Adel Verpflichtet and Amber

There's this wonderful game called Adel Verpflichtet that isn't a half bad model for Amber. The premise of the game is that the players are all wealthy noble art collectors vying for the status which comes from having the "best" art collection.

The players run around the board buying pieces of art from the auction house (everyone starts with a certain number of checks) and exhibiting them at various castles in Europe. Every turn, the person who exhibits the best art collection (and there are rules for what makes a collection "best" which I won't go into), gets to advance some number of spaces. Of course, if you exhibit your art, you run the risk of having something stolen by the art thieves the other players have.

The winner is the person who gets the best seat at the table at the end of the game. (Determined by moving spaces, as described above.) Sound at all like Amber? Everyone wants to the the one on the throne. If they can't have that, they want to be sitting right next to the person on the throne.

Cael's Rules

Now if this all seems a bit silly to you,(*) you are not alone. Cael supports you. He thinks a much more sensible goal is to get the most money (With the normal win condition, checks are only useful for getting more art. Once the art is all gone, they're useless.) and the most art. "Exhibit my art? Why should I do that? Someone might steal it!"

While everyone else is playing for the best place at the table, Cael is busily collecting money and art. When all is said and done, he rarely has the best seat at the table, but he's really rich and has a lot of nice art. You tell me who's won.

*It really is a great game though. Honest.