Deck, Bag, and Pool Building

Deck, Bag, and Pool Building Mechanics in Board Games

Deck Building

Deck building is a mechanic where players start with a basic set of cards and progressively acquire better cards to shuffle into their deck, enhancing their options and strategies during the game. The goal is to streamline the deck for optimal card combinations and minimize less useful cards.

Example: Dominion, a pioneering deck-building game, has players purchasing cards from a common pool to add to their deck each turn.

Bag Building

Bag building is similar to deck building but uses physical tokens placed in a bag instead of cards. During their turn, players draw tokens to execute actions. Like deck building, players seek to improve their bag's contents.

Example: In Orléans, players add followers to their bag, drawing them each turn to perform various actions, thereby advancing on several strategic paths.

Pool Building

Pool building refers to the collection of resources or abilities from a common area, allowing players to develop their pool of options. Unlike deck or bag building, the acquired elements are usually visible and can be used immediately.

Example: In games with pool-building aspects like Splendor, players get gems (resources) and purchase cards, effectively building a visible pool of assets that provides benefits and points.

Each mechanic encourages strategic planning and adaptability and offers a unique gameplay experience that can be deeply satisfying for players who enjoy mastering complex strategies.