games.atplay.taxonomy.mechanic

atplay.games

{
  "id": "games.atplay.taxonomy.mechanic",
  "defs": {
    "bias": {
      "type": "token",
      "name:en": "Bias",
      "description": "Players are asked to guess or predict how other players will rate or choose, rewarding social awareness and empathy."
    },
    "race": {
      "type": "token",
      "name:en": "Race",
      "description": "Players compete to be first to reach a physical or metaphorical finish line."
    },
    "tags": {
      "type": "token",
      "name:en": "Tags",
      "description": "Cards or pieces carry keyword tags that interact with other tags via rules, letting effects chain off shared properties."
    },
    "bingo": {
      "type": "token",
      "name:en": "Bingo",
      "description": "Players mark off matching values on personal cards as they are drawn or called, racing to complete a winning pattern."
    },
    "loans": {
      "type": "token",
      "name:en": "Loans",
      "description": "Players can borrow money now at the cost of interest or penalties later."
    },
    "acting": {
      "type": "token",
      "name:en": "Acting",
      "description": "Players physically act out, mime, or perform something so that others can guess or judge it."
    },
    "events": {
      "type": "token",
      "name:en": "Events",
      "description": "Scheduled or triggered happenings interrupt normal play and impose effects on one or more players."
    },
    "follow": {
      "type": "token",
      "name:en": "Follow",
      "description": "When one player takes an action, others may pay to follow and take a weaker version of the same action out of turn."
    },
    "income": {
      "type": "token",
      "name:en": "Income",
      "description": "Players receive a regular payment of resources or currency at set intervals."
    },
    "market": {
      "type": "token",
      "name:en": "Market",
      "description": "A shared marketplace of goods or cards is available for purchase, with the offering refreshing over time."
    },
    "memory": {
      "type": "token",
      "name:en": "Memory",
      "description": "Players must remember information that was once visible but is now hidden, with better recall providing an advantage."
    },
    "rondel": {
      "type": "token",
      "name:en": "Rondel",
      "description": "Actions are laid out in a circular track; players move a marker around it, paying more to reach actions further ahead."
    },
    "voting": {
      "type": "token",
      "name:en": "Voting",
      "description": "Players vote to decide an outcome, often resolving ties or choosing among presented options."
    },
    "bribery": {
      "type": "token",
      "name:en": "Bribery",
      "description": "Players can pay other players or neutral parties to influence decisions, outcomes, or turn resolution."
    },
    "drawing": {
      "type": "token",
      "name:en": "Drawing",
      "description": "Players sketch or draw pictures as a core part of play, often for others to interpret or guess."
    },
    "mancala": {
      "type": "token",
      "name:en": "Mancala",
      "description": "Players pick up all pieces from one space and sow them one at a time into adjacent spaces, in the style of the mancala family of games."
    },
    "singing": {
      "type": "token",
      "name:en": "Singing",
      "description": "Players sing as part of play, whether to identify songs, perform prompts, or compete directly."
    },
    "trading": {
      "type": "token",
      "name:en": "Trading",
      "description": "Players exchange resources, goods, or cards with each other through free or structured trades."
    },
    "chaining": {
      "type": "token",
      "name:en": "Chaining",
      "description": "Actions or plays trigger additional actions in a chain, letting a well-set-up turn cascade into many effects."
    },
    "flicking": {
      "type": "token",
      "name:en": "Flicking",
      "description": "Players physically flick pieces across the play surface to move, attack, or score."
    },
    "layering": {
      "type": "token",
      "name:en": "Layering",
      "description": "Pieces or tiles are stacked on top of each other during play, and the visible top determines state."
    },
    "matching": {
      "type": "token",
      "name:en": "Matching",
      "description": "Players pair items, cards, or symbols to score or trigger effects."
    },
    "ordering": {
      "type": "token",
      "name:en": "Ordering",
      "description": "Players arrange items, events, or values into the correct sequence as part of scoring or succeeding."
    },
    "realTime": {
      "type": "token",
      "name:en": "Real-Time",
      "description": "Play happens continuously without turns; players act whenever they're ready, with real time as the central constraint."
    },
    "spelling": {
      "type": "token",
      "name:en": "Spelling",
      "description": "Players form words by arranging letters as a core mechanic."
    },
    "takeThat": {
      "type": "token",
      "name:en": "Take That",
      "description": "Players can directly attack or hinder specific opponents through targeted effects."
    },
    "tugOfWar": {
      "type": "token",
      "name:en": "Tug of War",
      "description": "A single marker slides along a track between two sides, with each side trying to drag it toward their end."
