Random Game Idea Generator

Acting

Games with the Acting mechanic require players to use some form of mime or mimicry to communicate with the other players.

Action Queue

Players create and execute sequences of actions. Actions can be performed all at once or added and executed one at a time. Queues may be individual or shared.

Action/Event

On their turn, the player plays a card that shows Action Points and an Event. They must choose to either use the Action Points or perform the Event. If they choose to use Action Points, typically the Event may be performed by another player.

Area Majority / Influence

Multiple players may occupy a space and gain benefits based on their proportional presence in the space.

Auction/Bidding

Players bid resources to acquire items that provide benefits or improve their position. Types include Dexterity, Dutch, Dutch Priority, English, Fixed Placement, Multiple Lot, Once Around, Sealed Bid, Turn Order Until Pass, Auction Compensation, and Closed Economy.

Bias

Pieces automatically move in a certain direction, or it is easier to move in a certain direction, or some directional/environmental vector has game play effects.

Bribery

Players offer bribes to other players to get them to perform specific actions.

Catch the Leader

The game systems advantage players that are behind or disadvantage players that are ahead. If this advantage is limited to turn order, then Turn Order: Stat-Based should be tagged instead.

Closed Drafting

Closed Drafting (or 'Card Drafting') is a means of distributing cards or other game elements to players through an ordered, closed selection process such as select and pass.

Communication Limits

Players are restricted in how they can communicate with each other, either through absolute restrictions on specific information or limits on communication methods.

Contracts

Players fulfill contracts to earn rewards. These can be either public where all players compete to complete them, or private where only the owning player may fulfill them.

Critical Hits and Failures

Dice are rolled and those exceeding a target number generate a success. Certain rolls generate additional success or extreme failure.

Deck, Bag, and Pool Building

Players use individual decks, acquiring new cards and cycling through them to improve their deck over time.

Dice Rolling

Dice Rolling is a game mechanism that can be used for many things, randomness being the most obvious.

Drawing

Players draw a picture and other players guess what the picture is intended to depict.

End Game Bonuses

Players earn (or lose!) bonus Victory Points (VPs) at the end of the game based on meeting victory conditions.

Flicking

A Physical Action needs to be performed by one or more players to determine the outcome of the action.

Grid Coverage

Players cover a grid using various shapes, often matching defined areas on the board.

Hexagon Grid

Pieces are placed on a board tessellated with hexagons, which is used for adjacency and/or movement.

Hidden Victory Points

The number of Victory Points held by each player is private information.

I Cut, You Choose

A method of drafting where one player divides a set of resources into different groups; other players have first choice of which group to select.

Increase Value of Unchosen Resources

If players do not select certain Actions or Resources, then they increase in value.

Investment

Players purchase an interest in a game entity to generate a monetary or VP benefit. The ultimate value is determined over the course of the game.

Ladder Climbing

Players play one card, or a set of related cards. Subsequently, players must play cards of an equal or higher value of the same set already played. The last player to successfully play wins the right to start a new round of Climbing.

Line Drawing

Games using the line drawing mechanic involve the drawing of lines in one way or another. Lines may be used to connect objects, isolate objects, or create areas.

Lose a Turn

This is a meta-mechanism that can be applied to a variety of turn structures. A player who “Loses a Turn” must skip their next opportunity for a turn, and will go to the next round, or the next time their turn arises.

Map Deformation

The map is modified during the course of the game through rotation or shifts.

Matching

Players must make their next play by matching a feature on the previous play. This is frequently used in shedding games like UNO or Crazy Eights, where number or color/suit need to be matched.

Memory

Hidden, trackable information whose tracking gives players an advantage.

Move Through Deck

Players Move Through a Deck of cards with various objectives like reaching the bottom, defeating a boss, or deciding when to quit.

Moving Multiple Units

Actions may Move one or Multiple Units.

Narrative Choice / Paragraph

Multiple action options are presented to the players via a narrative format.

Network and Route Building

The game involves developing connected routes and nodes. This provides in-game effects beyond scoring, such as triggering actions or requiring maintenance costs.

Order Counters

Players place Order Markers into specific regions (or zone, or hexagon, or square) of the game board, indicating what they want to do in that particular region of the game board. After all markers are placed, they are executed in sequence.

Paper-and-Pencil

The game is developed using paper and pen to mark and save responses or attributes that, at the end of the game, are used to score points and determine the winner.

Pattern Movement

Pieces move in a specific pattern relative to the board grid.

Pick-up and Deliver

Players collect items from one location and deliver them to another for rewards.

Player Judge

One player, the judge, decides the outcome of the Action.

Prisoner's Dilemma

Each player has a choice between Cooperating or Defecting. Total payoff is maximized if both players Cooperate, but if one Defects and the other Cooperates, the Defector will score more individual points.

Questions and Answers

Players ask and answer questions in a manner constrained by rules.

