Edel, Stein & Reich

About this board game

Edel, Stein & Reich is a trading and prediction game for 3–5 players, played in about 60 minutes. As directors of a precious-gem trading house, players compete to accumulate the most money across three phases.

Each phase presents several possible actions. You might increase your gemstone supply, choose an Event Card that can provide an advantage later in the game, or simply take the amount of cash currently being offered. Every decision is valuable, but your opponents are making their own plans at the same time.

The central challenge in Edel, Stein & Reich is predicting what the other players intend to do. Players who select an action that nobody else has chosen can carry it out without hindrance. Choosing the same action as another player can therefore interfere with your plans, making attention to your opponents just as important as managing your own position.

• Player count: 3–5
• Playing time: approximately 60 minutes
• Core objective: finish with more money than anyone else
• Key choices: gemstone supply, Event Cards, or available cash

Across the game’s three phases, weigh immediate income against opportunities that may strengthen your position later. The winner is the player with the most money at the end.

Released in 2003, Edel, Stein & Reich is the fourth game in the Alea small box series and re-implements Basari.