    },
    "alliances": {
      "type": "token",
      "name:en": "Alliances",
      "description": "Players form temporary or binding partnerships, cooperating with some opponents while competing with others."
    },
    "contracts": {
      "type": "token",
      "name:en": "Contracts",
      "description": "Players fulfil public or private contracts for goods, deliveries, or goals to earn rewards."
    },
    "cubeTower": {
      "type": "token",
      "name:en": "Cube Tower",
      "description": "Cubes representing units are dropped into a tower; only the cubes that fall through are resolved, with others held back for later."
    },
    "deduction": {
      "type": "token",
      "name:en": "Deduction",
      "description": "Players use logical reasoning about partial or hidden information to narrow down secret answers."
    },
    "enclosure": {
      "type": "token",
      "name:en": "Enclosure",
      "description": "Players claim territory by surrounding regions with their own pieces, scoring based on what they enclose."
    },
    "hotPotato": {
      "type": "token",
      "name:en": "Hot Potato",
      "description": "A dangerous item or effect is passed rapidly among players, and whoever holds it when it triggers suffers the consequence."
    },
    "induction": {
      "type": "token",
      "name:en": "Induction",
      "description": "Players work from specific observations toward general rules, inferring hidden patterns from revealed examples."
    },
    "killSteal": {
      "type": "token",
      "name:en": "Kill Steal",
      "description": "The rewards for defeating an enemy go to whoever lands the killing blow rather than being shared among attackers."
    },
    "loseATurn": {
      "type": "token",
      "name:en": "Lose a Turn",
      "description": "Certain outcomes cause a player to skip their next turn entirely."
    },
    "ownership": {
      "type": "token",
      "name:en": "Ownership",
      "description": "Properties or areas have owners who gain benefits (rent, income, control) whenever others interact with them."
    },
    "slidePush": {
      "type": "token",
      "name:en": "Slide / Push",
      "description": "Adding a piece can slide or push adjacent pieces along a row, column, or path."
    },
    "interrupts": {
      "type": "token",
      "name:en": "Interrupts",
      "description": "Players can play cards or use abilities to interject during another player's turn, disrupting or modifying their action."
    },
    "investment": {
      "type": "token",
      "name:en": "Investment",
      "description": "Players commit resources into entities that yield increasing returns over time."
    },
    "legacyGame": {
      "type": "token",
      "name:en": "Legacy Game",
      "description": "The game permanently changes between sessions (stickers, destroyed cards, new rules) so its state carries forward across plays."
    },
    "simulation": {
      "type": "token",
      "name:en": "Simulation",
      "description": "The game models a real-world system (historical, scientific, economic) with rules that attempt to reflect how it actually behaves."
    },
    "squareGrid": {
      "type": "token",
      "name:en": "Square Grid",
      "description": "Uses a square grid as its board, for movement or adjacency."
    },
    "actionEvent": {
      "type": "token",
      "name:en": "Action / Event",
      "description": "Cards or tiles trigger one-off events or effects when drawn or played, rather than granting ongoing abilities."
    },
    "actionQueue": {
      "type": "token",
      "name:en": "Action Queue",
      "description": "Players line up a sequence of actions in advance and then execute them in order, often committing before seeing how the situation develops."
    },
    "actionTimer": {
      "type": "token",
      "name:en": "Action Timer",
      "description": "An action is only valid for a limited real-time window, forcing quick decisions or delayed effects tied to a clock or sand-timer."
    },
    "areaImpulse": {
      "type": "token",
      "name:en": "Area-Impulse",
      "description": "Players alternate activating single areas or groups instead of moving everything at once, producing an interleaved, reactive flow of play."
    },
    "connections": {
      "type": "token",
      "name:en": "Connections",
      "description": "Players score or win by linking points on a board into continuous connected networks."
    },
    "diceRolling": {
      "type": "token",
      "name:en": "Dice Rolling",
      "description": "Dice are rolled to produce random outcomes that drive actions, combat, or events."
    },
    "hexagonGrid": {
      "type": "token",
      "name:en": "Hexagon Grid",
      "description": "Uses a hexagonal grid as its board, giving each cell six equal neighbours."
    },
    "hiddenRoles": {
      "type": "token",
      "name:en": "Hidden Roles",
      "description": "Players are secretly assigned allegiances or identities that influence their objectives and alliances."
    },
    "lineDrawing": {
      "type": "token",
      "name:en": "Line Drawing",
      "description": "Players draw lines on the board as their actions, with the lines themselves becoming the relevant game state."
    },
    "lineOfSight": {
      "type": "token",
      "name:en": "Line of Sight",
      "description": "Targeting or interaction is restricted to pieces that can see each other according to explicit sight rules."
