Terraforming Mars and The Networks — the closest of 18 ranked alternatives, scored by shared mechanics and category. The Manhattan Project shares economic, drafting, worker placement with The Pursuit of Happiness.

Every alternative below links to its own The Pursuit of Happiness-style fact page, drawn from MeeplePick’s economic shelf.

Ranked by shared category (3 pts) and mechanics (2 pts), bonus within 0.7 of The Pursuit of Happiness’s 2.5 weight, then BoardGameGeek’s Bayesian rating — one entry per series, 18 shown.

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1. 1. The Manhattan Project (2012)
   2–5 players · 120 min · ★ 7.4 · Medium · games like The Manhattan Project →
   Shares with The Pursuit of Happiness: Economic, Drafting, Worker Placement, Worker Placement · 3 of The Pursuit of Happiness’s 5 mechanics (60%)
   vs The Pursuit of Happiness: overlaps at 2–4 players · scales to 5 · ~45 min longer · +0.5 heavier
   View The Manhattan Project on Amazon →
2. 2. Terraforming Mars (2016)
   1–5 players · 120 min · ★ 8.4 · Medium · games like Terraforming Mars →
   Shares with The Pursuit of Happiness: Economic, Drafting, End Game Bonuses, Income · 3 of The Pursuit of Happiness’s 5 mechanics (60%)
   vs The Pursuit of Happiness: overlaps at 1–4 players · scales to 5 · ~45 min longer · +0.8 heavier
   View Terraforming Mars on Amazon →
3. 3. The Networks (2016)
   1–5 players · 60–90 min · ★ 7.2 · Medium · games like The Networks →
   Shares with The Pursuit of Happiness: Economic, Drafting, End Game Bonuses, Income · 3 of The Pursuit of Happiness’s 5 mechanics (60%)
   vs The Pursuit of Happiness: overlaps at 1–4 players · scales to 5 · about the same length · same complexity
   View The Networks on Amazon →
4. 4. It's a Wonderful World (2019)
   1–5 players · 30–60 min · ★ 7.9 · Medium-light · games like It's a Wonderful World →
   Shares with The Pursuit of Happiness: Economic, Drafting, End Game Bonuses · 2 of The Pursuit of Happiness’s 5 mechanics (40%)
   vs The Pursuit of Happiness: overlaps at 1–4 players · scales to 5 · ~30 min shorter · 0.2 lighter
5. 5. Dinosaur Island (2017)
   1–4 players · 90–120 min · ★ 7.7 · Medium · games like Dinosaur Island →
   Shares with The Pursuit of Happiness: Economic, Income, Worker Placement · 2 of The Pursuit of Happiness’s 5 mechanics (40%)
   vs The Pursuit of Happiness: overlaps at 1–4 players · ~30 min longer · +0.5 heavier
6. 6. The Bloody Inn (2015)
   1–4 players · 30–60 min · ★ 7.0 · Medium-light · games like The Bloody Inn →
   Shares with The Pursuit of Happiness: Economic, End Game Bonuses, Income, Simulation · 3 of The Pursuit of Happiness’s 5 mechanics (60%)
   vs The Pursuit of Happiness: overlaps at 1–4 players · ~30 min shorter · same complexity
7. 7. The Pillars of the Earth (2006)
   2–4 players · 90–120 min · ★ 7.3 · Medium · games like The Pillars of the Earth →
   Shares with The Pursuit of Happiness: Economic, Worker Placement, Worker Placement · 2 of The Pursuit of Happiness’s 5 mechanics (40%)
   vs The Pursuit of Happiness: overlaps at 2–4 players · ~30 min longer · +0.3 heavier
8. 8. Viticulture Essential Edition (2015)
   1–6 players · 45–90 min · ★ 8.1 · Medium · games like Viticulture Essential Edition →
   Shares with The Pursuit of Happiness: Economic, Worker Placement · 1 of The Pursuit of Happiness’s 5 mechanics (20%)
