Game Mechanics Glossary

This glossary provides clear, easy-to-understand definitions for the most common board-game mechanics featured across our products. It’s designed to help players quickly learn what each mechanic means and how it shapes the gameplay experience. Use it as a reference when browsing titles to better understand the icons and terminology you’ll see throughout the site.

  • Action Points

  • Action Points

    A player gains a set number of Action or Operation Points each turn, which they can spend on vari...

  • Action Queue

  • Action Queue

    Players create Action Queues to perform actions in a sequence, using either "Batch" queues and ex...

  • Area Majority

  • Area Majority

    A mechanic where players compete for influence over shared spaces. Unlike strict area control gam...

  • Auction

  • Auction

    This mechanic requires you to place a bid, usually monetary, on items in an auction of goods in o...

  • Automatic Resource Growth

  • Automatic Resource Growth

    A guaranteed resource gain that occurs automatically when specific game conditions are met.

  • Bag Building

  • Bag Building

    Players collect and place new components into their personal bag, gradually refining them over ti...

  • Card Driven

  • Card Driven

    A game where cards drive the majority of the gameplay, forcing players to choose between using a ...

  • Contracts

  • Contracts

    Players complete Contracts to earn rewards. These special goals require planning and coordination...

  • Deck Building

  • Deck Building

    Players collect and place new cards into their personal deck, gradually refining them over time b...

  • Deck Construction

  • Deck Construction

    Before playing, each player will build a customized deck of cards that they will use in the game.

  • Deduction

  • Deduction

    Players try to uncover hidden information using clues.

  • Dice Building

  • Dice Building

    Players collect and place new dice into their personal dice pool, gradually refining them over ti...

  • Dice Placement

  • Dice Placement

    Players place dice (often called 'workers') to take actions from a shared set of available option...

  • Drafting

  • Drafting

    In Drafting games, players take cards, tiles, or other items from a shared pool to gain advantage...

  • End Game Bonuses

  • End Game Bonuses

    Players gain or lose bonus Victory Points (VPs) at the end of the game for meeting specific condi...

  • Events

  • Events

    Actions that occur automatically, immediately affecting the game environment or influencing futur...

  • Follow Actions

  • Follow Actions

    One player chooses an action, and others may copy or modify that same action. Often used with Act...

  • Grid Coverage

  • Grid Coverage

    Players fill a grid or area using shapes like polyominoes, covering spaces defined by the board.

  • Grid Movement

  • Grid Movement

    Grid Movement is when components move across a square, hexagonal or other predefined grid, with g...

  • Hand Management

  • Hand Management

    Hand management is a mechanic where players choose which cards (or components) to play, hold, or ...

  • Investment

  • Investment

    Games that simulate and teach players about the stock market and wealth building, letting them bu...

  • Map Addition

  • Map Addition

    Players collectively explore and build a map by adding tiles or cards throughout the game, aiming...

  • Market

  • Market

    Players buy, sell, and trade resources or stocks, aiming to grow wealth through strategic decisio...

  • Matching

  • Matching

    Players try to find identical items, pairs, or cards based on attributes like color, number, or s...

  • Memory

  • Memory

    Hidden, trackable information where players take turns flipping hidden cards or components to fin...

  • Multi-Use Cards

  • Multi-Use Cards

    A game that utilizes cards that provide players with multiple possible actions, but only one can ...

  • Paper and Pencil

  • Paper and Pencil

    Pencil-and-paper games use only paper and a writing tool for drawing boards, marking moves, and t...

  • Pattern Recognition

  • Pattern Recognition

    Players identify or create patterns formed with game pieces, cards, or tiles, using strategy and ...

  • Pick-up and Deliver

  • Pick-up and Deliver

    Players transport items from one location to another to complete objectives, earning points or mo...

  • Race

  • Race

    Games that award victory to the first player to reach a goal, like a track, point total, or map o...

  • Rondel

  • Rondel

    A Rondel is a circular track of actions (usually in the shape of a pie) where players move tokens...

  • Route Building

  • Route Building

    Games that involve the development of connecting locations on a map to score points, complete obj...

  • Set Collection

  • Set Collection

    Players collect pieces in the game to make a ‘set’. These pieces can be anything, but are usually...

  • Shrinking Map

  • Shrinking Map

    Games where the playable area decreases over time, forcing players to adapt to a smaller space an...

  • Simulation

  • Simulation

    Simulation games model real events or situations, often including detailed mechanics to reflect r...

  • Simultaneous Action Selection

  • Simultaneous Action Selection

    Players secretly choose actions at the same time, then reveal them, requiring anticipation and st...

  • Stock Holding

  • Stock Holding

    Stock holding games have players buy, sell, own and even trade shares to earn the most money, oft...

  • Sudden Death Ending

  • Sudden Death Ending

    The game has a set victory condition and potential variable conditions that can end the game early.

  • Team-Based Game

  • Team-Based Game

    In team-based games, groups of players compete against each other, with structures like 2v2, 3v3,...

  • Tech Trees

  • Tech Trees

    Players may unlock new or improved actions during the game, often called Technologies, via trees ...

  • Tile Placement

  • Tile Placement

    Games involve placing tiles to score points or trigger actions, with placement influenced by adja...

  • Track Movement

  • Track Movement

    Players advance pieces along a defined path, using dice, cards, or other means to score points, t...

  • Trick-Taking

  • Trick-Taking

    In trick-taking games, players play cards in rounds called tricks, following specific suits when ...

  • Tug of War

  • Tug of War

    Games that have teams compete to pull a marker across a line or on a track towards or away from a...

  • Variable Player Powers

  • Variable Player Powers

    A mechanic that gives each player unique abilities and powers, creating asymmetric gameplay and d...

  • Worker Placement

  • Worker Placement

    Players place tokens (often called 'workers') to take actions from a shared set of available opti...