    },
    "mapAddition": {
      "type": "token",
      "name:en": "Map Addition",
      "description": "New areas or tiles are added to the map as the game progresses, expanding the playable space."
    },
    "negotiation": {
      "type": "token",
      "name:en": "Negotiation",
      "description": "Players openly discuss and bargain with each other over trades, alliances, or actions."
    },
    "piecesAsMap": {
      "type": "token",
      "name:en": "Pieces as Map",
      "description": "Game pieces themselves form the map: their positions and adjacencies constitute the terrain."
    },
    "playerJudge": {
      "type": "token",
      "name:en": "Player Judge",
      "description": "One player acts as a judge who chooses a winning submission from the others, with the judge role rotating between rounds."
    },
    "rolePlaying": {
      "type": "token",
      "name:en": "Role Playing",
      "description": "Players take on characters and make decisions from that character's perspective as a core part of play."
    },
    "traitorGame": {
      "type": "token",
      "name:en": "Traitor Game",
      "description": "One or more players have secretly been assigned to sabotage a nominally cooperative group."
    },
    "trickTaking": {
      "type": "token",
      "name:en": "Trick-taking",
      "description": "Players each contribute one card to a trick and the highest or best-matching card wins, typically with a suit-led structure."
    },
    "actionPoints": {
      "type": "token",
      "name:en": "Action Points",
      "description": "On their turn, a player spends a budget of points among a menu of possible actions, each with its own cost."
    },
    "areaMovement": {
      "type": "token",
      "name:en": "Area Movement",
      "description": "The board is divided into irregular areas and pieces move between adjacent areas rather than along a fixed grid or path."
    },
    "auctionDutch": {
      "type": "token",
      "name:en": "Auction: Dutch",
      "description": "The asking price starts high and ticks down until a player accepts it; the first to accept wins at the current price."
    },
    "bidsAsWagers": {
      "type": "token",
      "name:en": "Bids As Wagers",
      "description": "Bids also function as wagers on success: players stake resources on their ability to achieve something and win or lose the stake accordingly."
    },
    "commandCards": {
      "type": "token",
      "name:en": "Command Cards",
      "description": "A hand of cards dictates what units, regions, or sections of the board a player may command on a given turn."
    },
    "finaleEnding": {
      "type": "token",
      "name:en": "Finale Ending",
      "description": "The last round (or a clearly demarcated final phase) runs under modified rules to produce a climactic ending."
    },
    "gridCoverage": {
      "type": "token",
      "name:en": "Grid Coverage",
      "description": "Players compete to cover cells on a grid with their pieces, scoring based on coverage patterns."
    },
    "gridMovement": {
      "type": "token",
      "name:en": "Grid Movement",
      "description": "Pieces move from cell to cell on a regular grid."
    },
    "mapReduction": {
      "type": "token",
      "name:en": "Map Reduction",
      "description": "The playable area shrinks over time, removing options and squeezing players together."
    },
    "modularBoard": {
      "type": "token",
      "name:en": "Modular Board",
      "description": "The board is assembled from interchangeable tiles or modules, producing a different layout each game."
    },
    "multipleMaps": {
      "type": "token",
      "name:en": "Multiple Maps",
      "description": "Play spans more than one map or board, and positions on one may affect the others."
    },
    "openDrafting": {
      "type": "token",
      "name:en": "Open Drafting",
      "description": "Players pick from a public display of available cards or items, with each choice visible to everyone."
    },
    "pushYourLuck": {
      "type": "token",
      "name:en": "Push Your Luck",
      "description": "Players choose whether to continue taking risks for greater rewards or stop and bank what they've earned, with the chance of losing it all."
    },
    "stockHolding": {
      "type": "token",
      "name:en": "Stock Holding",
      "description": "Players buy and sell shares in companies or factions whose value changes during play."
    },
    "storytelling": {
      "type": "token",
      "name:en": "Storytelling",
      "description": "Players invent or extend narratives as a core activity, with the story itself being much of the point."
    },
    "iCutYouChoose": {
      "type": "token",
      "name:en": "I Cut, You Choose",
      "description": "One player divides a set of items into groups and the other players choose first, incentivizing fair division."
    },
    "kingOfTheHill": {
      "type": "token",
      "name:en": "King of the Hill",
      "description": "Players fight to occupy a single central location, scoring or benefiting from each round they control it."
    },
    "multiUseCards": {
      "type": "token",
      "name:en": "Multi-Use Cards",
      "description": "Cards can be played for more than one effect (e.g. resource, action, or worker), forcing meaningful tradeoffs on every play."