   vs The Pursuit of Happiness: overlaps at 1–4 players · scales to 6 · about the same length · +0.4 heavier
9. 9. Gaia Project (2017)
   1–4 players · 60–150 min · ★ 8.5 · Heavy · games like Gaia Project →
   Shares with The Pursuit of Happiness: Economic, End Game Bonuses, Income · 2 of The Pursuit of Happiness’s 5 mechanics (40%)
   vs The Pursuit of Happiness: overlaps at 1–4 players · ~30 min longer · +1.9 heavier
10. 10. Belfort (2011)
    2–5 players · 120 min · ★ 7.2 · Medium · games like Belfort →
    Shares with The Pursuit of Happiness: Economic, Worker Placement, Worker Placement · 2 of The Pursuit of Happiness’s 5 mechanics (40%)
    vs The Pursuit of Happiness: overlaps at 2–4 players · scales to 5 · ~45 min longer · +0.6 heavier
11. 11. 7 Wonders (2010)
    2–7 players · 30 min · ★ 7.8 · Medium-light · games like 7 Wonders →
    Shares with The Pursuit of Happiness: Economic, Drafting · 1 of The Pursuit of Happiness’s 5 mechanics (20%)
    vs The Pursuit of Happiness: overlaps at 2–4 players · scales to 7 · ~45 min shorter · same complexity
12. 12. Spyrium (2013)
    2–5 players · 75 min · ★ 7.1 · Medium · games like Spyrium →
    Shares with The Pursuit of Happiness: Economic, Income, Worker Placement · 2 of The Pursuit of Happiness’s 5 mechanics (40%)
    vs The Pursuit of Happiness: overlaps at 2–4 players · scales to 5 · about the same length · +0.4 heavier
13. 13. Terra Mystica (2012)
    2–5 players · 60–150 min · ★ 8.1 · Medium-heavy · games like Terra Mystica →
    Shares with The Pursuit of Happiness: Economic, End Game Bonuses, Income · 2 of The Pursuit of Happiness’s 5 mechanics (40%)
    vs The Pursuit of Happiness: overlaps at 2–4 players · scales to 5 · ~30 min longer · +1.5 heavier
14. 14. Maracaibo (2019)
    1–4 players · 30–120 min · ★ 8.3 · Medium-heavy · games like Maracaibo →
    Shares with The Pursuit of Happiness: Economic, End Game Bonuses, Income · 2 of The Pursuit of Happiness’s 5 mechanics (40%)
    vs The Pursuit of Happiness: overlaps at 1–4 players · about the same length · +1.4 heavier
15. 15. Rajas of the Ganges (2017)
    2–4 players · 45–75 min · ★ 7.7 · Medium · games like Rajas of the Ganges →
    Shares with The Pursuit of Happiness: Economic, Worker Placement · 1 of The Pursuit of Happiness’s 5 mechanics (20%)
    vs The Pursuit of Happiness: overlaps at 2–4 players · ~15 min shorter · +0.4 heavier
16. 16. On Mars (2020)
    1–4 players · 90–150 min · ★ 8.3 · Heavy · games like On Mars →
    Shares with The Pursuit of Happiness: Economic, Drafting, End Game Bonuses · 2 of The Pursuit of Happiness’s 5 mechanics (40%)
    vs The Pursuit of Happiness: overlaps at 1–4 players · ~45 min longer · +2.2 heavier
17. 17. Calimala (2017)
    3–5 players · 75 min · ★ 7.2 · Medium
    Shares with The Pursuit of Happiness: Economic, End Game Bonuses, Worker Placement · 2 of The Pursuit of Happiness’s 5 mechanics (40%)
    vs The Pursuit of Happiness: overlaps at 3–4 players · scales to 5 · about the same length · +0.3 heavier
18. 18. Barrage (2019)
    1–4 players · 60–120 min · ★ 8.2 · Medium-heavy · games like Barrage →
    Shares with The Pursuit of Happiness: Economic, End Game Bonuses, Income · 2 of The Pursuit of Happiness’s 5 mechanics (40%)
    vs The Pursuit of Happiness: overlaps at 1–4 players · ~15 min longer · +1.6 heavier

Looking for the original? See the full The Pursuit of Happiness fact page — players, play time, age and complexity.