Ratio / Combat Results Table

Combat is resolved by expressing the total strength of attacking and defending units as a ratio. A dice roll then determines the final result from a Combat Results Table.

Relative Movement

The precise location of units is not tracked. Only their Relative Position is important.

Rock-Paper-Scissors

There are three possible options, and they are cyclically superior (A beats B, B beats C, and C beats A).

Roll / Spin and Move

Roll / Spin and move games are games where players roll dice or spin spinners and move playing pieces in accordance with the roll.

Score-and-Reset Game

Players play multiple rounds, scoring and resetting between each, with the highest cumulative score winning.

Semi-Cooperative Game

A game in which players are cooperating and competing with each other throughout the game, while trying to complete a common objective.

Simultaneous Action Selection

Players plan their turn secretly and simultaneously. Then, they reveal their plans at the same time.

Slide/Push

Players push or slide a token, and other tokens ahead of it are also pushed.

Spelling

Players arrange cards, tiles, or other components that represent an individual letter or small group of letters to create words.

Stat Check Resolution

There is a target number required to succeed at some test. A random number is generated (by card draw, die roll, etc.), which is compared to the target. If it meets or exceeds the target, the action succeeds.

Storytelling

Players are provided with conceptual, written, or pictorial stimuli which must be incorporated into a story of their creation.

Take That

Players can directly target one opponent's progress toward victory. Such mechanics include stealing, nullifying, or force-discarding of resources, actions, or abilities.

Tech Trees / Tech Tracks

During the game, new actions become available to specific players. Existing actions may also be improved.

Track Movement

Pieces are moved along a linear track (not necessarily straight - it may turn, curve or loop).

Trick-taking

Players play cards from their hand to the table in a series of rounds, or “tricks” which are each evaluated separately to determine a winner and to apply other potential effects.

Variable Player Powers

Variable Player Powers is a mechanic that grants different abilities and/or paths to victory to the players.

Voting

Players vote on whether a proposed action will occur or not.

Worker Placement, Different Worker Types

Workers have different abilities or can be upgraded/downgraded for different placement options.

Action Drafting

Players select from limited actions in a shared pool. Once chosen, an action cannot be selected again.

Action Retrieval

Each player has a set of Actions available to them, embodied in cards, tokens, or some other affordance. Once performed, they are spent and may not be performed again until retrieved. Action Retrieval typically is itself an Action, or may take an entire turn.

Advantage Token

One player has a token that permits them to do a special Action, or modify an Action. Once used, the token passes to another player.

Area Movement

The game board is divided into irregularly shaped areas to determine adjacency and movement. This can be contrasted to point to point movement and grid movement.

Automatic Resource Growth

The automatic increase of a resource triggered by a particular, conditional, deterministic (not random) game state.

Bids As Wagers

Players bid that they can achieve some outcome in the ensuing gameplay phase. Scoring is based on whether and how well players achieve their bids.

Campaign / Battle Card Driven

Players' actions are determined by cards in their hand. Each action uses one card, often with multiple possible uses.

Chaining

Pieces are stationary but are built out in chains. This can give a dynamic sense of motion to the game, even though the pieces do not move.

Command Cards

Players have a hand of cards that allows them to activate and perform actions with a subset of their units.

Connections

Players are trying to form connections between different points on the board. Essentially, this is a specialized kind of set collection in which the sets collected represent ties between nodes, often represented as routes between destinations.

Cooperative Game

Players coordinate their actions to achieve a common win condition or conditions. Players all win or lose the game together.

Cube Tower

Players drop colored cubes into a tower and resolve actions based on which cubes emerge. Stuck cubes may emerge later during future actions.

Deduction

Players are trying to determine the identity of hidden information based on clues.

Die Icon Resolution

The player rolls a number of custom dice to resolve an event or conflict. Results must match specific symbols for success.

Elapsed Real Time Ending

The game ends after a set amount of actual time has elapsed. During the game, individual players may have separate turns, or play may be simultaneous--in which all players play at the same time.

Events

Actions occur outside the control of players that cause an immediate effect, change the state of the game, or impact subsequent actions.

Follow

One player selects an Action. Other players may then perform that Action, or a modified version of it. This is closely related to Action Drafting (ACT-02) and Role Selection (TRN-10), and is often implemented alongside those systems.

Grid Movement

Grid Movement occurs when pawns move on the grid in many directions. The grid may be square (like in Chess) or hexagonal (like in the classic wargames).

Hidden Movement

Movement occurs that is not visible to all players.

Highest-Lowest Scoring

Each player's score is equal to the lowest value of several categories. Whoever has the highest lowest value is the winner.

Impulse Movement

A turn is broken up into a series of small Impulses. Depending on their speed, units will be able to move in specific Impulses.