    },
    "neighborScope": {
      "type": "token",
      "name:en": "Neighbor Scope",
      "description": "Interactions are restricted to adjacent players at the table rather than affecting everyone equally."
    },
    "orderCounters": {
      "type": "token",
      "name:en": "Order Counters",
      "description": "Players place face-down counters assigning orders to units, revealed and executed in a later phase."
    },
    "predictiveBid": {
      "type": "token",
      "name:en": "Predictive Bid",
      "description": "Players bid by predicting how well they'll perform, and they're rewarded only if they hit their prediction."
    },
    "resourceQueue": {
      "type": "token",
      "name:en": "Resource Queue",
      "description": "Resources enter and exit a queue in order, forcing players to consider timing and sequence as they manage them."
    },
    "setCollection": {
      "type": "token",
      "name:en": "Set Collection",
      "description": "Players score by gathering specific combinations of items, cards, or tokens."
    },
    "speedMatching": {
      "type": "token",
      "name:en": "Speed Matching",
      "description": "Players race to find matching items, cards, or symbols as quickly as possible."
    },
    "staticCapture": {
      "type": "token",
      "name:en": "Static Capture",
      "description": "Pieces are captured based on static board conditions (such as being surrounded) rather than through active attacks."
    },
    "targetedClues": {
      "type": "token",
      "name:en": "Targeted Clues",
      "description": "One player gives clues aimed at specific other players based on what those players know or need to guess."
    },
    "teamBasedGame": {
      "type": "token",
      "name:en": "Team-Based Game",
      "description": "Players are organized into formal teams that win or lose together, typically with team-specific rules for communication or scoring."
    },
    "tilePlacement": {
      "type": "token",
      "name:en": "Tile Placement",
      "description": "Players add tiles to the board during play, building the game area as they go and scoring based on placement."
    },
    "trackMovement": {
      "type": "token",
      "name:en": "Track Movement",
      "description": "Pieces move along linear tracks used to record scores, rounds, or other progress indicators."
    },
    "variableSetUp": {
      "type": "token",
      "name:en": "Variable Set-up",
      "description": "Initial conditions (tiles, resources, goals) change from game to game to produce different starting positions."
    },
    "zoneOfControl": {
      "type": "token",
      "name:en": "Zone of Control",
      "description": "Pieces project influence into adjacent spaces, restricting how enemy pieces may move through or near them."
    },
    "actionDrafting": {
      "type": "token",
      "name:en": "Action Drafting",
      "description": "Players pick actions from a shared, limited pool; once an action is taken it may become unavailable or more expensive for the next player."
    },
    "advantageToken": {
      "type": "token",
      "name:en": "Advantage Token",
      "description": "A single movable token confers a benefit (extra action, priority, bonus) and passes from player to player under defined rules."
    },
    "auctionBidding": {
      "type": "token",
      "name:en": "Auction / Bidding",
      "description": "Items, advantages, or turn order are allocated by players bidding against each other using currency or other resources."
    },
    "auctionEnglish": {
      "type": "token",
      "name:en": "Auction: English",
      "description": "Bids rise openly and competitively; the highest bid when no one raises further wins the lot."
    },
    "catchTheLeader": {
      "type": "token",
      "name:en": "Catch the Leader",
      "description": "Trailing players get advantages, or the leader is penalized, to keep the game tight and the outcome uncertain."
    },
    "chitPullSystem": {
      "type": "token",
      "name:en": "Chit-Pull System",
      "description": "Chits, tiles, or markers are drawn from a cup to determine what activates, injecting fog-of-war into activation order."
    },
    "closedDrafting": {
      "type": "token",
      "name:en": "Closed Drafting",
      "description": "Players draft cards from a hand that is then passed face-down to the next player, so choices are made privately."
    },
    "endGameBonuses": {
      "type": "token",
      "name:en": "End Game Bonuses",
      "description": "Additional scoring is awarded during final scoring based on sets, goals, or patterns players have built."
    },
    "handManagement": {
      "type": "token",
      "name:en": "Hand Management",
      "description": "Success depends on how a player plays, holds, and sequences the cards in their hand, where order and timing matter."
    },
    "hiddenMovement": {
      "type": "token",
      "name:en": "Hidden Movement",
      "description": "One or more players' positions or movements are hidden from others, who must deduce where they are."
    },
    "ladderClimbing": {
      "type": "token",
      "name:en": "Ladder Climbing",
      "description": "Each play must beat the previous one in rank or combination, as in many trick-based card games."
    },
    "mapDeformation": {
      "type": "token",
      "name:en": "Map Deformation",
      "description": "The shape or connectivity of the map changes during play, altering distances, adjacencies, or possible routes."
