There’s a certain charm to a world run by raccoons. Nighttime heists, furtive eyes peering over stolen loot, the occasional dumpster dive. Charming, opportunistic, slightly terrifying. This might be why I consider raccoons an avatar of myself. Good times for me, then, that I got to review Raccoon Tycoon.
Raccoon Tycoon takes that idea and turns it into a fully-fledged economic rollercoaster. Designed by Glenn Drover and published by Forbidden Games, this game is essentially Monopoly if the banker were a raccoon and the property market occasionally went feral.
Players take on the role of industrious raccoon entrepreneurs trying to corner the market on goods, expand railroads, and sell commodities at just the right moment to maximize their wealth. At first glance, it seems almost gentle: draw cards, buy some resources, sell when the price is right. So like a lot of games, mild mannered with a few choices, but nothing over the top. But, just like a raccoon; Raccoon Tycoon has an insidious, yet subtle elegance that can sneak up on you and steal things from your bin. I promise to try and stop the raccoon metaphors. Maybe.
The main gameplay loop is simple enough: on your turn, you can produce a commodity, draw a town or train card, sell commodities to the market, or expand your rail network. So far this is no more complex than a nice game of Ticket to Ride. Each action is easy to understand, but every choice has a slither of tension to it. Like real life speculative investment, should I sell my lumber now for a quick but small profit, or hoard it and hope for the price to spike? Should I invest in some early rail expansion to secure future towns, or hoard cash for a big endgame push and hope to catch other players off guard?
Market fluctuation is a large lever to the game. Commodities rise and fall depending on supply and demand, which means every action you take affects not only your strategy but everyone else’s. That seemingly innocuous decision to sell coal now could trigger a market crash that leaves another player clutching worthless resources. And if that isn’t satisfying enough, the theme makes it charmingly absurd: tiny raccoons, intent on profit, running a capitalist empire of trains and timber.
The train and town cards add a very nice layer of strategy. Rail networks let you claim towns for endgame points, but the balance of doing that comes at the cost of your immediate income. Some towns are worth large points but are difficult to reach, so it gives a further risk to your game which forces careful planning. Others are easy to grab but give modest returns. Every turn feels like a negotiation between short-term gain and long-term victory.
Visually, the game is a treat. The animals themselves are wonderfully expressive, the towns and trains colourful and inviting, and the commodities are immediately recognisable. There’s nothing flashy here, but the design communicates everything you need to know without fuss. It’s approachable without being patronising.
Raccoon Tycoon isn’t particularly long, either. For us, we can sneak a game in maybe under an hour, which makes it perfect for a quick session or a warm-up before something heavier. It says it scales up to five players, but as with most games, I think four is the best number to play or decisions can slow the turns down a bit. More players does mean more market fluctuations, more chaos, and more moments where you silently curse the raccoon who sold all the coal right before your big payday. I found it as frustrating, in a good way, as when someone uses the beer I need for a big payday in a game of Brass.
It does have what could be negative points for some. The reliance on market timing can create swings where luck is the game’s driving force compared to any strategy by a player, and there isn’t much in the way to mitigate those moments.. If the right commodity spikes at the wrong time, it can utterly destroy any plans you have in place. But that unpredictability is part of the fun, at least for me, it keeps everyone on their toes and adds to the thematic thrill of being a raccoon capitalist. But it is a game to go into while not in a mood where a plan getting destroyed by a sudden market change doesn’t sour the rest of your gaming evening. I would also suggest that if this game gets updated, would be to make it so that if you have any money left that it adds to your score somehow.
Ultimately, I think that Raccoon Tycoon succeeds because it takes a simple, accessible economic engine and gives it enough personality to make it a laugh. The raccoons aren’t just a gimmick; they give the game a playful tone that keeps the table laughing even as everyone quietly plots their market domination. This isn’t a game you play to be the core of your game night, it’s a solid warm up act to a bigger evening.
By the end of the game, you’re left with a table full of slightly sleep-deprived, slightly stressed raccoon tycoons — which, honestly, seems like exactly the right outcome. It’s clever, quick, and sneaky in all the ways a raccoon should be.
If you’ve ever wanted to run a commodity empire led entirely by masked, furry capitalists, this is your chance. And yes, it’s exactly as chaotic, adorable, and ruthlessly competitive as it sounds.
Raccoon Tycoon is available now, on Amazon,
