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Renier Knizia (or Doctor Renier Knizia as he insists his wife and friends call him) is an insanely prolific game designer with over 800 published board games under his belt. This legendary German game designing powerhouse gained a doctorate in mathematics in the 1970s in his native Germany before pursuing a busy career researching and teaching mathematics and working in the banking and I.T. sectors and acquiring a Master of Science degree in the US (because one top degree is never enough).
life should be fun
In 1990 at the tender age of 40 the bowtie wearing Renier decided it was time for a major shift – “Life should be fun”, so he pursued designing board games part time before quitting his job to pursue board game design full time in 1997. Using his solid foundation in mathematics to full effect, pricing and risk evaluation are common recurring elements in Reiner Knizia’s games.
Many of his most successful designs use auction mechanics and game theory (all player actions and choices affect the outcomes for all players). His designs favour very few principles or mechanics whilst remaining ridiculously compelling and strategy rich.
20 million and counting
His games have exceeded 20 million copies sold worldwide, with many having garnered the coveted Spiel de Jahres. His most highly rated being: Lost Cities, Tigris & Euphrates, Ra, Modern Art, Ingenious, Battle Line, Samurai, The Lord of the Rings co-operative game, Through the Desert, Quest for El Dorado.
He has designed games for multiple global brands:
Disney (including Marvel & Star Wars), Lego, Harry Potter, Peppa Pig, Lord of the Rings, Game of Thrones, Star Trek.
prolific3
Renier remains one of the most prolific designers of all time – in the 1990s alone he published over 112 games (that’s almost a game a month for a decade!). His impressive portfolio of 800+ designs may not be full of commerical bangers but nevertheless, he’s responsible for 1%* of the top 1000 BBG (Board Game Geek) board games to date. *well 0.9% or 9 games but who’s counting!
He is frequently featured on lists of the greatest board game designers of all time.
Crime may not pay, but Dr Renier Knizia is a shining example that maths definitely does.