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Top Boardgame Mechanics

How is the score calculated?

To assign a score to each mechanic, 4 things are considered.

Current top 100 games on BoardGameGeek
Top 100 most played games of all time on BGG
Top 100 most-rated games of all time on BGG
Games with BGG rating of 7 or more.

All available BGG mechanics are assigned an initial score of zero. Then, the games in the above list are processed one by one.

The score of a mechanic is incremented by one when it is found in a game. This process is repeated for all the three lists above to arrive at the final score.

Use the drop-down below to check the mechanics rank for the top 50/150/200 games. You can click on a mechanic to know more.

Last updated: Jan 17, 2025

Rank	Mechanic	Score
1	Hand Management	139
2	Variable Player Powers	104
3	Solo / Solitaire Game	95
4	Variable Set-up	94
5	Open Drafting	85
6	Set Collection	84
7	End Game Bonuses	75
8	Dice Rolling	64
9	Cooperative Game	52
10	Income	51
11	Contracts	48
12	Tags	47
13	Hexagon Grid	44
13	Take That	44
15	Simultaneous Action Selection	42
15	Deck, Bag, and Pool Building	42
17	Worker Placement	41
17	Scenario / Mission / Campaign Game	41
19	Tile Placement	39
19	Modular Board	39
21	Action Points	33
22	Multi-Use Cards	32
23	Area Majority / Influence	31
23	Push Your Luck	31
25	Turn Order: Progressive	29
25	Victory Points as a Resource	29
27	Grid Movement	28
27	Events	28
27	Race	28
27	Increase Value of Unchosen Resources	28
31	Point to Point Movement	27
31	Tech Trees / Tech Tracks	27
33	Network and Route Building	26
34	Communication Limits	25
35	Area Movement	24
36	Once-Per-Game Abilities	22
36	Card Play Conflict Resolution	22
36	Delayed Purchase	22
39	Team-Based Game	21
39	Role Playing	21
41	Action Queue	20
41	Turn Order: Claim Action	20
41	Action Retrieval	20
44	Market	19
44	Movement Points	19
44	Closed Drafting	19
47	Pattern Building	17
47	Player Elimination	17
47	Turn Order: Stat-Based	17
47	Deck Construction	17
51	Campaign / Battle Card Driven	16
52	Legacy Game	15
53	Auction/Bidding	14
53	Narrative Choice / Paragraph	14
53	Ownership	14
56	Automatic Resource Growth	13
56	Grid Coverage	13
56	Hidden Victory Points	13
59	Trading	12
59	Worker Placement, Different Worker Types	12
59	Square Grid	12
59	Map Addition	12
63	Storytelling	11
63	Memory	11
63	Sudden Death Ending	11
63	Negotiation	11
67	Variable Phase Order	10
67	Score-and-Reset Game	10
67	Follow	10
70	Voting	9
70	Traitor Game	9
70	Action Drafting	9
70	Die Icon Resolution	9
70	Catch the Leader	9
70	Auction: Dutch	9
70	Track Movement	9
77	Enclosure	8
77	Turn Order: Auction	8
77	Turn Order: Pass Order	8
77	Advantage Token	8
77	Stat Check Resolution	8
77	Hidden Roles	8
77	Line of Sight	8
84	Simulation	7
84	Interrupts	7
84	Critical Hits and Failures	7
84	Force Commitment	7
88	King of the Hill	6
88	Loans	6
88	Resource to Move	6
91	Trick-taking	5
91	Paper-and-Pencil	5
91	Semi-Cooperative Game	5
91	Connections	5
91	Tug of War	5
91	Investment	5
91	Worker Placement with Dice Workers	5
91	Chaining	5
99	Area-Impulse	4
99	Auction: Turn Order Until Pass	4
99	Three Dimensional Movement	4
99	Pattern Movement	4
99	Programmed Movement	4
99	Map Reduction	4
99	Bingo	4
99	Layering	4
99	Ordering	4
108	Betting and Bluffing	3
108	Pattern Recognition	3
108	Rondel	3
108	Action/Event	3
108	Re-rolling and Locking	3
108	Finale Ending	3
108	Roles with Asymmetric Information	3
108	Random Production	3
108	Alliances	3
108	Constrained Bidding	3
108	Mancala	3
108	Bias	3
108	Map Deformation	3
108	Zone of Control	3
108	Melding and Splaying	3
108	Deduction	3
108	Neighbor Scope	3
125	Pick-up and Deliver	2
125	Commodity Speculation	2
125	Secret Unit Deployment	2
125	Turn Order: Time Track	2
125	Turn Order: Role Order	2
125	Lose a Turn	2
125	Flicking	2
125	Static Capture	2
125	Targeted Clues	2
125	Kill Steal	2
125	Highest-Lowest Scoring	2
125	Auction: Sealed Bid	2
125	Selection Order Bid	2
125	Pieces as Map	2
125	Hidden Movement	2
125	Ladder Climbing	2
141	Stock Holding	1
141	Line Drawing	1
141	Chit-Pull System	1
141	Real-Time	1
141	Passed Action Token	1
141	Command Cards	1
141	Order Counters	1
141	Prisoner's Dilemma	1
141	Bribery	1
141	Closed Economy Auction	1
141	Relative Movement	1
141	Moving Multiple Units	1
141	Move Through Deck	1
141	Slide/Push	1
N/A	Rock-Paper-Scissors	0
N/A	Crayon Rail System	0
N/A	Roll / Spin and Move	0
N/A	Singing	0
N/A	Acting	0
N/A	Single Loser Game	0
N/A	Action Timer	0
N/A	Ratio / Combat Results Table	0
N/A	Minimap Resolution	0
N/A	Player Judge	0
N/A	Elapsed Real Time Ending	0
N/A	I Cut, You Choose	0
N/A	Auction: English	0
N/A	Auction: Once Around	0
N/A	Auction: Multiple Lot	0
N/A	Auction: Dexterity	0
N/A	Auction: Fixed Placement	0
N/A	Auction: Dutch Priority	0
N/A	Measurement Movement	0
N/A	Different Dice Movement	0
N/A	Impulse Movement	0
N/A	Movement Template	0
N/A	Multiple Maps	0
N/A	Turn Order: Random	0
N/A	Stacking and Balancing	0
N/A	Physical Removal	0
N/A	Cube Tower	0
N/A	Speed Matching	0
N/A	Hot Potato	0
N/A	Induction	0
N/A	Predictive Bid	0
N/A	Matching	0
N/A	Drawing	0
N/A	Bids As Wagers	0
N/A	Auction Compensation	0
N/A	Questions and Answers	0
N/A	Resource Queue	0

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