    },
    "movementPoints": {
      "type": "token",
      "name:en": "Movement Points",
      "description": "Pieces have a movement budget they spend to enter spaces, with different terrain costing different amounts."
    },
    "paperAndPencil": {
      "type": "token",
      "name:en": "Paper-and-Pencil",
      "description": "Core play happens by writing or marking on paper sheets rather than by manipulating physical components on a board."
    },
    "resourceToMove": {
      "type": "token",
      "name:en": "Resource to Move",
      "description": "Movement is paid for by spending consumable resources (fuel, cards, energy) rather than drawn from a fixed allowance."
    },
    "actionRetrieval": {
      "type": "token",
      "name:en": "Action Retrieval",
      "description": "Actions (often cards) become spent or exhausted when used and must be deliberately recovered later before they can be used again."
    },
    "cooperativeGame": {
      "type": "token",
      "name:en": "Cooperative Game",
      "description": "All players play as a team against the game itself and either win together or lose together."
    },
    "delayedPurchase": {
      "type": "token",
      "name:en": "Delayed Purchase",
      "description": "Items are paid for now but received later, forcing players to plan ahead without immediate access to what they bought."
    },
    "forceCommitment": {
      "type": "token",
      "name:en": "Force Commitment",
      "description": "Players must commit forces or resources in advance, unable to reallocate once combat or resolution begins."
    },
    "impulseMovement": {
      "type": "token",
      "name:en": "Impulse Movement",
      "description": "Activation happens in small alternating bursts rather than full player turns, giving a granular back-and-forth rhythm."
    },
    "moveThroughDeck": {
      "type": "token",
      "name:en": "Move Through Deck",
      "description": "Players progress by advancing through a deck of cards, experiencing each card in order as a form of movement."
    },
    "patternBuilding": {
      "type": "token",
      "name:en": "Pattern Building",
      "description": "Players arrange pieces or cards to form specific patterns or shapes, usually for scoring."
    },
    "patternMovement": {
      "type": "token",
      "name:en": "Pattern Movement",
      "description": "Movement follows specific geometric patterns (L-shape, straight lines, etc.) as in chess-like games."
    },
    "physicalRemoval": {
      "type": "token",
      "name:en": "Physical Removal",
      "description": "Pieces are physically removed from the play area through actions like knocking, flicking, or lifting."
    },
    "rollSpinAndMove": {
      "type": "token",
      "name:en": "Roll / Spin and Move",
      "description": "A die or spinner produces a number and the player moves that many spaces along a track."
    },
    "singleLoserGame": {
      "type": "token",
      "name:en": "Single Loser Game",
      "description": "Rather than a winner, one player is identified as the loser while everyone else is considered to have succeeded."
    },
    "turnOrderRandom": {
      "type": "token",
      "name:en": "Turn Order: Random",
      "description": "Turn order each round is determined randomly rather than by a fixed rule."
    },
    "workerPlacement": {
      "type": "token",
      "name:en": "Worker Placement",
      "description": "Players place limited worker tokens on action spaces to claim those actions; each space is typically usable by only one player per round."
    },
    "auctionDexterity": {
      "type": "token",
      "name:en": "Auction: Dexterity",
      "description": "Bidding is resolved through a physical skill challenge rather than pure numerical offers."
    },
    "auctionSealedBid": {
      "type": "token",
      "name:en": "Auction: Sealed Bid",
      "description": "Players secretly commit to bids that are revealed simultaneously, so no one can react to what others offered."
    },
    "crayonRailSystem": {
      "type": "token",
      "name:en": "Crayon Rail System",
      "description": "Players draw rail lines directly on the board with erasable markers, then run trains along what they've drawn."
    },
    "deckConstruction": {
      "type": "token",
      "name:en": "Deck Construction",
      "description": "Each player builds a personal deck of cards from a collection before play begins, then uses that deck during the game."
    },
    "movementTemplate": {
      "type": "token",
      "name:en": "Movement Template",
      "description": "Movement follows the shape of a physical template placed on the table, as commonly seen in tabletop miniatures games."
    },
    "pickUpAndDeliver": {
      "type": "token",
      "name:en": "Pick-up and Deliver",
      "description": "Players collect goods from one location and deliver them to another for reward, planning efficient routes."
    },
    "prisonersDilemma": {
      "type": "token",
      "name:en": "Prisoner's Dilemma",
      "description": "Players simultaneously choose to cooperate or defect, with payoffs structured so that mutual cooperation is collectively best but individually tempting to betray."
    },
    "randomProduction": {
      "type": "token",
      "name:en": "Random Production",
      "description": "Resource production each round is determined randomly, making planning probabilistic."
