The Board Game Mechanics Series: Drafting

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In most classic board games, when players have a hand of cards, a set of dice, or similar resources, they keep them to themselves. They always have those resources at their disposal, and they never change unless they play them, discard them, or draw new ones.

But this is not the case with drafting. Drafting has become a popular board game mechanic in recent years, so it’s worth knowing. It’s fun, plus it’s easy enough to understand once you try it once or twice.

What is Drafting in Board Games?

Drafting is often found in card games. In many drafting games, each player is dealt a hand. Players choose a single card from that hand and place it in front of them. Then, at the same time, players will give the player next to them their entire hand. In this way, they lose their original hand and will then choose another card from an entirely new hand. Play will continue like this until all the cards are gone from every hand.

Sometimes, though, drafting means choosing from a pool of options. Players might have a limited set of dice or tiles they take turns selecting. A round usually ends when all the options are gone.

More often than not, in drafting games, players will score points based on their selection of cards and how well they pair with previously selected cards. For this reason, drafting as a board game mechanic often works best with a strong theme. Check out this list of popular card and board games that use the drafting mechanic to better understand how it works and to find some great new games.

Card and Board Games that Use Drafting

Sushi Go

If you have never played a drafting game before, Sushi Go may be the best place to start. Drafting is the only mechanic used in Sushi Go. Each player will receive a hand of cards. The exact number will depend on the number of players. The cards contain different kinds of things you’d enjoy in a sushi meal, such as maki rolls, nigiri, wasabi, green tea, and more.

To play the game, simply choose a card from your hand, play it, and pass the rest of the hand. Continue on like this until all the cards have been used, and then score your sushi meal! This is drafting at its finest. Players will score points for combinations such as pairing wasabi with nigiri, having sets of sashimi, and more. So choose what you order wisely! And for those interested in a bigger meal, Sushi Go Party offers more decks, and therefore a wider variety of foods to choose from.

Related Post: The Best Food-Themed Board Games

7 Wonders

For those who feel ready for a more intense drafting experience, 7 Wonders is the way to go. There are many choices players can make in 7 Wonders. They can build up armies, develop their society’s science and technology, collect resources, and more. All the choices made from the drafting in 7 Wonders will help players develop their civilization and build their unique wonder.

This drafting game gained so much popularity, there’s even a two-player version of it called 7 Wonders Duel. Players do not have individual hands in 7 Wonders Duel, though. In this version, cards are arranged like a pyramid for each of the three rounds, and players draft from the flipped up cards.

Sagrada

Rather than using cards, Sagrada uses dice for drafting. Players each have their own board that represents a stained-glass window. Instead of players having a unique set of dice in front of themselves, each round will consist of a pool of dice players can choose from.

On their turn, they will choose one die from the pool to place in their window based on color and number. Again, this requires players to choose wisely. They won’t know what will be available to them in future rounds, and each stained glass window has certain requirements to complete them.

Mesozooic

Players build up their own dinosaur zoo in Mesozooic! There are three steps to each round, the first of which requires drafting. Players are dealt 11 cards each (no matter how many people are playing this 2-6 player game). Then, each player selects two cards to play in front of themselves. After that, the drafting continues as normal until all the hands are empty.

Mesozooic differs from other drafting games, though, in that cards aren’t simply scored up based on what players chose. Instead, players must arrange the cards in front of them in the second round like a puzzle and rearrange them within 45 seconds to score points.

Planet

This unique drafting board game with incredibly cool pieces is all about building your own planet. Each player will have a magnetic dodecahedron to build into their own planet. They will draft different magnetic tiles that have different kinds of terrain, such as forest, desert, or ocean terrain. Having certain terrain tiles on their planet will entice different animals to come, which earn players points. The player with the most points from the best planet wins.

Time to Play!

The best way to understand a drafting game (or any board game mechanic) is to play one for yourself. Try out one of these games today, or subscribe to our YouTube channel to watch our latest how-to’s on drafting games. Who knows? You may discover that your favorite board games use drafting as the main mechanic!

What are your favorite board games that use drafting?