Roll and Move: Game Mechanics 101

If you have played any mainstream games you have probably played Yatzee. Although I have run into people that have not heard of this timeless classic, it is probably the most well know roll and write game. Most mechanics are pretty self explanatory, and this is no exception. You are going to roll dice and record things on your sheet of paper. They tend to be small box games, easy to travel with, but not always easy to teach or learn.

In Yatzee, you are simply collecting sets from the die results. The dice are normal 6 sided dice (d6). With these basic dice we can bring things up a notch. Quixx allows players to participate in each person's turn. It also combines simple number writing with a push your luck element. Another game that uses a basic d6 is Welcome to Dino World.  

Games like Railroad Ink use dice with different sides. In Railroad Ink, for example, the sides of the dice have railroad and street configurations. They are written on your board to create the most efficient transportation system with the most connections. 

There are starting to be more variations in this genre. One of our most played games is Welcome To... It is a flip and write game, utilizing cards instead of dice.

What are your favorite roll and write games? Tell us in the comments! 

Tile Placement: Game Mechanics 101

Welcome back to game mechanics 101! Today's topic is tile  placement. It is a broad subject since the essence of the mechanic is that you have tiles that you place to construct some thing. We have had a lot of tile placement games over the years. Even though they utilize the same mechanic, they feel very different.

Square tiles are very common in these games. Carcassonne,  our first hobby board game, uses the tiles to build a map with cities, roads, and cloisters. Glenmore II is similar but each person makes their own individual map and it is combined with a rondel mechanic. In Alhambra, the tiles for your city must be purchased.

Between 2 Cities is another city building game but it doesn't only use squares. It changes things up with some rectangular tiles and building with teammates. Castles of Mad King Ludwig has a variety of shapes to construct your castle. There is even a mash up of these 2 games, Between 2 Castles of Mad King Ludwig.

With Tetris style tiles, Baren Park brings tile placement into the puzzle realm. The pieces build your zoo but they need to interlock efficiently to win the game. Patchwork is another of these type of games but adds a little economy as you need to make money to buy tiles.

Share with us your favorite tile placement game or one you are interested in trying. I for one am interested in trying Cottage Garden. Join us next week for roll and write games.