Primitives

early-acquired pieces compound payouts later

early investment doubles future resource gain rate

fuel-burn that clogs your own future state

slow accumulation pool that converts to score

investment now scores at end-game only

multiple paths from input to score

central market refills as players pluck from it

hard caps on spend rate even if you have resources

exchange rate >1:1 between currency types

initiative shifts based on action efficiency

limited shared spaces, first-come excludes others

pace choice constrains hand or output size

everyone picks at once, conflicts resolved on reveal

commit a sequence of actions in advance, execute step-by-step without re-planning

each card's effect enables the next

cards trigger layered effects when played

runs always score ≥N even with no synergy

cards that do nothing alone, only enable others

multiplier scaling produces super-linear scores

score combos that distinguish + from ×

a card triggers one of multiple effects based on player choice

repeated draws raise stakes until bust

multiple options per roll soften variance

fixed draw forces play-now-vs-save tension

what you add to the bag changes future variance

random refill creates uneven access

specific cards mixed into deck create predictable spikes

different starting conditions each game

public actions imply hidden state others must deduce

one player permanently holds info others lack

covert teams + public votes

global state reveals incrementally

single signal links multiple meanings

all reveal at once; the moment IS the experience

game requires remembering past public events; umbrella for non-spatial, non-rule-chain memory

track piece positions or hidden-under-stack contents through gameplay

multi-phase rule chains where ordering and trigger conditions must be tracked

points from where pieces touch

areas score when filled or finished

non-square shapes fit on a personal board

early route choice locks future moves

most-pieces-in-area scores at trigger

moving through enemy zones costs or is blocked

distance moved equals dice pips, often around a board loop or open path

move through a network of connected nodes / cities

rotational freedom matters

points from edges of your area

each player builds their own engine layout

central tableau everyone drafts from

unlocking nodes opens new actions

pick one, pass the rest

pieces score for matching attributes with neighbors

later-game cards objectively better than early

score on variety

score on quantity-of-same

pull random pieces to complete sets

recurring resource drain forces inefficient choices

game ends after fixed N turns regardless of state

opposing force grows unless contained

real seconds matter

one failure triggers chained failures

players might be secretly on opposing teams

limited info-sharing during play

explicit trades drive economy

game requires verbal coordination, no real-time pressure

verbal coordination under real-time pressure; players must shout / coordinate before a timer runs out

clear early/mid/late phases with distinct decisions

endgame trigger requires specific positioning

tension builds, releases at finale

certain actions only in specific phases

required action triggered at phase transition; cannot be deferred or skipped

workers return to pool periodically

connect nodes to score paths

each player has a unique starting ability

the card you play picks the action

same card can be money, action, or score

repeated same-action unlocks bonus

public objective, race to fulfill

hidden objective, scores at end

random events change rules mid-game

physical stack maintenance under gravity

flick a piece to hit a target

place onto an unstable surface without toppling

physical placement under spatial / fit rules

real-world build challenge under pressure

three-dimensional position matters, not just 2D grid

generic trick-taking with a trump suit; lead suit + follow + winner takes

winning a trick / capturing certain cards is a penalty

score only if trick count exactly matches your bid

shed cards by playing a higher set than the previous play

collecting specific cards loses points

dice roll determines distance moved on a fixed track

linear race without dice; movement = card / action spend

spend a generic AP pool to move N spaces

circular spinner advance dictates next move

circular spinner picks the action category

place an item on a timeline relative to others

answer is a number; closest wins, exact gets bonus

rotating mini-games / multi-modal challenges per turn

pass a sketch / sentence around with mutation

paragraph choices unlock subsequent paragraphs

narrow a hidden answer by checking off attribute combinations on a fixed grid

narrow a hidden answer through queries or test results, no fixed grid; structure emerges from gameplay

surrounding pieces removes them

board sections are removed once filled, shrinking the play area

eliminating a designated leader / commander wins regardless of score

a card activates only some units / a sector this turn

assemble a roster from a procedurally-acquired pool

the win condition itself changes mid-game by player action

the play area grows as new tiles / cards are placed

combine numbered cards / items to unlock new ones

first to spot a matching pattern grabs the token

real-time race to identify items by attribute

fill a personal score sheet under shared dice rolls

only some board sectors / rooms are active per turn, rotating

explicit "take from opponent's pile / tableau" action