My 5 FAVORITE Board Game MECHANICS

These are my five favorite board game mechanics. Whenever I encounter these elements in a game’s design, I am immediately intrigued.

The other videos in this series:

Play Friday on the app store:

Want to play Karuba 8-player?
It is possible to do with two copies of the game, but be aware that it will change the rewards for collecting treasure. While 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th place earn 5, 4, 3, 2 points for reaching the treasure, with more players, they would earn 5, 5, 4, 4,… respectively.

The Board Games mentioned in this video:
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TABEL OF CONTENTS
0:00 - What are board game mechanics?
0:25 - About this series
0:48 - Mechanic #1 and Example 1
1:04 - Example 2: Cryo
1:28 - Example 3: Friday
2:13 - Mechanic #2
2:33 - Example 4
2:57 - Example 5
4:00 - Mechanic #3 & Example 6
4:30 - Example 7
5:09 - Mechanic #4
5:33 - Example 8
6:28 - Example 9
7:20 - #1 Favorite Mechanic & Examples 10 and 11
8:37 - The big differences between these two examples
9:37 - Conclusion

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[TheVeriOra]

These are mechanics I haven't seen in many lists. The gameplay footage and board game explanations are well done. Good video

[darbyl]

Which mechanics you left out? There's about 190 listed on BGG. If you meant our favorites, then I can think of one or two.
1. Equipping / Upgrading. In some games, the player's characters get to add tools or weapons during the game. The heroes in Here To Slay are allowed one item to help them. If they return from battle, the item can be given to another hero. In Wasteland Express, you can add upgrades to your vehicle. Unlike in HTS, these must be paid for, imposing a budget, where you weigh the cost and benefits, and the opportunity cost of not getting a different upgrade instead.
2. Setting the price of rooms in Castles Of Mad King Ludwig (probably equates to "I cut, you chose.") This complex version of ICYC is the hook that keeps people playing this game year after year. Most of the strategy centers on what happens in that market. If you are the one setting it up, there's a lot of deliberation and decision making that can go into 5 to 30 seconds of game time.
3. Also in that part of COMKL, is your hidden agenda, based on the goals you are working toward. The other players are likely unaware of your motives for pricing the rooms in a certain way. While they are grabbing what they want at prices they must endure, you have made what you want cheap or free. That's hidden agenda.
4. ALSO in that same market, your agenda is working toward those goals. The end game "mission" is spread out over your cards, where you want to maximize each condition or type. The missions are plural in Wasteland Express. Each player has 3 unique missions that must be fulfilled (or 1 of them, can't remember). I think Lords of Waterdeep has this mission mechanic as well.
5. Which brings up another mechanic that I like, which is order-filling. It may have another name, but the goal cards in Waterdeep are basically a grocery list, or list of ingredients for completing that goal. This order-filling is found in many games, including Century and Parks.

[markhopper]

I like the shared/reusable discard piles of Lost Cities and Arboretum. Discarding is no longer a mindless activity. You have to think about what your opponent wants/needs every time. Can agony be considered a mechanism?

[VyralOfficial]

Great video. Very clear and nice examples. Thank you!

[unlimitedrabbit]

I absolutely love Friday and the app version gets played more than any other mobile game on my phone.

[jamesroy]

What do you think if i take stock buying equivalent to area control but in other format ？

[mrbovinejoni]

I'm on the fence about East India Companies. I love stock/market manipulation mechanics too.

[diamondmeeple]

I would guess that very few who are really into this hobby got an iq below 105. Probably few below 110. The tons of rules etc etc... you need capacity/cogntive skill to process it all.

Maybe this is one of the elephants in the room... that only like 30% of the population is smart enough (for euro games, abstract strategy and similar).