High Society is a quick auction card game designed by the legendary Reiner Knizia that's been around since 1995 (and got a gorgeous redesign in 2018). Here's the premise: you're wealthy socialites bidding on luxury items and status symbols — fancy cars, private islands, jewelry collections — trying to accumulate the most prestige points.
But here's the catch that makes this game brilliant: at the end, whoever has the least money left is automatically disqualified, no matter how many points they scored. You can win every auction and still lose the game if you spent yourself into oblivion.
Games take 15-30 minutes, play with 3-5 players (ages 10+), and the whole thing fits in a box smaller than most chapter books. It's the kind of game that makes kids go "one more round!" while secretly teaching them about opportunity cost and self-control.
Look, I'm not going to pretend every game needs to be educational. Sometimes Exploding Kittens is just fun chaos and that's fine. But High Society manages to teach legitimate financial literacy concepts while still being genuinely fun to play.
The money management lessons are real:
- Budgeting under pressure - You start with a fixed amount of money and have to make it last
- Opportunity cost - Every dollar you spend here is a dollar you can't spend later
- Risk assessment - Is this card worth bidding on, or should I save my cash?
- Knowing when to walk away - Sometimes the best move is not playing at all
The disqualification rule is chef's kiss perfect. Kids learn viscerally that it doesn't matter how much you accumulate if you bankrupt yourself getting there. That's a lesson that applies to everything from college loans to credit cards to keeping up with the Joneses.
The educational stuff is great for us parents, but kids aren't playing because they want to learn about fiscal responsibility. They're playing because:
It's genuinely competitive and tense. The auction mechanic creates real drama. Do you bid one more dollar? Do you let your sibling have it? The table talk gets intense.
Games are fast. 20 minutes means it doesn't overstay its welcome, and there's always time for revenge rounds when someone gets salty about losing.
The theme is aspirational. Kids love the idea of being rich and buying fancy stuff. Yes, it's materialistic. Yes, we can talk about that. But the game uses that appeal to hook them into the strategy.
The art is beautiful. The 2018 redesign has gorgeous art deco styling that makes it feel fancy and special. This matters more than we think — kids respond to quality components.
The box says 10+, and I'd say that's about right for most kids. Here's the breakdown:
Ages 8-9: Can play with some help understanding the strategic implications. They'll grasp the basic auction mechanic but might not see the deeper "save money for later" strategy. Totally fine as a gateway to more complex games.
Ages 10-12: Sweet spot. Old enough to understand the strategy, young enough to still be learning money concepts, competitive enough to get invested.
Ages 13+: Still fun, but you might want to pair it with meatier games. Works great as a warm-up or cool-down game for game night.
Adults: Honestly, this plays great with adults too. It's a legitimate strategy game that works for mixed-age family game nights.
The money isn't real, but the lessons are. Kids will bid aggressively, overpay for things, and learn the hard way about running out of cash. Let them. The whole point is experiencing consequences in a safe, game context.
Some kids will get frustrated. Losing because you spent too much (when you technically "won" the most stuff) can feel unfair. This is a teaching moment about rules, planning ahead, and why having a safety net matters.
It's not screen time. I know this seems obvious, but in a guide that usually talks about apps and games, it's worth celebrating: this is face-to-face, strategic thinking, math practice, and social interaction. No wifi required.
Math practice sneaks in. Kids are constantly adding, subtracting, comparing values, and calculating percentages of their remaining cash. It's the kind of mental math that actually matters in real life.
The luxury theme might spark conversations. If your family values talk about materialism, wealth, or social status, this game can be a jumping-off point. Or you can just enjoy the absurdity of bidding on a yacht with play money. Both approaches are valid.
If your kids are into Roblox or Fortnite, High Society offers something different: finite resources and permanent consequences.
In Roblox, you can always earn more Robux (or beg for more Robux
, let's be honest). In High Society, when your money's gone, it's gone. There's no grinding for more currency, no microtransactions, no "just one more dollar, please?"
That scarcity creates different decision-making. It's not better or worse than digital games — it's just different, and that variety matters.
High Society is a legitimately great game that happens to teach money management, not a money management lesson disguised as a game. That distinction matters.
At $25-30, it's cheaper than most video games, requires zero setup time, has no in-app purchases, and will last for years. The game box is small enough to pack for trips, and games are quick enough to squeeze in before dinner.
Best for: Families with kids 10+, anyone trying to teach financial literacy without being preachy, game night regulars looking for something quick and strategic.
Skip if: Your kids are under 8, you need something that plays with 2 players (this really needs 3+), or you're looking for a cooperative rather than competitive experience.
Want more board games that sneak in learning? Check out Catan for resource management, Ticket to Ride for planning ahead, or Splendor for engine-building strategy.
Or if you're trying to balance board games with screen time in your house, let's talk about creating a media plan that actually works for your specific family.