SEED GAME#12472 BGG all-time

Upstream(2017)

★ 6.2 BGG2–5 players25 minWeight 1.89
Action PointsGrid MovementModular Board

Games like Upstream

Looking for games like Upstream? It strips theme away to leave a clean contest of position and tempo — built on spatial puzzles that grow as each new piece lands and a board that reshapes itself so no two games play alike. This page rounds up 12 of the closest alternatives, scored on mechanical overlap with the original (45%), complexity match (35%), and player-count fit (20%), then weighted by BoardGameGeek community ratings so every pick is one players genuinely rate. The strongest matches come first; the further down you go, the more a game trades exact overlap for a fresh take on the same core appeal.

How ISO scores this list:Mechanic overlap 45%·Complexity proximity 35%·Player-count fit 20%·BGG quality multiplier applied

12 recommendations · scored by ISO

Mutant Chronicles: Siege of the Citadel(1993)

★ 7.03–5 playersWeight 2.2
ISO Match
69/100

Shares Action Points + 2 more

Action PointsGrid MovementModular Board

Expancity(2018)

★ 6.92–4 playersWeight 2.0
ISO Match
69/100

Shares Action Points + 2 more

Action PointsModular BoardSimulation

Iglu Iglu(2004)

★ 5.92–4 players60 minWeight 2.0
ISO Match
69/100

Shares Action Points + 2 more

Action PointsArea Majority / InfluenceModular Board

Dragon Dodge(2017)

★ 7.32–4 players15 minWeight 1.5
ISO Match
68/100

Shares Grid Movement + 2 more

Grid MovementHand ManagementModular Board

Drakon (Second Edition)(2002)

★ 6.12–6 playersWeight 1.8
ISO Match
67/100

Shares Grid Movement + 2 more

Grid MovementModular BoardTile Placement

Rifugio(2017)

★ 6.42–5 players20 minWeight 1.5
ISO Match
67/100

Shares Action Points + 2 more

Action PointsGrid MovementSet Collection

Crystal Hall(2018)

★ 6.72–4 players60 minWeight 2.0
ISO Match
67/100

Shares Action Points + 2 more

Action PointsGrid MovementHand Management

MoonQuake Escape(2016)

★ 6.42–6 players45 minWeight 1.8
ISO Match
67/100

Shares Action Points + 2 more

Action PointsGrid MovementModular Board

Northwest Passage Adventure(2012)

★ 6.12–4 players40 minWeight 1.8
ISO Match
66/100

Shares Action Points + 3 more

Action PointsGrid MovementHand Management

Minerals(2019)

★ 7.12–5 playersWeight 1.9
ISO Match
66/100

Shares Grid Movement + 2 more

Grid MovementModular BoardPattern Building

Leaf(2023)

★ 7.41–4 playersWeight 2.1
ISO Match
65/100

Shares Modular Board + 1 more

Modular BoardSet CollectionTile Placement

Dreamwell(2016)

★ 6.52–4 playersWeight 2.1
ISO Match
65/100

Shares Action Points + 2 more

Action PointsGrid MovementModular Board

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