Tag: Open Drafting

Games with Open Drafting mechanics allow players to choose new resources from a shared pool. The pool of resources is public, meaning all players will see available options.

The Siege of Runedar

| T3d-1978
The Siege of Runedar

The Siege of Runedar

Since time immemorial, the mines of Runedar have supplied gold to generations of dwarves. Today, only a handful of them remain, guarding the fortress surrounding the entrance to the old, depleted mine… or so it was thought. This group of dwarves have been fortunate enough to accidently stumble upon a new vein of the purest gold and have managed to extract a small treasure. Unfortunately, just as they were about to set off to the safety of the nearest stronghold, they discover that the old fortress of Runedar is surrounded by orcs who are willing to do anything to get their hands on the precious metal. Now, the dwarves not only need to defend the fortress, they also must dig a tunnel under the mountain to escape and get their hard-earned gold to safety.

The Siege of Runedar is a co-operative game for 1-4 players who take on the role of dwarves charged with defending the walls of Runedar and the treasure they keep within. They will have to face orcs, goblins, and trolls, fighting in hand-to-hand combat against those who manage to get past the walls and shooting from a distance at those who try to enter. A deck-building system allows players to upgrade their weapons and tools as they must hold off the raiders long enough to build a tunnel to escape the terrible siege they have been subjected to and get the treasure to safety.

Game Mechanics:

  • Area Movement
  • Cooperative
  • Deck Building
  • Dice Rolling
  • Open Drafting

Game Specifications:

  • 1 – 4 Players
  • 60 – 90 Minutes
  • Difficulty Weight 2.33

Shaolia

| T3d-1978
Shaolia

Shaolia

Shaolia is a board game filled with deadly strategy and countless possibilities to build your own kingdom.

  • Build your very own kingdom with various building & character cards
  • Utilize creative tactics to take the lead with highly dynamic game play
  • Dive into the world of Shaolia through fantastic artwork and storylines

There are two ways to win in Shaolia. You can either deal 12 damage to your opponent’s palace and destroy it, or you can achieve 18 culture score.

The game is played through multiple rounds.
A round consists of 3 different phases.

  • Purchase Phase: Purchase cards and resources.
  • Building Phase: Build the purchased cards on the territory board.
  • Action Phase:  Roll the dice and activate cards built on the territory board, using dice.

Game Mechanics:

  • City Building
  • Dice Rolling
  • Open Drafting
  • Worker Placement

Game Specifications:

  • 2 – 4 Players
  • 30 – 60 Minutes
  • Difficulty Weight 2.43

Shadow Kingdoms of Valeria

| T3d-1978
Shadow Kingdoms of Valeria

Shadow Kingdoms of Valeria

For years the humans, elves, and dwarves have been slowly encroaching on your territories and slaying your kind in the name of progress. They’ve built their citadels, keeps, and villages as they push you further into the darkness. Now is the time to rally your troops and lay waste to their kind and bring forth the reign of the Shadow Kingdoms!

You are a Warden hungry for the destruction of Valeria. You must outwit the other Wardens to earn the right to command an army for the Shadow Kingdoms. Visit dark Shrines to gain minions, magic, gems, and gold to fuel your war machine. Command monsters into battle to conquer the lands and earn Victory Points. The player with the most Victory Points at the end of the game will be declared the winner.

On your turn, you must move your Warden from its current location to a new location. When your Warden enters one of the 5 Shrines, you first take any available die from the Shrine and place it on your player board, then perform the Shrine action associated with the Shrine.

There are 5 troop types (die colors) in the game: Goblin (green), Orc (red), Skeleton (white), Gargoyle (purple), and Gnoll (brown). Send your Warden to the Camp on your player board to use your minion dice to resolve battle plans and place Victory tokens on your Campaign board.

Game Mechanics:

  • Dice Rolling
  • Open Drafting
  • Worker Placement

Game Specifications:

  • 1 – 5 Players
  • 30 – 75 Minutes
  • Difficulty Weight 2.56

San Francisco

| T3d-1978
San Francisco

San Francisco

For San Francisco, the first half of the 20th century is an era of dynamic growth and new opportunities. It’s also a chance for you — junior urban planner — to take part in a contest for the most amazing reconstruction plan of the city. Sit down with your sketchbook and create a project that will make you stand out from the competition. Design a beautiful city in this game by Reiner Knizia, world-famous board game designer.

In the board game San Francisco, you become an urban planner whose goal is to create the greatest redevelopment plan of the famous city in California. Design districts in each of the five types, racing against all the other planners. Choose the right moment to take on new projects — but be careful, if you take on too many projects it’ll be harder to gain more. Earn more prestige by cleverly designing a system of cable car connections. Lay foundations and carefully design the nearby landscape, allowing you to build new skyscrapers. Create a new vision of San Francisco that will gain the most rewards, and win through fame and recognition.

Game Mechanics:

  • City Building
  • Open Drafting
  • Tile Placement

Game Specifications:

  • 2 – 4 Players
  • 45 – 60 Minutes
  • Difficulty Weight 2.00

Saloon Tycoon

| T3d-1978
Saloon Tycoon

Saloon Tycoon

Players are Saloon owners in an old west gold rush town. They’ve purchased lots on the four corners of the main crossroads and need to expand their small establishments into thriving businesses. Their goal is to create massive centers for commerce and entertainment in the wilds of the West. To boost their success, they’ll need to attract the wealthy and famous citizens of the town while keeping away the less savory characters.

This is a building and tile placement game where the purpose of the game is to build the best saloon. The game is played by each player taking a board and then taking turns going clockwise from the first player earning gold, taking an action, building and collecting bonuses.

The player with the most reputation points at the end of the game wins!