Induction

Players are attempting to determine the rules governing a situation. In a typical induction games, a game master creates a hidden rule. Players then create patterns and are advised by the game master whether they match the rule or not.

Kill Steal

Players contribute towards completing a task, but only the player who finally completes it gets a particular benefit or bonus reward (even if others share in the base level benefit).

Layering

Components are placed above other components, partially covering the ones below, or overlapping in various ways. Only the topmost visible icons/areas are active.

Line of Sight

Units may only see certain areas.

Mancala

Players pick up tokens in one space, then place them one-by-one in spaces in a specific direction around a circle, with the last space having special significance.

Map Reduction

Over the course of the game, the map shrinks.

Measurement Movement

Pieces may be moved up to a certain distance, measured by a ruler.

Minimap Resolution

When a conflict is initiated, pieces are moved to a separate board for resolution.

Movement Points

A piece is given points to spend on movement. Spaces can cost different amounts depending on the terrain.

Multi-Use Cards

Multiple actions are shown on a card, but only one can be used.

Negotiation

Players make agreements about coordinating action, beyond simply Trading.

Once-Per-Game Abilities

Players have a special ability that they can use one time per game.

Ordering

The objective of the game is to rearrange a group of game elements from a disordered to an ordered state.

Passed Action Token

Players take turns by passing action tokens clockwise. Actions happen in real-time with no structured turns.

Pattern Recognition

Players must identify known or emergent patterns created by game components to achieve objectives.

Pieces as Map

The Pieces themselves compose the Map.

Point to Point Movement

Movement occurs between specific connected points on the board. Movement can only happen along these connecting lines.

Programmed Movement

Players simultaneously program their movement, and then reveal and execute it. This mechanism tends to promote chaos in a game, and benefits those with good spatial relations.

Race

Games where the first player to achieve a key objective wins the game. Typically this is expressed as the winner being the first player to reach the end of a track, or any type of fixed goal.

Re-rolling and Locking

Dice may be rerolled, or may be locked, preventing rerolling.

Resource Queue

Resources are in an ordered queue, and can only be pulled from one end, or rarely, both ends, but not the middle.

Role Playing

Some board games incorporate elements of role playing. It can be that players control a character that improves over time. It can also be a game that encourages or inspires Storytelling. This mechanic can be viewed as an extension of Variable Player Powers.

Rondel

Actions are arranged in a circle. Players move tokens around this circle to select and perform actions.

Secret Unit Deployment

Some pieces enter play secretly, with only the controlling player knowing their true nature or location.

Set Collection

The value of items is dependent on being part of a set; for example, scoring according to groups of a certain quantity or variety.

Singing

Games that use a Singing mechanic require players to hum or sing familiar songs in order to fulfill certain game requirements.

Solo / Solitaire Game

Games that are intended for play by a single player, or that have a game mode intended for play by a single player.

Square Grid

Pieces are placed on a board tessellated with squares, which is used for adjacency and/or movement

Static Capture

Pieces are captured when another piece occupies or passes over their space.

Sudden Death Ending

Play continues until a player achieves a certain victory condition. Alternatively, special conditions can trigger an early end to gameplay.

Targeted Clues

A player gives clues that they want some, but not all, players to guess.

Three Dimensional Movement

Position and movement of pieces is in three dimensions. This can either be represented by a multi-level play surface, or some token or indicator of the height.

Trading

Players may Trade assets directly with each other, rather than via a Market.

Tug of War

A marker is moved up and back on a track towards or away from a neutral position.

Variable Set-up

The starting game state varies from game to game, through changes to shared game components like the map, and/or changes to starting player set-ups, resources, objectives, etc.

Worker Placement

Players place tokens (meeples) on action spaces to claim and perform those actions. Each player has limited tokens to use each round.

Zone of Control

Spaces adjacent to a unit impact the ability of opposing units to move or attack.

Action Points

A player receives a number of Action Points or Operation Points on their turn. They may spend them on a variety of Actions.

Action Timer

Players place timers on spaces to take actions. When a timer expires, it can be moved to take another action. Play is simultaneous with no turns.

Alliances

Players have formal relationships that may change over the course of the game.

Area-Impulse

Players subdivide turns into impulses alternating between players which repeat until both players pass. Units in an area are activated collectively before being marked spent.

Betting and Bluffing

Players commit stakes to purchase a chance of winning based on some random outcome. Players typically have partial information about the game state and may bluff or fold.

Bingo

Items are selected at random, and each player needs to use the items for their own player boards.

Card Play Conflict Resolution

Players simultaneously or sequentially play cards that modify conflict outcomes and trigger special abilities.

Chit-Pull System

Players randomly draw chits to determine which units can be activated for movement or combat on their turn. Used in wargames to simulate battlefield command and control.

Commodity Speculation

Players buy and sell commodities as they change value throughout the game.

Constrained Bidding

Players may only bid using specific increments or resource combinations.

