Designers, my question here started as something that came up during a meeting with a publisher. While we were playtesting the latest version of one of my signed games, we were talking about the different ways to gain a power (specifically, the ability to trash a card in a deck-builder). I came up with three categories: Luck, Merit, and Choice:
Luck - I got dealt a card, or it's my turn and this card is available in the market row.
Merit - Because I'm leading on this track or in control in some way, I get to do this thing.
Choice - this is an action I can always take, as long as I have the resources or ability to do so.
After the playtest, I asked my fellow designers on the Board Game Design Lab on Facebook what other ways came to mind... and wow, they delivered!
In the end, I added a couple more categories - to round out the main categories, then sorted through dozens of comments to find the different ways you can gain a power or action. There's a lot of nuances here, and there's no chance this list will ever be complete - leave a comment with what's missing!
Contextual - An action has now become possible because of the changing game state.
Die roll - I get this or do this because of a die roll.
Draw a card / token - I get this or do this because I draw a card / token.
Inherited - I land on the resources left behind by a player who got knocked out.
Auction - I paid the most for it.
Control - I have a thing because I am in control of something.
Cost - I paid for it in some way.
Creative - I performed, rhymed, or otherwise did something creative to get this.
Dexterity - My fingers, body, or pieces got into the right positions.
Earned - I successfully completed an objective and earned resources / points.
Exclusivity - I am the only person with access to resource X or the only one who took action Y, I have the exclusive power to use this.
Hard skill - A game might reward reaction speed/dexterity/rhyme/spelling or a thousand other things you can use as a core mechanic to power a complex game.
Income - each turn I gain X income and resources based on something I’ve done.
Knowledge - I answered the question correctly.
Location - I am in the ‘correct’ location so I get something as a result.
Memory - e.g. you remembered where a certain card was.
Player Elimination - you gain the resources/abilities of a player you eliminated.
Sacrifice - I gave something up or destroyed / trashed something to get this new thing.
Secret Objectives - I can do the thing on my secret card to gain a bonus.
Speed - I was the fastest to react, the first to reach the right spot.
Synergy / efficiency - I can do it better or collect more things because of a synergy or efficiency.
Unlocked - I now have the ability to do this thing / access this market because I’ve leveled up or unlocked that power in some way.
Leftovers - I get this because someone else did not choose it.
Non-Zero-Sum Draft - I have this action because I chose it, but my opponents still have access to it (or some version of it)
Press-your-luck - I chose to take a chance (although the outcome will be, y’know, luck)
Time - because it's the Nth round/my Nth turn/etc., I can do X.
Zero-Sum Draft - I have this action because I chose it, and now my opponents don't have access to it.
Betrayal - I’ve decided to break my alliance and take everything for myself.
Bluff - I can take this action, so long as no other players call me out on it.
Cheat - the game allows me to break its rules, as long as I don’t get caught.
Deceive - but I might also trick someone else into completing a goal or thing for me, then I get the resources or points.
Follow - Your opponent did X, now you can also do X, or some version of X. This may require you to also have the resources to do X.
Influence - I’ve convinced another player/other players to do something that gives me power.
Offer - Another player offers me a power or ability because they gain a benefit from doing so.
Remaining choices - Because my opponents did X, I am now able to do Y.
Social Voting - someone gets to be in charge, and the other players chose me.
Share - I can give another player access to my power or thing for some amount of time.
Steal - when I do something to another player, I can take their resource / thing.
Teamwork - My ally gave me what I need for our mutual gain.
Trade - with another player or the game in some way.
Allowance - I am granted this power or action a set number of times each turn.
Asymmetry - I get this action because my role or character is different.
Catch-up mechanic - you are losing in some way, so the game gives you some help.
Consolation - I got outbid on a card, thus I get an action instead of the card itself.
Headwinds - you are winning in some way, so the game makes it harder for you to score
Milestone - a game phase or event that happens at known intervals
Turn - It’s my turn to get a thing or do a thing.
Turn order - I go first in the round (or last in the round), so I get an additional power.
What did I miss? Comments are open.
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