A guide to board game mechanics, themes and play-style families — how the taxonomy works and what each term means.
Learn how we classify and analyze board games using mechanic taxonomies and thematic facets to help you discover games that match your preferences.
We use the Engelstein Classification Model to categorize game mechanics into six fundamental dimensions. Each game mechanic falls into one or more of these categories, helping you understand what you'll be doing in the game.
What you're actually doing on your turn
Core Action mechanics define the fundamental actions players take. This is the "verb" of the game - what you literally do when it's your turn.
Examples: - 🎴 Card Drafting - Pick cards from a shared pool - 👷 Worker Placement - Place workers on action spaces - 🏗️ Tile Placement - Position tiles on a board - ✋ Hand Management - Play cards from your hand strategically - 🎲 Dice Rolling - Roll and assign dice for actions
Games: 7 Wonders, Agricola, Carcassonne
Choosing and executing your actions
Action Selection mechanics focus on how players choose what to do on their turn. These systems give you options and force meaningful choices.
Examples: - 👷 Worker Placement - Place workers to claim actions - 🎯 Action Points - Spend points on various actions - ⚡ Simultaneous Action Selection - Choose actions secretly - 🎭 Role Selection - Pick a role for special abilities
Games: Agricola, Puerto Rico, 7 Wonders, Race for the Galaxy
Managing your resources and hand
Resource Management mechanics govern how you acquire, hold, and use resources or cards throughout the game.
Examples: - ✋ Hand Management - Optimize card usage from your hand - 💰 Income - Regular resource generation - 📜 Contracts - Fulfill requirements for rewards
Games: Ticket to Ride, Splendor, Jaipur
Converting resources and scoring bonuses
Resource Conversion mechanics involve transforming resources into points, other resources, or end-game bonuses.
Examples: - 🎁 End Game Bonuses - Score extra points at game end - 🔄 Variable Setup - Different starting conditions
Games: Terraforming Mars, Wingspan
Card-based mechanics and deck construction
Card Play mechanics involve using, drafting, or building decks/pools of cards as the core game system.
Examples: - 🎴 Drafting - Pick cards from a shared selection - 🎴 Open Drafting - Public card selection - 🃏 Deck Building - Construct your deck during play - 🎒 Bag Building - Build a pool of tokens/tiles
Games: 7 Wonders, Dominion, Quacks of Quedlinburg
How the game uses space and positioning
Spatial mechanics involve physical or abstract space in the game. Where things are matters - position, territory, and movement are key.
Examples: - 🗺️ Area Control - Control regions on the board - 📐 Grid Movement - Move pieces on a grid - 🧩 Modular Board - Board changes each game - 🕸️ Network Building - Connect routes or nodes - 📍 Point-to-Point Movement - Move between specific locations
Games: Risk, Ticket to Ride, Catan, Pandemic
Market dynamics and trading systems
Trading & Markets mechanics create economic systems where players exchange, trade, or compete for resources through market mechanisms.
Examples: - 🤝 Trading - Exchange resources with players - 💸 Auction - Bid for valuable items - 📊 Market - Dynamic pricing systems
Games: Catan, Power Grid, Modern Art
Financial investments and ownership
Investment mechanics let players put resources into long-term gains, stock portfolios, or ownership stakes.
Examples: - 📈 Stock Holding - Own shares in companies - 💼 Investment - Spend now for future returns - 🏢 Ownership - Control businesses or properties
Games: Acquire, Container, Chicago Express
How conflicts and actions are resolved
Resolution mechanics determine outcomes when actions occur or conflicts arise. These are the systems that turn your decisions into results.
Examples: - 🎲 Dice Rolling - Random numeric outcomes - 🃏 Card Comparison - Compare card values - ✊ Rock-Paper-Scissors - Cyclical advantage - 🗳️ Voting - Democratic decision-making - ⚔️ Combat Resolution - Battle systems
Games: Risk, Magic: The Gathering, Cosmic Encounter
What creates unpredictability and hidden information
Uncertainty mechanics introduce elements you can't fully predict or control. They force adaptation and prevent perfect calculation.
Examples: - 🎴 Card Draw - Random cards from a deck - 🤫 Hidden Information - Secret objectives or hands - 🔀 Simultaneous Action Selection - Reveal choices at once - ✨ Variable Player Powers - Asymmetric abilities - 🎯 Secret Objectives - Hidden win conditions
Games: Coup, 7 Wonders, Race for the Galaxy
How players interact with each other
Mode mechanics define the social structure and player relationships. This is about how you relate to and affect other players.
Examples: - 🤝 Cooperative - Work together against the game - ⚔️ Competitive - Direct conflict for victory - 👥 Team-Based - Groups vs groups - 🕵️ Traitor - Hidden roles with secret agendas - 💬 Negotiation - Deals and diplomacy - 🎯 Semi-Cooperative - Shared goal with individual winners
Games: Pandemic (co-op), Diplomacy (negotiation), Battlestar Galactica (traitor)
Direct conflict and negotiation between players
Player Interaction mechanics create direct engagement between players, from conflict to cooperation.
Examples: - ⚔️ Take That - Direct attacks on opponents - 💀 Player Elimination - Remove players from the game - 🗳️ Voting - Democratic decision-making - 🤝 Negotiation - Make deals with other players
Games: Cosmic Encounter, Diplomacy, Resistance
Hidden information and deduction
Information mechanics govern what players know and don't know, creating uncertainty and deduction challenges.
Examples: - 🔒 Hidden Information - Secret cards or objectives - 🕵️ Deduction - Solve mysteries through logic - 🧠 Memory - Remember past information - 🎭 Hidden Roles - Secret identities
Games: Clue, Codenames, The Resistance, Hanabi
Development and advancement systems
Progression mechanics let players develop, upgrade, or advance their position through technology, experience, or engine building.
Examples: - 🌳 Tech Trees - Unlock technologies - ⬆️ Upgrade - Improve abilities or components - 🏗️ Engine Building - Build resource-generating systems - 🏛️ Civilization Building - Develop civilizations - 📈 Campaign/Legacy - Progress across multiple sessions
Games: Terraforming Mars, Scythe, Pandemic Legacy
The Core Engine indicator marks mechanics that are absolutely central to a game's design. These aren't just present in the game - they are the game.
What makes a mechanic "core"? - It drives the primary game loop - Removing it would fundamentally break the game - Players interact with it almost every turn - It's the main system for achieving victory
Example: In Dominion, deck-building is the core engine. In Agricola, worker placement is the core engine. Everything else supports these central mechanics.
While mechanics tell you how a game plays, thematic facets tell you what the game is about. These categories help you find games based on setting, theme, and cultural context.
Finding Your Perfect Game:
Example Searches: - "Show me all Economics + Spatial games" → Resource management games with area control - "Find Mode: Cooperative games" → Games where you work together - "Setting: Medieval + Core Action: Worker Placement" → Medieval worker placement games
Pro Tip: Games often have multiple taxonomies. A complex game might have mechanics from all six categories, while simpler games focus on 2-3 areas.