Crayon Rail System

A subcategory of Route/Network Building using crayon or other non-permanent methods of making connecting lines on a board.

Deck Construction

As the first step, or prior to playing the game, players create the deck they will use.

Delayed Purchase

Items that are purchased do not enter play right away but arrive on a future turn.

Different Dice Movement

Different Dice are used to move depending on unit or game state.

Enclosure

Players place or move pieces in order to surround areas contiguously with their pieces.

Finale Ending

When the main game ends, a special mini-game is played to determine the victor.

Force Commitment

Players select how many forces they will commit to different battle categories. This can be simultaneous or incremental prior to resolution.

Hand Management

Players are rewarded for playing cards in optimal sequences or groups, with cards often having multiple possible uses.

Hidden Roles

In games with hidden roles, one or more players are assigned differing roles that are not publicly revealed.

Hot Potato

A single item is bad for players to have, and players strive to pass it to other players or avoid it so they are not holding it at game end or some other defined time.

Income

Players gain resources at defined times.

Interrupts

This is a meta-mechanic for Turn Order. Players may take an action that interrupts the normal turn flow.

King of the Hill

Games with a king of the hill mechanism reward players with points or other advantages for occupying a special position on the board. How long can you hold your ground?

Legacy Game

A multi-session game in which permanent and irreversible changes to the game state carry over to future plays. Components may be written on with permanent ink, torn apart, covered with a sticker, etc.

Loans

Players may take a Loan from the bank to get more money.

Map Addition

The map is added to as it is explored.

Market

Players may buy from or sell resources to Markets, where prices and quantities can vary. This is often a primary feature of Economic games, but sometimes only a secondary mechanism.

Melding and Splaying

Cards can be played together in sets, with how they overlap affecting their abilities.

Modular Board

Play occurs upon a modular board that is composed of multiple pieces, often tiles or cards.

Movement Template

A defined Movement Template is used to determine where a piece moves to.

Multiple Maps

The game takes place on Multiple Maps which are connected at defined points.

Neighbor Scope

Actions, resources, or resolution are shared between neighbors.

Open Drafting

Open Drafting is used in games in which players pick cards (or tiles, resources, dice, etc) from a common pool, to gain some advantage (immediate or longterm) or to assemble collections that are used to meet objectives within the game.

Ownership

Players own entities, and perform actions for those entities, or collect benefits if others use them.

Pattern Building

Players must configure game components in sophisticated patterns in order to score or trigger actions, as would be typical for games in the Puzzle category.

Physical Removal

Pieces are removed from a structure, and play is affected by things that fall or a complete collapse of the structure.

Player Elimination

A player can be removed from the game, no longer participating.

Predictive Bid

Players make a prediction about what they will do in a future part of the game, and may score points based on how well they match the prediction.

Push Your Luck

Players must decide between keeping current gains or risking them for greater rewards. Success depends on luck or randomness.

Random Production

Resources are generated from a random process and distributed to qualifying players.

Real-Time

There are no turns. Players play as quickly as possible, subject to certain constraints, until the game or phase is completed.

Resource to Move

Players expend a Resource to Move.

Roles with Asymmetric Information

One or more players are secretly assigned roles at the start of the game which have different win conditions, and receive different starting information about the game state.

Scenario / Mission / Campaign Game

A game system with variable maps, resources, positions, and victory conditions that can form a broader narrative.

Selection Order Bid

Players bid for draft order rather than directly for items. As bids increase, players may accept later positions.

Simulation

Simulation games attempt to create a realistic model of actual events or situations.

Single Loser Game

A game which concludes when a single player loses.

Speed Matching

A pattern is revealed, typically through a card flip, and players try to be the first to find a match with other game elements on the table, or see if a match exists.

Stacking and Balancing

Players must physically stack and balance pieces.

Stock Holding

Stock Holding is a subcategory of Investment, in which players may buy and sell (or retain) defined interests in a shared asset, such as a company, commodity or nation. This will often grant certain privileges of Ownership.

Tags

Game objects have icons or identifiers that categorize them. These tags can trigger special effects, have variable meanings, and connect game elements to additional rules and systems.

Team-Based Game

In team-based games, teams of players compete with one another to obtain victory such as with symmetrical teams like 2v2 and 3v3 or even One vs. All.

Tile Placement

Players place tiles to score points or trigger effects based on adjacency, grouping, or tile properties.

Traitor Game

A traitor game can be seen as a kind of team game, or as a cooperative game with a betrayal mechanism. The traitors typically win by triggering a failure condition for the players.

Variable Phase Order

Variable Phase Order implies that turns may not be played the same way as before and / or after.

Victory Points as a Resource

Victory Points (VPs) may be spent as a currency to impact the game state.

Worker Placement with Dice Workers

Workers are represented by dice whose pip values impact play.