    },
    "relativeMovement": {
      "type": "token",
      "name:en": "Relative Movement",
      "description": "Movement is tracked relative to other pieces or frames of reference rather than on absolute board coordinates."
    },
    "turnOrderAuction": {
      "type": "token",
      "name:en": "Turn Order: Auction",
      "description": "Players bid each round to decide the order in which they will take their turns."
    },
    "auctionOnceAround": {
      "type": "token",
      "name:en": "Auction: Once Around",
      "description": "Each player gets exactly one opportunity to bid or raise as the auction passes around the table once."
    },
    "dieIconResolution": {
      "type": "token",
      "name:en": "Die Icon Resolution",
      "description": "Custom dice display symbols that are interpreted directly as results, rather than numbers that feed into a calculation."
    },
    "minimapResolution": {
      "type": "token",
      "name:en": "Minimap Resolution",
      "description": "Battles or encounters are resolved on a separate, smaller tactical board rather than directly on the main map."
    },
    "passedActionToken": {
      "type": "token",
      "name:en": "Passed Action Token",
      "description": "A token passes to another player each time an action is taken, changing who has priority or access to a power."
    },
    "playerElimination": {
      "type": "token",
      "name:en": "Player Elimination",
      "description": "Players can be knocked out of the game before it ends, leaving the remaining players to continue."
    },
    "rockPaperScissors": {
      "type": "token",
      "name:en": "Rock-Paper-Scissors",
      "description": "Conflicts are resolved by a cyclical counter system where each option beats one other and loses to another."
    },
    "scoreAndResetGame": {
      "type": "token",
      "name:en": "Score-and-Reset Game",
      "description": "The game periodically scores progress and then resets components while scores persist across rounds."
    },
    "selectionOrderBid": {
      "type": "token",
      "name:en": "Selection Order Bid",
      "description": "Players bid not for a specific item but for the right to pick first (or in a chosen position) from the offered items."
    },
    "soloSolitaireGame": {
      "type": "token",
      "name:en": "Solo / Solitaire Game",
      "description": "The game supports or is designed for a single player versus the game system."
    },
    "suddenDeathEnding": {
      "type": "token",
      "name:en": "Sudden Death Ending",
      "description": "A specific triggering event abruptly ends the game, potentially mid-round."
    },
    "auctionMultipleLot": {
      "type": "token",
      "name:en": "Auction: Multiple Lot",
      "description": "Several items are auctioned simultaneously, with players distributing bids across lots rather than focusing on one at a time."
    },
    "bettingAndBluffing": {
      "type": "token",
      "name:en": "Betting and Bluffing",
      "description": "Players wager based on uncertain or hidden information, leaning on misdirection and reading opponents to succeed."
    },
    "constrainedBidding": {
      "type": "token",
      "name:en": "Constrained Bidding",
      "description": "Bids must be formed from limited combinations of tokens or values, restricting exactly what bid amounts are possible."
    },
    "meldingAndSplaying": {
      "type": "token",
      "name:en": "Melding and Splaying",
      "description": "Cards are arranged in overlapping stacks where the direction of overlap reveals different information or abilities."
    },
    "patternRecognition": {
      "type": "token",
      "name:en": "Pattern Recognition",
      "description": "Players must quickly spot matching patterns, shapes, or arrangements within a shared display."
    },
    "programmedMovement": {
      "type": "token",
      "name:en": "Programmed Movement",
      "description": "Players secretly program a sequence of moves in advance and then execute it, often with humorous or chaotic results when plans collide."
    },
    "turnOrderPassOrder": {
      "type": "token",
      "name:en": "Turn Order: Pass Order",
      "description": "The order of turns in the next round is set by the order in which players passed in the current round."
    },
    "turnOrderRoleOrder": {
      "type": "token",
      "name:en": "Turn Order: Role Order",
      "description": "Turn order is dictated by the roles players have chosen or been assigned."
    },
    "turnOrderStatBased": {
      "type": "token",
      "name:en": "Turn Order: Stat-Based",
      "description": "Turn order is determined by comparing a specific player stat or resource, often changing as that stat shifts."
    },
    "turnOrderTimeTrack": {
      "type": "token",
      "name:en": "Turn Order: Time Track",
      "description": "Turn order is governed by positions on a time track: whoever is furthest behind acts next, with actions costing variable amounts of time."
    },
    "variablePhaseOrder": {
      "type": "token",
      "name:en": "Variable Phase Order",
      "description": "The order of phases within a round is not fixed and may change based on player choices or events."
    },
    "auctionCompensation": {
      "type": "token",
      "name:en": "Auction Compensation",
      "description": "Losing bidders in an auction receive some form of consolation prize, softening the sting of not winning."
