Cogwork The Game Mechanics Field Guide Open the Index
Mechanics Families Anatomy Combos Glossary Open the Index

Specimen index · 01–12

The mechanics,
taken apart.

Every entry is a specimen sheet: what the mechanic does, how it works step by step, the tension it creates, and the kinds of games you'll find it in.

FIG-01 Engine & Economy

Worker Placement

Claim the best action before someone else takes it.

Players take turns placing a limited pool of pieces onto action spots. Each spot does something useful — but once it's taken, it's often blocked for everyone else that round. The squeeze comes from wanting more spots than you have workers to fill.

// How it works

  1. Each player has a small set of worker pieces
  2. On your turn, place one worker on an open action space
  3. Take that action; the space may now be blocked for others
  4. When workers run out, the round ends and they return home

// The feel

Tension from scarcity — the best spot is the one your rival wants too.

// Found in

  • Farming and settlement games
  • City-building games
  • Resource-gathering games
FIG-02 Cards & Hands

Deck-Building

Start with a weak deck and forge a stronger one as you play.

You begin with a small, plain deck of cards. During the game you buy or earn better cards that shuffle into your own deck, so the hands you draw slowly grow more powerful. The game is really about shaping the deck itself.

// How it works

  1. Everyone starts with the same basic deck
  2. Play cards to generate buying power or effects
  3. Acquire stronger cards into your discard pile
  4. Reshuffle and draw a deck that keeps improving

// The feel

Satisfaction of a machine you built clicking into gear.

// Found in

  • Card-acquisition games
  • Solo and co-op card games
  • Fantasy battle card games
FIG-03 Engine & Economy

Engine Building

Set up parts that make each turn pay off more than the last.

You assemble a set of pieces — cards, tiles, or upgrades — that feed into one another. Early turns feel slow as you lay the groundwork, then everything compounds and a single action triggers a cascade of rewards.

// How it works

  1. Invest early actions in parts that produce or trigger
  2. Arrange parts so one feeds the next
  3. Trigger the chain to gain more than you spent
  4. Reinvest the surplus to grow the engine further

// The feel

The slow burn, then the snowball — small starts, huge finishes.

// Found in

  • Space and factory games
  • Economic strategy games
  • Tableau-building card games
FIG-04 Engine & Economy

Set Collection

Gather matching groups, then cash them in for points.

Points come from assembling specific combinations — matching colours, suits, or types. The trick is deciding which sets to chase and when to commit, since the pieces you need are the same ones your rivals are grabbing.

// How it works

  1. Collect cards or tokens over several turns
  2. Aim for matching or complete groups
  3. Weigh a safe small set against a risky bigger one
  4. Cash sets in for points before the game ends

// The feel

The pull between playing it safe and holding out for more.

// Found in

  • Trading and market games
  • Nature and travel games
  • Rummy-style card games
FIG-05 Space & Position

Area Control

Hold more of the map than anyone else when it's counted.

The board is divided into regions, and points go to whoever has the strongest presence in each. You spread out, defend what's yours, and pick the fights worth having — because you can't be strong everywhere at once.

// How it works

  1. Place pieces into contested regions
  2. Compare presence with rivals in each area
  3. Reinforce where you lead, concede where you can't win
  4. Score regions at set moments in the game

// The feel

A tug-of-war over territory, one region at a time.

// Found in

  • Map-conquest games
  • Influence and diplomacy games
  • Kingdom-expansion games
FIG-06 Space & Position

Tile Placement

Build the board itself, one piece at a time.

There's no fixed board — players create it by laying tiles that must connect to what's already down. Each placement scores now or sets up a score later, and a tile that helps you might help a neighbour too.

// How it works

  1. Draw a tile you don't fully control
  2. Place it so its edges match the map
  3. Score connections or claim features
  4. Watch how your placement opens things for others

// The feel

Making the best of the piece you happen to draw.

// Found in

  • Landscape-building games
  • Puzzle-map games
  • Domino-connection games
FIG-07 Space & Position

Route Building

Connect points across the map before rivals block the path.

You claim links between locations to build a connected network — roads, rails, or routes. The best paths are limited, so timing matters: grab a key link too late and you'll be forced the long way around.

// How it works

  1. Plan a network between the points you need
  2. Claim links before opponents take them
  3. Adapt when a key route gets blocked
  4. Score length, connections, or completed goals

// The feel

A race for the shortest path through shared space.

// Found in

  • Train and rail games
  • Trade-network games
  • Pipeline and road games
FIG-08 Risk & Timing

Push Your Luck

Keep going for more, or bank it before it all slips away.

Each step forward offers a bigger reward and a bigger risk of losing everything you've gathered. The whole game lives in one question, asked over and over: do I stop now, or roll one more time?

// How it works

  1. Take an action with a growing reward
  2. Decide whether to bank what you have
  3. Push on for more, risking a bust
  4. Lose it all if luck turns before you stop

// The feel

Pure nerve — the thrill and dread of one more go.

// Found in

  • Dice-rolling games
  • Card-flipping games
  • Press-your-luck party games
FIG-09 Cards & Hands

Hand Management

Every card is worth more if you play it at the right moment.

You hold a hand of cards that each do several things, and part of the skill is timing. A card spent now for a small gain might have been worth far more held for one more turn.

// How it works

  1. Read the many uses of the cards in hand
  2. Sequence plays to squeeze out the most value
  3. Hold key cards for the moment they shine
  4. Refill and plan the next few turns ahead

// The feel

Wringing the most out of a limited, precious hand.

// Found in

  • Adventure card games
  • Civilisation card games
  • Hand-of-cards duels
FIG-10 Cards & Hands

Drafting

Pick one, pass the rest — every choice shapes the table.

From a shared pool, each player takes one item and passes the remainder along. You weigh what helps you against what you'd rather not hand to a rival, so a pick is really two decisions at once.

// How it works

  1. Look at the pool of options in front of you
  2. Take one, keeping your plan in mind
  3. Pass the rest to the next player
  4. Deny rivals as much as you build yourself

// The feel

Choosing for yourself while quietly steering the table.

// Found in

  • Card-drafting games
  • Civilisation-building games
  • Dice-drafting games
FIG-11 Info & People

Deduction

Read the clues and the players to find the hidden truth.

Some information is hidden, and the game is a puzzle of narrowing it down. Whether the clues come from the board or from what other players say and do, your job is to rule out the impossible and act on the likely.

// How it works

  1. Gather clues from actions and answers
  2. Rule out what can't be true
  3. Weigh what other players reveal — or hide
  4. Commit to a conclusion at the right moment

// The feel

The click of a puzzle solving itself in your head.

// Found in

  • Whodunit games
  • Hidden-role games
  • Codeword and clue games
FIG-12 Risk & Timing

Action Points

A budget of actions each turn — spend it wisely.

Instead of one fixed move, you get a pool of points to spend on a menu of actions. Freedom is the appeal and the trap: with so many options, the hard part is not doing everything, but doing the right things.

// How it works

  1. Receive a set number of action points per turn
  2. Choose from a menu, each with a cost
  3. Spend to move, build, gather, or fight
  4. Leave the turn having spent them well

// The feel

So many options — the discipline is in what you skip.

// Found in

  • Exploration games
  • Survival and rescue games
  • Tactical squad games