How to design a WORKER PLACEMENT board game

Worker Placement is one of the BIG mechanisms. It has a wide appeal - and it’s adaptable to many different themes and genres. Worker placement games can be simple, or they can be incredibly complex. And they’re everywhere. A lot of gamers LOVE worker placement games.

In this video I highlight ten or so design choices which you might want to consider when designing your own worker placement game.

Even better, look at what has been done before, find a gap, subvert a mechanism, and create something totally new.

0:00 Introduction
1:28 Sponsor
2:33 Definition of mechanism
3:28 History of mechanism
5:54 Appeal of mechanism
8:54 Scarcity of rewards
9:45 Accumulation spaces
10:10 Timing of rewards
11:42 The provost
12:40 Tracks
14:38 Turn order
15:46 Variable setup
16:38 Asymmetric powers
16:55 Build action spaces
19:00 Neutral workers
19:31 Specialised workers
21:42 Dice workers
22:10 Gain new workers
22:32 Feed workers
23:04 Events
25:32 Bring workers home
27:57 Action blocking
31:55 Checklist for designers

[FairuzAlBahr]

What a brilliant video. I am currently working on a worker placement game, and I cannot explain to you how much your video helped. I can't thank you enough. With my game, I made it so that you can't block other players from specific actions, however, you CAN block them from BETTER versions of said actions. So like the first player to go there gets the best version of that action, the second gets a downgraded version of that action, and the third player onwards get the worst version of that action.

[sordhacker]

I really like the mechanism of activating abilities when taking back your workers like in Cryo and Dwellings of Eldervale for example.

[GoodSelfGames]

Your videos are invaluable when tinkering with new mechanic ideas. So grateful to add this one to the list - thanks again!!!

[atobibas]

I've working on a Worker Placement game. And the other day I was looking for a video on this. I barely think you could have timed this better 😅

[Salmao]

I love so much the way you make your videos. And you are so charismatic, calm and full of information for us all. TY for your work here at YT.

[christianstrain]

Thanks for mentioning Asking for Trobils, Adam! Great video. I'll probably link to it every time arguments start up about what a worker placement game "really" is lol.

[natew.]

I actually love tracks in games. I include them a lot in my designs, and I know playtesters are often put off by them. I'm not a theme guy but I like your point that a track representing something more abstract is better. I'll keep that in mind.

[SPQRKlio]

I’m steadily bingeing this channel, learning a lot, and hopefully greatly improving the board game design I’m trying to bring to life. After watching the box cover ranking vid, I totally cracked up seeing that sheep staring at us from the thumbnail.

[lukas]

Great summary! Feel that I need to bring up Dune Imperium as a recent innovator of worker placement mechanics. I bought it as an Android app first and it blew me away with the depth achieved by combining worker placement and deck building.

[GameschoolingFamily]

Thanks for putting out such a great video! I’m thankful to the Board Game Design Lab email featuring it today and will be looking into more of your content. If you have one for dice worker placement, I’ll be keen to watch that one next.

[Nixxiechan]

I'm just coming across this now while trying to get ideas for my first ever board game design. There are a lot of things to consider now and hopefully a second watch will finally jog those ideas that have disappeared from my brain. Great video and thank you for all of the tips and games you featured. ♥

[ramonvanderben]

Thanks for the video, very nice. My personal favorite worker placement game is Barrage with the Leeghwater Project expansion... The best thing in that game is the way resources are spent. Players aren't actually spending them but temporarily assigning them to building actions. Using a corner building wheel eventually you get the resources back to use them again. A super game

[stevekingswell]

Great commentary on the options here, many thanks

[terrypaulpearce]

I love the way you weave in so many different examples here; great video. Inspiring to watch in terms of thinking of different ways to push the boundaries of what can be done with the genre, or to think about combining different elements in new ways.

[doubleante]

The ending summary is brilliant. I can pick up and play a worker placement game easily. They provide such intuitive gameplay. I had never correlated how worker placement supports a strong theme to the intuitive experience. Makes perfect sense.
Appreciate the checklist of things to consider when designing. Thanks Adam!

[etienned.]

Great video as always! Looking forward a video on dice workers 😉

[TisButAScratch]

Been throwing about some new worker placement game ideas lately. This has been good food for thought. Thanks Adam

[dragonlance]

If Flamecraft is a Worker Placement game then Scythe is too.

[MegaSNES]

What a nice in-depth video…. Thoroughly enjoyed it and learned a thing or two in the process

[dean]

Great video, loads of depth in the explanations. Will be perusing your other vids now I've discovered your channel. 😊 what Id love to leave you with, though, is how i look at the Everdell break from theme due to the seemingly time travel nature of being in 2 different seasons. Its not official at all, just my little head canon, but i see the game instead as a story of (animal family) managed to help build the great city of everdell. The player who's in the next season just tells their story a little quicker. I know it means nothing really, but helps me link theme and mechanisms. All the best!