    },
    "communicationLimits": {
      "type": "token",
      "name:en": "Communication Limits",
      "description": "Rules restrict what information players may share, often during cooperative play, forcing careful or oblique communication."
    },
    "hiddenVictoryPoints": {
      "type": "token",
      "name:en": "Hidden Victory Points",
      "description": "Score accumulated during the game is kept secret until final scoring, so the standings are uncertain throughout play."
    },
    "measurementMovement": {
      "type": "token",
      "name:en": "Measurement Movement",
      "description": "Movement distances are measured physically with rulers or templates rather than counted in grid cells."
    },
    "movingMultipleUnits": {
      "type": "token",
      "name:en": "Moving Multiple Units",
      "description": "A single movement action affects a group of units, letting players efficiently reposition armies or fleets."
    },
    "questionsAndAnswers": {
      "type": "token",
      "name:en": "Questions and Answers",
      "description": "Gameplay revolves around posing and answering questions, typically trivia or prompts."
    },
    "reRollingAndLocking": {
      "type": "token",
      "name:en": "Re-rolling and Locking",
      "description": "Players can reroll some dice while setting others aside, refining results across multiple rolls."
    },
    "semiCooperativeGame": {
      "type": "token",
      "name:en": "Semi-Cooperative Game",
      "description": "Players cooperate against the game but ultimately have individual objectives, so only some or one may win even when the team succeeds."
    },
    "statCheckResolution": {
      "type": "token",
      "name:en": "Stat Check Resolution",
      "description": "Actions resolve by comparing a character or unit stat to a target number, usually with a die roll modifier."
    },
    "techTreesTechTracks": {
      "type": "token",
      "name:en": "Tech Trees / Tech Tracks",
      "description": "Players advance along branching or linear technology tracks, unlocking new abilities and options as they progress."
    },
    "auctionDutchPriority": {
      "type": "token",
      "name:en": "Auction: Dutch Priority",
      "description": "A Dutch-style descending auction variant where player priority or turn order determines who may accept a falling price first."
    },
    "closedEconomyAuction": {
      "type": "token",
      "name:en": "Closed Economy Auction",
      "description": "Auction proceeds flow back to the players (not to the bank), keeping the total currency in the system constant."
    },
    "commoditySpeculation": {
      "type": "token",
      "name:en": "Commodity Speculation",
      "description": "Players buy and sell goods whose prices fluctuate, attempting to profit by timing the market."
    },
    "highestLowestScoring": {
      "type": "token",
      "name:en": "Highest-Lowest Scoring",
      "description": "A player's score is determined by their weakest or strongest category, encouraging balanced development or extreme specialization."
    },
    "oncePerGameAbilities": {
      "type": "token",
      "name:en": "Once-Per-Game Abilities",
      "description": "Players have powerful abilities that can each be used only a single time over the course of the game."
    },
    "pointToPointMovement": {
      "type": "token",
      "name:en": "Point to Point Movement",
      "description": "Movement is along a network of connected points rather than across a continuous grid or area."
    },
    "secretUnitDeployment": {
      "type": "token",
      "name:en": "Secret Unit Deployment",
      "description": "Players secretly place units whose identities or values are hidden from opponents until combat reveals them."
    },
    "stackingAndBalancing": {
      "type": "token",
      "name:en": "Stacking and Balancing",
      "description": "Players physically stack or balance pieces without them falling; physical instability creates tension."
    },
    "turnOrderClaimAction": {
      "type": "token",
      "name:en": "Turn Order: Claim Action",
      "description": "Taking a particular action automatically determines or shifts your position in the next turn's order."
    },
    "turnOrderProgressive": {
      "type": "token",
      "name:en": "Turn Order: Progressive",
      "description": "Turn order advances by one seat each round, giving every player a chance at each position."
    },
    "variablePlayerPowers": {
      "type": "token",
      "name:en": "Variable Player Powers",
      "description": "Each player has a unique ability, faction, or rules variant, giving them asymmetric capabilities."
    },
    "areaMajorityInfluence": {
      "type": "token",
      "name:en": "Area Majority / Influence",
      "description": "Players compete to have the most presence in defined regions, and scoring is based on relative majorities in each region rather than exclusive control."
    },
    "auctionFixedPlacement": {
      "type": "token",
      "name:en": "Auction: Fixed Placement",
      "description": "Players place bidding markers on fixed slots or lots, and each placement commits them at a predetermined price."
    },
    "differentDiceMovement": {
      "type": "token",
      "name:en": "Different Dice Movement",
      "description": "Players roll different dice (size or type) depending on the unit or situation, tying movement or action range to the die type."
