Top 100 Mechanisms in Board Games: 10-1

Board game designer Adam Porter peeks under the box lid, and counts down his 100 favourite mechanisms in board games... plus 10 mechanisms he really doesn't like!!!

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0:00 Introduction
0:56 Tile laying: Polyominoes
2:51 Push Your Luck
4:36 Living Board
6:32 "Quarto" Mechanism
8:13 "Knizia" Scoring
10:20 Combos
11:57 Dice Rolling
15:53 Play on multiple tables
19:44 Betting
22:33 Traps
26:06 Search discard pile/deck

[TrecherousMonki]

Wingspan has a search the discard pile in the Oceania expansion, but it's the "Bin Chicken" white Ibis so it's flavour and funny as heck

[deepdivemusicreactions]

0:55 Tile laying: Polyomino
2:50 Push your luck
4:33 Living Board
6:30 "Quarto" mechanism
8:13 "Knizia" scoring
10:18 Combos
11:52 Dice rolling
14:50 Play on multiple tables
19:43 Betting
22:25 Traps

[lonefreak]

Play on multiple tables was an wild choice, haha. Once I tried something somewhat similar where a player could simply leave their own player board - representing their city - behind and go "live" in some other player's city.

[philipdennis]

Interpreting Knizia scoring as “score for the most complete sets” is so much easier to explain than “score for the least”. Why did I never think of it like that before?

[natew.]

The multi-table mechanism sounds so fun and clever.

[pikaaroon]

Cheers Adam for all your work behind this Top 100 list. It certainly broadened my designer vocabulary with new concepts and games while also reminding me of old mechanisms I'd long forgotten.

[MrHexyer]

Researching and ranking all of these mechanisms is huge.. Amazing job!!!

[ivmivmivm]

Inis is a game where “searching the deck” works well: it’s a game where you draft your actions from a deck. There are only 17 cards, and everyone becomes familiar with them very quickly. The presence of the “Druid” action card, which allows you to search the shared action discard, very much defines the game without bogging it down.

[Razorgirl]

There it is! Combos at #5. I’ve seen it referred to as “Synergies”, but the name I know it by is “Engine Building”. Probably my favourite mechanic (strongly contested by Worker Placement, Resource Management, and Deck Building).

[Trelastname]

Thank you so much for making this list. As someone new to game design, and who has enjoyed the medium on a limited budget, this resource is incredibly valuable. I feel as though I could study this tome and garner information that would likely take me years & thousands of dollars to replicate. Of course, I understand this isn't a replacement for actually playing, but this is a great start to understanding better what *I* like, and what games to gravitate to in my mission to educate myself. I'm also going to check out the book you recommended as an academic resource. Thanks!

[MrShinyObject]

Boy, what a wild list this last one! So many different interpretations of the term "mechanic." Some stuff that's only in one game, one type of game, one designer, or something in almost every game! I like how they are half things you enjoy and half things you enjoy but specifically want to see more of. I'll take the hint!

[ludwigmises]

Thanks for the video. I really like “Knizia” scoring. I recently watched a play-through of “Wendake”, which uses a version of that scoring. It’s a good way the designer can ensure each area of the game gets attention.

[zmollon]

Number three mechanism is really cool the idea of multiple concurrent games (potentially competing between them)

[ButOneThingIsNeedful]

I don't find a lot of company, but my six favorite board/card game mechanics would be:
1. Subtle/advanced DEDUCTION (you could also call it inference)
2. DECIPHERING (clues, codes, ciphers, riddles, texts, visuals)
3. Deep-level LOGIC (often includes a predictive dimension)
4. DECEPTION (sometimes takes the form of a traitor)
5. HIDDEN MOVEMENT (adds an air of mystery)
6. SUSPENSE (i.e. specific design features or rules that exist intentionally to intensify this feeling)

[svenminning]

What a great top 100. I must admit, I wondered a little if you would "pull it off", when I started watching this series. But I must say that you absolutely did! Awesome work! I gave me a lot of insight and enjoyment. Thanks!

[bibleboardgames]

interesting. I didn't realize there were 100+
My top ten would be quite different but each person can choose their own favorites making it an interesting discussion. Thanks!

[KamilMiroslaw]

I really like setting some traps in Neuroshima Hex which was my first 'geek' board game and continues to be one of my favourites up to this day. You can calculate all the damage that could be done or received IF someone starts a battle, then try to prepare for it, block some potential attacks, try to outspeed your opponent... ok, we're safe, time for the opponent's turn, but UH OH! Here comes an instant action tile! and your best unit dies because they sniper shot it! or worse, a massive 7-hex bomb just clears the board of a lot of units becuase you ddn't see it coming and have put way too many units too close to each other... Well, you always can see what (if any) direct damage instant tiles are in your opponent's army, look at their discard pile to see if they can still have any of those left, but maybe, just maaaaybeee they won't draw such a tile soon and you'll be quicker than them... ;)

[davidakenson]

I’ve just discovered this channel. Great content! Thanks.

[Razorgirl]

Re: playing on multiple boards… that sounds awesome! 🤩

The closest I’ve gotten to that is Dead of Winter’s Warring Colonies expansion, where two teams of players each play with one of the boards from the Expandalones, but compete for the same resources at the Locations. I love team games (did you mention Teams as a mechanic? Did you mentions Player Elimination?).

For me, they combine the “working with people” element of Co-Op games, with the thrill of defeating an opponent. Articulate, Code Names, and Warring Colonies are all some of my most favourite games.

[GameschoolingFamily]

Just came across this video (haven't seen the rest of the list), but now I feel the need to find the others and figure out where flicking/dexterity falls because I was really quite surprised not to have seen it in this video.