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I Cut, You Choose
OpenGames using
15
Median complexity
1.68
0–5
Median rating
6.25
bayes
Tabletop fit
0.783
weight-controlled
Definition
From BoardGameGeek
A method of drafting where one player divides a set of resources into different groups; other players have first choice of which group to select.
Curator notes
I Cut, You Choose (and Mancala Sowing)
- Definition: one player partitions a pool, another picks first; or players pick up and redistribute a row of pieces under fixed movement rules
- Canonical: Hanamikoji, Mandala, Five Tribes (sowing), Junk Art
- MDA aesthetic: Challenge (forcing dilemmas) + Fellowship (the negotiated tension)
- Mobile descendant: None known for the strict cut-and-choose form. Sowing has Oware/Mancala apps but those are direct ports.
- Translation difficulty: Hard — the entire mechanism is the social pressure of forcing your opponent into a dilemma. Solo, it collapses into a single-player optimization puzzle. Worth investigating: could a roguelike "Hanamikoji vs AI" work if the AI's "preferences" are visible information that shifts mid-run?
Top games using this mechanism
By BGG bayes rating, top 50.
| Game | Year | Rating | Wt | Time |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2014 | 7.31 | 2.6 | 90m | |
%2Fpic6339446.png&w=3840&q=75){kind=small} Hanamikoji#282 | 2013 | 7.22 | 1.7 | 15m |
| 2015 | 7.21 | 2.3 | 50m | |
%2Fpic8427963.png&w=3840&q=75){kind=small} Agent Avenue#584 | 2024 | 6.93 | 1.2 | 20m |
%2Fpic2884509.jpg&w=3840&q=75){kind=small} Junk Art#609 | 2016 | 6.91 | 1.2 | 30m |
%2Fpic3562670.jpg&w=3840&q=75){kind=small} Dice Hospital#959 | 2018 | 6.68 | 2.3 | 90m |
%2Fpic174180.jpg&w=3840&q=75){kind=small} San Marco#1092 | 2001 | 6.60 | 2.7 | 75m |
| 2022 | 6.60 | 2.6 | 90m | |
T Tussie Mussie#1450 | 2019 | 6.45 | 1.2 | 30m |
I | 2021 | 6.44 | 2.6 | 45m |
D Duelosaur Island#1599 | 2018 | 6.39 | 2.4 | 45m |
T The Great Split#2017 | 2022 | 6.25 | 2.1 | 45m |
M Marabunta#2096 | 2023 | 6.23 | 2.2 | 30m |
N New York Slice#2108 | 2017 | 6.23 | 1.5 | 30m |
A Alice's Garden#2552 | 2020 | 6.12 | 1.4 | 45m |
| 2016 | 6.11 | 3.0 | 90m | |
| 2019 | 6.11 | 2.9 | 90m | |
P Piece o' Cake#2717 | 2008 | 6.09 | 1.4 | 20m |
S Stamp Swap#3099 | 2024 | 6.01 | 2.2 | 60m |
A Animals on Board#3187 | 2016 | 6.00 | 1.5 | 30m |
R Rome in a Day#3591 | 2023 | 5.93 | 1.7 | 20m |
T Thief's Market#3809 | 2016 | 5.91 | 1.9 | 50m |
P Ponte del Diavolo#4437 | 2007 | 5.83 | 2.3 | 25m |
H Hex#4675 | 1942 | 5.81 | 3.0 | 20m |
G Gateway Island#5058 | 2022 | 5.78 | 1.9 | 45m |
I I Made You a Mixtape#5167 | 2025 | 5.77 | 1.4 | 45m |
| 2021 | 5.75 | 2.2 | 25m | |
S Sundae Split#5492 | 2017 | 5.74 | 1.2 | 20m |
J Jolly & Roger#5905 | 2016 | 5.72 | 1.7 | 20m |
| 2024 | 5.71 | 1.7 | 30m | |
S Seastead#6059 | 2020 | 5.71 | 2.8 | 30m |
S Shitenno#6334 | 2011 | 5.70 | 2.7 | 60m |
K Kodama Duo#6377 | 2018 | 5.69 | 1.8 | 30m |
D | 2002 | 5.68 | 1.7 | 45m |
M Mammut#6809 | 2011 | 5.68 | 1.8 | 30m |
C Canal Grande#6825 | 2002 | 5.68 | 2.0 | 45m |
S Skyward#6858 | 2017 | 5.67 | 2.0 | 45m |
T The Last Droids#6975 | 2025 | 5.67 | 2.3 | 40m |
J Junk Art Revolution#7078 | 2025 | 5.66 | 2.0 | 30m |
P Pacific Ocean#7121 | 2023 | 5.66 | 1.6 | 10m |
P Pacts#7185 | 2025 | 5.66 | 1.8 | 20m |
P Packet Row#7542 | 2013 | 5.65 | 2.0 | 75m |
C Carnac#7674 | 2014 | 5.64 | 2.3 | 20m |
S Swordcrafters#7702 | 2018 | 5.64 | 1.3 | 30m |
C Card City XL#7954 | 2017 | 5.63 | 2.8 | 45m |
M Manatee Sanctuary#8598 | 2025 | 5.62 | 2.0 | 30m |
C Cutterland#8749 | 2020 | 5.61 | 1.8 | 40m |
C Chickwood Forest#9212 | 2017 | 5.60 | 2.1 | 45m |
A Amanite#9512 | 2025 | 5.60 | 1.8 | 30m |
| 2021 | 5.60 | 3.2 | 75m |
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Frequently combined with
Other mechanisms that show up in the same games. Click to drill in.