    },
    "elapsedRealTimeEnding": {
      "type": "token",
      "name:en": "Elapsed Real Time Ending",
      "description": "The game ends when a real-world timer runs out rather than at a specific turn or game-state condition."
    },
    "deckBagAndPoolBuilding": {
      "type": "token",
      "name:en": "Deck, Bag, and Pool Building",
      "description": "Players acquire cards, tokens, or dice mid-game that join their personal deck/bag/pool, gradually reshaping the draws they make each turn."
    },
    "automaticResourceGrowth": {
      "type": "token",
      "name:en": "Automatic Resource Growth",
      "description": "Resources accumulate on the board or on player holdings on a schedule without needing direct actions to produce them."
    },
    "criticalHitsAndFailures": {
      "type": "token",
      "name:en": "Critical Hits and Failures",
      "description": "Extreme dice results (typically highest or lowest) produce outsized positive or negative effects beyond the normal scale."
    },
    "networkAndRouteBuilding": {
      "type": "token",
      "name:en": "Network and Route Building",
      "description": "Players build connected networks of routes between locations to score or to move goods along them."
    },
    "ratioCombatResultsTable": {
      "type": "token",
      "name:en": "Ratio / Combat Results Table",
      "description": "Combat outcomes are looked up on a results table indexed by the ratio of attacker to defender strength, often modified by a die roll."
    },
    "campaignBattleCardDriven": {
      "type": "token",
      "name:en": "Campaign / Battle Card Driven",
      "description": "Activation, movement, and events are driven by playing cards from a limited hand, coupling strategic plans to the cards you happen to hold."
    },
    "narrativeChoiceParagraph": {
      "type": "token",
      "name:en": "Narrative Choice / Paragraph",
      "description": "Players read paragraphs of story text and choose among branching options, shaping the game's narrative."
    },
    "threeDimensionalMovement": {
      "type": "token",
      "name:en": "Three Dimensional Movement",
      "description": "Movement occurs in three dimensions (altitude, depth, or stacking) rather than on a flat plane."
    },
    "victoryPointsAsAResource": {
      "type": "token",
      "name:en": "Victory Points as a Resource",
      "description": "Victory points can also be spent as a currency to buy effects, creating hard tradeoffs between spending and keeping them."
    },
    "auctionTurnOrderUntilPass": {
      "type": "token",
      "name:en": "Auction: Turn Order Until Pass",
      "description": "Players bid in strict turn order and a pass eliminates that player from the auction; the last remaining bidder wins."
    },
    "cardPlayConflictResolution": {
      "type": "token",
      "name:en": "Card Play Conflict Resolution",
      "description": "Combat or contested outcomes are resolved by simultaneously or sequentially revealing cards rather than rolling dice."
    },
    "scenarioMissionCampaignGame": {
      "type": "token",
      "name:en": "Scenario / Mission / Campaign Game",
      "description": "Play is structured as scenarios or missions, possibly forming a connected campaign where outcomes carry over."
    },
    "simultaneousActionSelection": {
      "type": "token",
      "name:en": "Simultaneous Action Selection",
      "description": "All players secretly choose their actions at the same time and reveal them together, rewarding anticipation."
    },
    "rolesWithAsymmetricInformation": {
      "type": "token",
      "name:en": "Roles with Asymmetric Information",
      "description": "Different roles start with access to different information, so cooperation and conflict are shaped by what each player knows."
    },
    "workerPlacementWithDiceWorkers": {
      "type": "token",
      "name:en": "Worker Placement with Dice Workers",
      "description": "Worker placement where the workers are dice, and the die face affects which spaces they can occupy or how effective they are."
    },
    "increaseValueOfUnchosenResources": {
      "type": "token",
      "name:en": "Increase Value of Unchosen Resources",
      "description": "Resources left untaken become more valuable over time, pressuring players away from always grabbing the obvious pick."
    },
    "workerPlacementDifferentWorkerTypes": {
      "type": "token",
      "name:en": "Worker Placement, Different Worker Types",
      "description": "Worker placement where workers come in distinct types, each able to claim different kinds of action spaces."
    }
  },
  "$type": "com.atproto.lexicon.schema",
  "lexicon": 1
}

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Metadata

DID
did:plc:xawtkr77srkxlwhxjf7whbml
CID
bafyreia3ttfondtn5f7g6s6elxzeizjiag4c33a3ntr75x6le7ctd5wu4u
Indexed At
2026-04-11 21:27 UTC
AT-URI
at://did:plc:xawtkr77srkxlwhxjf7whbml/com.atproto.lexicon.schema/games.atplay.taxonomy.mechanic

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