It’s all in the cards! What does it mean to use Card Drafting or Deck Building mechanics in board game play and how are they different from each other? These two game elements both involve drawing from a public pool of cards to use during game play. Players use cards to interact with a game when choosing them from a central area – which can be a deck or a display – in order to take actions based on these cards.
In Card Drafting, a player chooses cards that can be:
- Held to play in a later turn
- Used and discarded to gain a one-time benefit or game points, or
- Played immediately to the table to gain ongoing benefits and/or score points on their turn or at the end of the game.
Deck Building involves drafting cards, but these cards become part of a player’s personal deck that grows throughout the game. The player cycles through and reuses this deck to take actions and/or earn additional points.
Featured below are two games that we offer that use Card Drafting and two that use Deck Building. The age ranges listed are just suggestions by the publisher but can vary from person to person depending on game experience and aptitude. I have personally played some of these games with younger players. I have included a difficulty reference based on a scale of 1-5.
I hope that you are enjoying some game time with family and friends and are building memories around the table! I would love to hear from you about games that you are enjoying. Are there other game topics that you would like to hear more about? Feel free to email me at marsha@rainbowresource.com. ~Marsha
Ark Nova
Ages 14+
Just released in 2021, this game lets you plan and design your own zoo using a huge deck of 255 cards to help implement available options each turn. Players draft cards to use after gaining the resources or action level needed to play them to the table. This is one of my favorite new games of last year. For 1-4 players with a 90 to 150-minute playtime. Difficulty level is 3.7.
Everdell
Ages 13+
This beautifully designed and themed game not only has charm, but it links several game mechanics together for a fulfilling, strategic experience. Players draft cards that earn game-end points and can pair with each other for added game boosts, ongoing resource generation and bonus points. I have enjoyed playing this game with family members from age 11 and up and it has become one of our favorites. For 1-4 players with 40-80 minute game play. Difficulty level is 2.8.
Clank!: A Deck Building Adventure
Ages 12+
What fun this game is! Enter the dungeon with a goal of collecting treasures using a growing deck of cards to help generate resources and navigate through the dungeon to earn game-end points.
Be the player to collect the most treasures and emerge victorious! This game has already provided our family many hours of play with a 30-60 minute experience for 2-4 players. Difficulty level is 2.2.
Lost Ruins of Arnak
Ages 12+
Spend some time discovering the treasures of an uncharted land. Search for precious stones, dig for ancient tablets and arrowheads, or research and record your finds. Build your deck of cards adding powers, actions and points to your turns. With numerous paths to victory, this game provides 30-120 minutes of wonderful game time. I have thoroughly enjoyed many plays of Lost Ruins of Arnak and adding the Expedition Leaders expansion brings even more depth and variety. Difficulty level is 2.8.