Game Mechanics:

  • Action Points
  • Open Drafting
  • Tile Placement

Game Specifications:

  • 2 – 4 Players
  • 30 – 60 Minutes
  • Difficulty Weight 2.29

Sagrada

| T3d-1978
Sagrada

Sagrada

Draft dice and use the tools-of-the-trade in Sagrada to carefully construct your stained glass window masterpiece.

In more detail, each player builds a stained glass window by building up a grid of dice on their player board. Each board has some restrictions on which color or shade (value) of die can be placed there. Dice of the same shade or color may never be placed next to each other. Dice are drafted in player order, with the start player rotating each round, snaking back around after the last player drafts two dice. Scoring is variable per game based on achieving various patterns and varieties of placement…as well as bonus points for dark shades of a particular hidden goal color.

Special tools can be used to help you break the rules by spending skill tokens; once a tool is used, it then requires more skill tokens for the other players to use them.

The highest scoring window artisan wins!

Game Mechanics:

  • Dice Rolling
  • Grid Coverage
  • Open Drafting
  • Pattern Building
  • Puzzle
  • Set Collection

Game Specifications:

  • 1 – 4 Players
  • 30 – 45 Minutes
  • Difficulty Weight 1.92

Roll Player

| T3d-1978
Roll Player

Roll Player

Mighty heroes don’t just appear out of thin air — you must create them! Race, class, alignment, skills, traits, and equipment are all elements of the perfect hero, who is ready to take on all opposition in the quest for glory and riches.

In Roll Player, you will compete to create the greatest fantasy adventurer who has ever lived, preparing your character to embark on an epic quest. Roll and draft dice to build up your character’s attributes. Purchase weapons and armor to outfit your hero. Train to gain skills and discover your hero’s traits to prepare them for their journey. Earn Reputation Stars by constructing the perfect character. The player with the greatest Reputation wins the game and will surely triumph over whatever nefarious plot lies ahead!

Game Mechanics:

  • Dice Rolling
  • Open Drafting
  • Role Playing
  • Set Collection

Game Specifications:

  • 1 – 4 Players
  • 60 – 90 Minutes
  • Difficulty Weight 2.42

Rocketmen

| T3d-1978
Rocketmen

Rocketmen

They have set up their empires of trailblazing innovation and groundbreaking technologies on a somewhat unremarkable planet circling around a rather average star. Years of hard work and steadfast dedication to their clear-cut vision of looking further than the day-to-day toils and chores of human civilization have cemented their reputation as the forefathers of the future humanity. Secretly, they have never stopped dreaming about the thrust of all their entrepreneurial actions and deeds – reaching the stars. Now, the time has come for them to embark on a second giant leap for humankind, to make the outer reaches of the solar system our home. Only one of them shall go down in history as the first explorer of space and a person who truly forged their will and power according to the bold words: citius, altius, fortius – faster, higher, stronger.

Immerse yourself in a fast-paced race to the final frontier: space. A deck-building confrontation of swift decision-making and tactical choices, Rocketmen gives you the feel of taking a front seat in a technologically wonderful spectacle of space exploration. It’s up to your predictive abilities and resource management skills to determine what kind of endeavor would be most suitable for paving the way to Earth’s celestial neighbors. It doesn’t matter whether it would be a low Earth orbit satellite or a manned base destined for the Red Planet; plan your mission carefully, equip your shuttles and rockets craftily, yet do not hesitate when your gut instinct tells you when it’s time to launch!

The universe might wait for you eternally. Your opponents won’t!

Game Mechanics:

  • Deck Building
  • Economic
  • Hand Management
  • Hidden Roles
  • Open Drafting
  • Push Your Luck
  • Racing

Game Specifications:

  • 1 – 4 Players
  • 30 – 90 Minutes
  • Difficulty Weight 2.58

Rescuing Robin Hood

| T3d-1978
Rescuing Robin Hood

Rescuing Robin Hood

Rescuing Robin Hood is a collaborative deck-building game that takes 45-60 min and plays 1-5 players. Robin Hood has been captured! As the leaders of the Merry Band you have only 5 days to come to his rescue, using all the Wit, Brawn and Stealth you can muster. Each turn you work together to rescue villagers captured by the Sheriff of Nottingham’s men. As more people are rescued new villagers join your side. Once you have built up your Merry Band you select your dream team, storm the castle, and fight one final battle to rescue Robin Hood!

Game Mechanics:

  • Cooperative
  • Deck Building
  • Open Drafting
  • Push Your Luck

Game Specifications:

  • 1 – 5 Players
  • 60 – 90 Minutes
  • Difficulty Weight 2.29

Regency

| T3d-1978
Regency

Regency

Take up the mantle of history’s greatest rulers in this fast-paced, interactive, civilization-themed, set-collection game! Compete against Attila the Hun, Cleopatra, William Wallace, and Queen of Sheba, in your quest to assemble a diverse domain, consisting of six different citizen types. But beware! Rival regents will attract citizens away from your domain, whether by allure, by force, or by treachery.

Set against a historical and multi-cultural backdrop, Regency simulates the struggle of power and control that has marked the rise and fall of the world’s greatest empires. Players use cards out of their hand to exert influence over citizens and to perform various actions and reactions. With the addition of each new caste of citizen (including nobles, religious, military, merchants, commoners, and even brigands), new actions become available, resulting in an ever-escalating dynamic and competitive environment, right up to the crowning moment when one regent emerges supreme.

Game Mechanics:

  • Civilization
  • Hand Management
  • Open Drafting
  • Set Collection
  • Take That

Game Specifications:

  • 2 – 6 Players
  • 20 – 40 Minutes
  • Difficulty Weight 2.33