Worker placement games - luck has no place at the gaming table

Every table game has a greater or lesser luck factor. It is determined by the structure of the game, the theme and other elements. There are board games where luck is the central element, which makes it an exciting adventure for all players. And then there are those games where luck smiles a piece at a time from the next bus going in the opposite direction. In this article, we will look at worker placement games and their advantages and disadvantages.

Games of this type go hand in hand with the mechanics of engine building, in which players develop the economy and resource extraction, which strengthens the power of the represented characters and the path to victory with each subsequent turn of the game . It is an extremely enjoyable process during which you, as a player, watch the growth of your mighty empire.

Basic principles of worker placement games

Worker placement games are usually strategies, where the main principle of operation is related to placing your pieces or workers on different action fields. In this way, players create their own strategy and make tactical decisions based on the activities of other players and the elements included in the game.

In these games, there will always be money, resources, various cards, events and the management of all these available game components, which for some players will seem like an exciting multi-hour activity, while for others it will be a boring and overly complicated process.

Games usually consist of several rounds and an alternating order of players. Each round of a player consists of several actions. If a player has occupied one of the action squares, for example, to obtain a specific resource, then usually other players do not get to this action. Therefore, sometimes it is even beneficial to skip some actions in order to get to the status of the first player and ensure yourself the advantage of the first player in the next round - to choose the action you like the most, which could harm your competitors.

When the round is over, the workers return to the players to be deployed again in the next game round. Each round is unique and allows players to expand their area of ​​influence, collect more resources and, accordingly, get more points.

The world classic of worker placement

Some great examples of worker placement games are Stone Age , Agricola , Puerto Rico, and many other similar games. Such games always have a point system and players compete with each other for the title of first place and bragging rights in post-game discussions, which usually discuss what could have been done differently.

In a sense, the world-famous game " Wingspan " can also be considered a worker placement game, but the success factor in this game is much higher than assumed. Competition between players is also severely limited. Competition means a lot and is one of the cornerstones of these games. The number of actions available is usually common to all players. If someone has, for example, taken the activity of obtaining resources, then other players do not get to this activity and either it should have been foreseen in advance, or they have to be able to adapt to the situation.

Newcomers might definitely like Lords of Waterdeep , which is relatively easy to learn. The game has received many awards and is highly rated on the BGG charts with an overall rating of 7.7 out of 10. Champions of Midgard is another excellent game that will give you a good idea of ​​the worker placement genre and provide you with a great time in the viking atmosphere. This game is also rated with a prestigious 7.7 points on BGG.

The good, the bad and the annoying in worker placement games

Such games usually drag on for several hours, and the rulebook is thicker and more complex. This makes these games not a very suitable and "random" idea during parties. Since luck in such games is practically excluded, beginners have practically no hope of winning in them. Therefore, it is necessary to prepare morally that defeats will be suffered the first few times, until not only the rules and their nuances are mastered, but also various regularities of the game, which will allow predicting the moves of the other players. The silver lining is that usually the other players are understanding and will help with making the right decisions, explaining, and they won't be too averse to newbies.

The learning curve is steep, but very rewarding, as players know that victory is won through their brilliant strategy and tactical decisions, not a random roll of the dice. Often, such games have a small luck factor, which mainly serves to give the game more replayability, for example, a playing field that is different every time (similar to "Catan") or randomly selected scoring cards that guarantee extra points for fulfillment of certain conditions (similar to "Winged" ).

It seems that one of the most annoying experiences at the worker placement gaming table is analysis paralysis . It is the long thinking of the players during their turn, trying to make a decision that is most favorable to them. And the closer to the end of the game, the more pronounced paralysis overtakes the players.

If we are all used to hourglasses in certain games, for example in the party classic Alias , where it is one of the main elements of the game, then we have experienced game nights where hourglasses or timers are also used in worker placement games. These are ground rules that must be respected and contribute to a smoother game. The author of this article has personally experienced at least 20-25 minutes of analysis paralysis from another player during the final round of Terra Mystica .

Are worker placement games for everyone?

Worker placement games tend to be much more complex and take longer to learn. While these are great games to play with friends and family, they won't be suitable for young children. However, the many elements of the game - resource cubes, coins and other small things - will be very tempting for young children to play with them as they see fit.

Considering that a game alone can last four or more hours (depending on the number of players), it requires proper preparation. On the other hand, if you want to play more than one game, you must start playing on time.

Worker placement games provide a nice order and transparency in contrast to epic war games or, for example, role-playing games where the player's fate can be decided by randomly rolled dice. True, an overly serious approach to these games can slightly reduce its enjoyment.

There will often be scuffles, squealing, manipulation and influencing of other players during the games, which is what makes worker placement games so exciting and enjoyable. Being able to negotiate is an integral side effect of games that gives them extra flavor. Such talk is not always permitted by the rules of the game, but politics in such games is practically unavoidable.

If you like to create a winning strategy in your head before the start of the game and make well-thought-out and tactical decisions, then worker placement games will be a great addition to your collection of board games. The complex structure, random game elements and not always predictable moves of the opponents give worker placement games high repeatability. You won't get bored of these games so quickly, because the learning curve is relatively high and after each successfully played game, new tricks and combinations of actions will be discovered, which you will want to use in the next game. This is confirmed by the fact that, as a rule, the second-hand board game markets usually end up with simple and quick-to-learn games.

Author of the article: Pēteris Tārs