Economic Theory and Game Mechanics Integration
Board games often incorporate economic themes by designing game mechanics that replicate economic behaviours and principles. This includes resource allocation, trading, market dynamics, and financial decision-making.
Resource Management and Allocation
Resource management entails the strategic distribution of limited resources to achieve goals within the game. Fundamental elements of scarcity and opportunity cost are explored as players decide how best to utilize their available assets.
Trading and Negotiation
Trading introduces an element of negotiation and relative value assessment, allowing players to exchange goods and services to mutual benefit or competitive advantage. Games like "Settlers of Catan" involve players bartering resources, reflecting real-world trade dynamics.
Market Dynamics and Financial Systems
Market dynamics are simulated with fluctuating prices for goods and services based on supply and demand. "Power Grid" is an example where players must adapt to changing energy markets. Additionally, some games incorporate stock markets or commodity trading, where players buy and sell ownership in businesses or goods, aiming to optimize returns on investment, a concept drawn directly from financial economics.
Strategic Interaction and Game Theory
Strategic interaction in board games, including competition, cooperation, and prediction of others' actions, illustrates game theory aspects. Here, players must anticipate rivals' strategies, reminiscent of competitive markets.
Economic Systems and Structures
Board games can represent different economic systems, like capitalism in "Monopoly" or feudalism in "Catan". Players often engage in activities that mirror real-world economic structures, such as running businesses, acquiring properties, or building infrastructures.
Currency and Banking
The incorporation of currency and banking mechanisms, where players earn, trade, and manage money, is another reflection of real-world economies. In-game currency management simulates the need for financial literacy in real life.
Risk and Investment
Many economic-themed games require players to assess investment risks and make decisions on where to allocate resources for potential future gains. The mechanism echoes the real-world concept of investment under uncertainty.
Tableau-Building and Worker Placement
Some games use tableau-building and worker placement mechanics, where players develop a personal area of play (like a factory or business) or allocate "workers" to perform certain tasks, representing labor economics and operational management.
Economic Policy and Regulation
Rarely, games introduce elements of economic policy and regulation where players may have to contend with changes in rules (laws) or random events (market shocks) that affect the overall game economy.
Economic Themes in Board Games
Economic board games are multifaceted. They often blend resource management, negotiation, market simulation, and strategic decision-making into an interactive experience, providing players with a platform to understand and engage with complex economic principles and strategies.
Economic themed Worker Placement games
Economic themed Investment games
Economic themed Simultaneous Action Selection games
Economic themed games published by Galápagos Jogos
Economic themed Action Retrieval games
Economic themed Variable Player Powers games
"Funfair" is a strategy card game where players compete to build the most attractive theme park. Aimed at players aged 14 and up, the game combines city building and economic elements, with each player's goal to design a park that attracts the most ...
Funfair
$39.99
$15.00
"SpaceCorp Ventures" is an expansion for the board game "SpaceCorp: 2025-2300AD," focusing on the exploration and development of the solar system and beyond. Designed for players 14 and older, the game is a mix of strategy and luck that requires careful...
SpaceCorp: Ventures Expansion
$45.00
$33.99
Economic themed Commodity Speculation games
Economic themed games illustrated by Yaroslav Radetskyi
Rurik - Dawn of Kiev
$120.00
Rurik: Dawn of Kiev is a euro-style realm building game set in an 11th century Eastern European kingdom and featuring area control, resource management, and a new mechanic - "auction programming."You play as one of several potential successors to the...
mostly positive, 76%
13 y/o +
1 to 4 players
30 minutes
Involved
Strategy Game
Civilization
Economic
Territory Building
Area Majority / Influence
Area Movement
Auction/Bidding
Economic themed games edited by Michael S. Lee
SpaceShipped -- A solo space trading game of buying and selling resources, upgrading your ship, crew, and equipment, dealing with marauders, and making deals. A card game with over 30 random events, 4 types of ship, 4 sets of crew members, and 8 different...
SpaceShipped
$0.00
Count of the Nine Estates is a 18-card reimplementation of Count of Nine.Search your land for resources to build basic structures that will provide more resources. Use these structures and resources to build up your estates into a powerful economic ...
Count of the Nine Estates
$15.00
Economic themed games illustrated by Jakub Politzer
Kutna Hora - The City of Silver
$59.95
Kutná Hora: The City of Silver is a historical city-building Eurogame for 2-4 players that features a real-life supply and demand experience in which every action you take has an impact on the game's dynamic economic systems.In each round, players take...
mostly positive, 76%
13 y/o +
2 to 4 players
60 minutes
Involved
Strategy Game
City Building
Economic
Action / Event
Action Queue
Events
Hand Management
Economic themed games designed by Friedemann Friese
Economic themed Turn Order: Stat-Based games
Economic themed games published by Broadway Toys LTD
Economic themed Network and Route Building games
Economic themed games published by Arrakis Games
Economic themed games published by YOKA Games
Political and Economic themed games
Economic themed games illustrated by Czarnè
In the 16th century Jakob Fugger built an impressive trading empire centered in Augsburg. He earned so much money, that he was able to loan large amounts to royals in need of cash. As the royals were often unable to repay the loans, Jakob was more than...
Augsburg 1520
$19.95
$14.00
Planet Steam is a board game in which two to five players take the roles of entrepreneurs in a steampunk boomtown, racing to assemble equipment, claim plots of land, extract resources, and accumulate riches. After harvesting resources using tanks and...
Planet Steam (2nd Edition)
$19.95
$11.00
Economic themed Strategy Game
Economic themed Auction: Dutch games
Plan & Build!In this elegant and intuitive city-building board game, designed by the award-winning Emerson Matsuuchi, you will create the city of your dreams.Over three rounds of play, you will compete to be the greatest architect in your city by purchasing...
Foundations of Metropolis
$49.99
$39.99
This is your chance to make history:You begin with a small tribe and the will to build a great civilization. Expand your farms and mines to gain the resources to build your cities. This lays the groundwork for technological advancements, better government...
Through the Ages: A New Story of Civilization
$99.99
$69.95
Economic themed games published by Planszoweczka.pl
Suburbia Inc. Expansion
$20.95
Your borough has decide that it's time incorporate. What does that mean for you, as its city planner? Well, lots more paperwork, that's for sure but it also gives you great new possibilities for your little town. In Suburbia Inc, an expansion for the...
positive, 82%
8 y/o +
1 to 4 players
90 to 90 minutes
Involved
Strategy Game
City Building
Economic
Modular Board
Tile Placement
