There are so many different games mechanics out there across the various tabletop games available these days. Gone are the days of rolling dice to move your meeple along a track. Even when you look at modern worker placement games, the traditional method of using a pool of meeples and a limited amount of worker slots has been superseded by new methods. Dice worker placement is more common now and introduces an element of chance which can help level the playing field in a game.
My favourite example of a dice worker placement game is Artifacts Inc by Red Raven Games, but of course there are many other games that allow you to roll a set of dice, which you can then place on specific slots, depending on the number of pips on the dice. So rather than always being able to take any action you like, now you have to roll the correct number, or a high enough number to do so. Suddenly your strategy has to be adapted on each turn, because you simply didn’t roll the dice you were hoping for.
For some gamers this element of chance is off putting. These people prefer a game to focus on strategy, so they can plan ahead a number of steps, often thinking about how they can block other players with their moves. However, many dice placement games cater for these players as well.
Dice placement games often allow you to buy cards that give you a re-roll, or the option to change a dice result by one pip up or down, or similar mechanisms to increase your chances of getting the results you need.
Overall these type of games often have more family friendly theme and gameplay, with much less player interaction, meaning much less confrontation and fights, making these games more enjoyable for players with a “Care Bear” attitude.
What do you think about dice placement games? Have you played any yet? Do you prefer other game mechanisms? Please feel free to post your thoughts and comments below.