Once-Per-Game Abilities
OpenDefinition
Players have a special ability that they can use one time per game.
Top games using this mechanism
By BGG bayes rating, top 50.
| Game | Year | Rating | Wt | Time |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Gloomhaven#4 | 2017 | 8.30 | 3.9 | 120m |
| Star Wars: Rebellion#10 | 2016 | 8.17 | 3.8 | 240m |
| 7 Wonders Duel#24 | 2015 | 7.95 | 2.2 | 30m |
| Lost Ruins of Arnak#30 | 2020 | 7.92 | 2.9 | 120m |
| Wingspan#38 | 2019 | 7.85 | 2.5 | 70m |
| Tzolk'in: The Mayan Calendar#72 | 2012 | 7.68 | 3.7 | 90m |
| Bomb Busters#99 | 2024 | 7.59 | 2.0 | 30m |
| 7 Wonders#116 | 2010 | 7.55 | 2.3 | 30m |
| The Quest for El Dorado#122 | 2017 | 7.54 | 1.9 | 60m |
| Battlestar Galactica: The Board Game#126 | 2008 | 7.53 | 3.3 | 180m |
| Descent: Journeys in the Dark (Second Edition)#227 | 2012 | 7.32 | 3.2 | 120m |
| Samurai#283 | 1998 | 7.22 | 2.4 | 60m |
| Hero Realms#306 | 2016 | 7.20 | 1.8 | 20m |
| Heaven & Ale#387 | 2017 | 7.10 | 3.2 | 90m |
| Chess#459 | 1475 | 7.04 | 3.6 | — |
| AquaSphere#727 | 2014 | 6.82 | 3.7 | 100m |
| Eternal Decks#869 | 2025 | 6.72 | 2.8 | 40m |
| Finca#893 | 2009 | 6.71 | 2.1 | 45m |
| Specter Ops#921 | 2015 | 6.70 | 2.4 | 120m |
| Coffee Roaster#1002 | 2015 | 6.65 | 2.2 | 30m |
| Scoville#1050 | 2014 | 6.62 | 2.8 | 90m |
| Rumble Nation#1151 | 2017 | 6.58 | 1.8 | 40m |
| Colossal Arena#1468 | 1997 | 6.44 | 2.0 | 60m |
| Battles of Westeros#1500 | 2010 | 6.43 | 3.2 | 120m |
| New York 1901#1510 | 2015 | 6.42 | 2.1 | 60m |
| Aton#1787 | 2005 | 6.32 | 2.1 | 30m |
| New York Slice#2108 | 2017 | 6.23 | 1.5 | 30m |
| Cuzco#2453 | 2018 | 6.14 | 2.6 | 90m |
| City of Iron: Second Edition#2580 | 2016 | 6.11 | 3.3 | 120m |
| The Awful Green Things From Outer Space#3054 | 1979 | 6.02 | 1.9 | 90m |
| Canal Mania#3264 | 2006 | 5.98 | 2.9 | 90m |
| Priests of Ra#3268 | 2009 | 5.98 | 2.2 | 60m |
| Warmachine#3325 | 2003 | 5.98 | 3.5 | 60m |
| Gheos#3654 | 2006 | 5.93 | 2.5 | 60m |
| A Brief History of the World#3835 | 2009 | 5.90 | 2.9 | 180m |
| InBetween#3877 | 2017 | 5.90 | 2.6 | 40m |
| Municipium#4180 | 2008 | 5.86 | 2.4 | 60m |
| Vampire: The Masquerade – Heritage#4396 | 2020 | 5.84 | 3.3 | 90m |
| Urland#4901 | 2001 | 5.79 | 2.6 | 90m |
| Pearladöra#4930 | 2003 | 5.79 | 2.0 | 30m |
| King's Road#5358 | 2017 | 5.75 | 1.7 | 30m |
| Colourbrain#6411 | 2017 | 5.69 | 1.0 | 30m |
| Psycho Raiders#6457 | 2014 | 5.69 | 2.8 | 45m |
| Too Many Cinderellas#6582 | 2014 | 5.69 | 1.3 | 10m |
| Schrödinger's Cats#8624 | 2015 | 5.62 | 1.3 | 30m |
| Legends of the Three Kingdoms#9476 | 2007 | 5.60 | 2.2 | 40m |
| Rival Realms#9491 | 2018 | 5.60 | 2.3 | 30m |
| IUNU#9847 | 2013 | 5.59 | 2.0 | 30m |
| Relikt#10339 | 2006 | 5.58 | 1.4 | 40m |
| Keep#12012 | 2015 | 5.56 | 1.7 | 20m |
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.
Bomb Busters
Deep Dive for an iOS Coop-Deduction Roguelite Translation
Project context: Translate the core loop of *Bomb Busters* (Hisashi Hayashi, Cocktail Games / Pegasus Spiele, 2024 — Spiel des Jahres 2025) into a single-player-or-coop iOS campaign roguelite. The "Dominion -> Slay the Spire" pattern, but for cooperative deduction. No nailed digi…
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…
Tzolk'in: The Mayan Calendar
Deep Dive for an iOS Roguelite Translation
Project context: Translate the core loop of *Tzolk'in: The Mayan Calendar* (Simone Luciani & Daniele Tascini, Czech Games Edition, 2012) into a single-player iOS roguelite. The "Dominion -> Slay the Spire" pattern, but for a worker-placement game whose signature is a literal rota…