Hand Management
ClaimedDefinition
In hand management games players have a “hand” of cards (or dominoes, tiles, etc) from which they select which one(s) to play. The game rewards players for playing the cards in certain sequences or groups. The optimal sequence/grouping may vary, depending on board position, cards held and cards played by opponents.
Top games using this mechanism
By BGG bayes rating, top 50.
| Game | Year | Rating | Wt | Time |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Brass: Birmingham#1 | 2018 | 8.39 | 3.9 | 120m |
| Ark Nova#2 | 2021 | 8.35 | 3.8 | 150m |
| Pandemic Legacy: Season 1#3 | 2015 | 8.35 | 2.8 | 60m |
| Gloomhaven#4 | 2017 | 8.30 | 3.9 | 120m |
| War of the Ring: Second Edition#8 | 2011 | 8.20 | 4.2 | 240m |
| Terraforming Mars#9 | 2016 | 8.19 | 3.3 | 120m |
| Star Wars: Rebellion#10 | 2016 | 8.17 | 3.8 | 240m |
| Spirit Island#11 | 2017 | 8.14 | 4.1 | 120m |
| Twilight Struggle#14 | 2005 | 8.04 | 3.6 | 180m |
| Slay the Spire: The Board Game#17 | 2024 | 8.02 | 2.9 | 150m |
| Great Western Trail#20 | 2016 | 7.98 | 3.7 | 150m |
| Brass: Lancashire#23 | 2007 | 7.96 | 3.8 | 120m |
| Nemesis#25 | 2018 | 7.95 | 3.5 | 180m |
| A Feast for Odin#27 | 2016 | 7.94 | 3.9 | 120m |
| Concordia#29 | 2013 | 7.93 | 3.0 | 100m |
| Lost Ruins of Arnak#30 | 2020 | 7.92 | 2.9 | 120m |
| Arkham Horror: The Card Game#32 | 2016 | 7.89 | 3.6 | 120m |
| Root#34 | 2018 | 7.88 | 3.8 | 90m |
| Wingspan#38 | 2019 | 7.85 | 2.5 | 70m |
| Mage Knight Board Game#39 | 2011 | 7.84 | 4.4 | 240m |
| Everdell#42 | 2018 | 7.81 | 2.8 | 80m |
| Viticulture Essential Edition#44 | 2015 | 7.81 | 2.9 | 90m |
| Heat: Pedal to the Metal#47 | 2022 | 7.79 | 2.2 | 60m |
| Underwater Cities#50 | 2018 | 7.77 | 3.6 | 150m |
| Pax Pamir: Second Edition#53 | 2019 | 7.77 | 3.8 | 120m |
| Blood Rage#65 | 2015 | 7.72 | 2.9 | 90m |
| Obsession#66 | 2018 | 7.72 | 3.1 | 90m |
| Grand Austria Hotel#67 | 2015 | 7.72 | 3.2 | 120m |
| Lisboa#69 | 2017 | 7.71 | 4.6 | 120m |
| Pandemic Legacy: Season 2#70 | 2017 | 7.69 | 3.2 | 60m |
| Mansions of Madness: Second Edition#75 | 2016 | 7.68 | 2.7 | 180m |
| Android: Netrunner#82 | 2012 | 7.65 | 3.4 | 45m |
| Agricola (Revised Edition)#85 | 2016 | 7.65 | 3.4 | 120m |
| Voidfall#86 | 2023 | 7.64 | 4.6 | 240m |
| Race for the Galaxy#94 | 2007 | 7.62 | 3.0 | 60m |
| El Grande#101 | 1995 | 7.59 | 2.9 | 120m |
| Arcs#102 | 2024 | 7.59 | 3.4 | 120m |
| The Lord of the Rings: Fate of the Fellowship#104 | 2025 | 7.59 | 3.1 | 150m |
| Concordia Venus#105 | 2018 | 7.59 | 3.0 | 120m |
| Aeon's End#108 | 2016 | 7.58 | 2.8 | 60m |
| 7 Wonders#116 | 2010 | 7.55 | 2.3 | 30m |
| Through the Ages: A Story of Civilization#118 | 2006 | 7.55 | 4.2 | 120m |
| The Quest for El Dorado#122 | 2017 | 7.54 | 1.9 | 60m |
| Inis#124 | 2016 | 7.53 | 2.9 | 90m |
| Galactic Cruise#125 | 2025 | 7.53 | 4.0 | 150m |
| Battlestar Galactica: The Board Game#126 | 2008 | 7.53 | 3.3 | 180m |
| Dwellings of Eldervale#128 | 2020 | 7.52 | 3.2 | 150m |
| Tigris & Euphrates#131 | 1997 | 7.51 | 3.5 | 120m |
| Dominion: Intrigue#132 | 2009 | 7.50 | 2.4 | 30m |
| Raiders of the North Sea#134 | 2015 | 7.50 | 2.6 | 80m |
Frequently combined with
Other mechanisms that show up in the same games. Click to drill in.
Related deep dives
Long-form design analysis on games using this mechanism.
Great Western Trail
Deep Dive for an iOS Roguelite Translation
Project context: Translate the core loop of *Great Western Trail* (Alexander Pfister, eggertspiele, 2016; 2nd ed. 2021) into a single-player iOS roguelite. The "Dominion -> Slay the Spire" pattern, applied to a movement-driven, deck-thinning, multi-track engine builder. Tier-1A u…
Heat: Pedal to the Metal
Deep Dive for an iOS Roguelite Translation
Project context: Translate the core loop of *Heat: Pedal to the Metal* (Asger Harding Granerud & Daniel Skjold Pedersen, Days of Wonder, 2022) into a single-player iOS roguelite. The "Dominion -> Slay the Spire" pattern, but for a racing deckbuilder. No direct digital competitor …
The Quest for El Dorado
Deep Dive for an iOS Roguelite Translation
Project context: Translate the core loop of *The Quest for El Dorado* (Reiner Knizia, Ravensburger, 2017) into a single-player iOS roguelite. The "Dominion -> Slay the Spire" pattern, but for a *racing* deckbuilder. No direct digital port exists; the genre slot — deckbuilder race…
Tigris & Euphrates
Deep Dive for an iOS Roguelite Translation
Project context: Translate the core loop of *Tigris & Euphrates* (Reiner Knizia, Hans im Glück, 1997) into a single-player iOS roguelite. The "Dominion -> Slay the Spire" pattern, but for Knizia's tile-laying / area-control / lowest-of-N masterpiece. The Codito iOS port was delis…