Dirty Money: The Money Laundering Game

At Essen, I had my eye on both this and Zombie Life Insurance, but Dirty Money was the only one I managed to find. From the company behind Wongamania and Cryptocurrency comes another small economic game about the less glamorous side of finance: this time, laundering money through art purchases and real estate. The theme is genuinely great and, to its credit, it fits what we do at the table rather well.

At its core, there are locations that produce bundles of cash and items available to buy. Each round, I choose one location, take the money it provides, and then try to put it to use through purchases.

I can also use an available action to bother the other players, so there is a little direct friction and a few opportunities for laughs. But this flow reminded me more of Wongamania than Cryptocurrency: fairly plain gameplay, with randomness playing a bigger part than I would like.

I can play it pleasantly enough, but it does not readily make me want another game. And the overall vibe is not helped at all by the cards, which felt lower quality than those in the company's other games; if it is going to see regular play, it needs sleeves, and their odd card sizes do not make that any easier. For now, I see it heading to the shelf until further notice. A shame—and I hope that, if I find the zombies, they will make it up to me.