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The EFG staff defines gaming terms that are either confusing or ill-defined. Please leave a comment with any terms you find confusing and we will try to include them in future editions!


Worker Placement

Everdell

Worker placement is a mechanic found in some popular board games. Mechanics are styles of how the game plays, and once a player is familiar with a mechanic it can make it easier to learn a different game that also employs the same mechanic.

In worker placement games, or games that have the worker placement mechanic, players have a token, most commonly a meeple (see our definition of meeple). The token can also be a figure or acrylic standee. There has also become a huge demand for high quality and unique meeples, figures, and acrylic standees.

These tokens are the “workers”. On their turn, players place their workers on the board. The location of worker determines the resource or benefit the players earn. In many games a token or meeple placement prevents other players from moving to that space. Since players have a finite number of workers, they must be very thoughtful and strategic in their placement choices.

In some games, like Everdell, there are spaces that only one meeple may be placed per round and some spaces that an unlimited number of meeples can be placed. That said, the most valuable spaces limit one meeple at the location per round. With the less valuable spaces open to multiple players.

In Age of Heroes, as in many other worker placement games, the spaces are limited to one token per space. Players need to be very thoughtful and strategic on what space they want to take. Since there may be more than one player going for that location, it helps to have multiple options in mind. By having a plan, it can help keep the game moving, and minimize Analysis Paralysis. (See our definition of Analysis Paralysis here.)

History of Worker Placement

Age of Heroes with Acrylic Standees

Keydom published in 1998 by R&D Games holds the credit with being the first worker placement game. From there other games emerged with worker placement. This has become a popular mechanic that encourages publishers to get creative with meeples and tokens.

Examples of Worker Placement Games:

  • Everdell (2018)
  • Stone Age (2008)
  • Marvel: Age of Heroes (2023)
  • Trails (2021)
  • Agricola (2007)

The Worker Placement mechanic has become ubiquitous to the board game world. While there are many other mechanics you may find in board games, this one has set the imagery and become an icon for the hobby.


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Every week the EFG staff will be defining a gaming term that is either confusing or ill-defined. Please leave a comment with any terms you are confused by and we will try to include them in future editions!


The gaming definition this week is a term that is applicable to board games:

Meeple

Meeple refers to tokens used to represent people, animals, or creatures in board games. Most commonly they are wooden, and the typical shape is like a person. However, they are also found in a huge range of animals or other shapes as well as a range of materials.

The Meeple has become a ubiquitous symbol of board games. Gamers can find many items to decorate their game spaces with Meeple art or objects. Meeples come in a huge range of games and serve a range of purposes within games. Some examples of their application in games can include: marking the players location on the board, as a score tracker, to mark and effect on the board, or claiming a tile.

Wooden Meeples from Fire in the Library

History

The word Meeple come from the blending of “my people” in reference to the game Carcassonne. The term Meeple emerged in 2000, and credited to Alison Hansel for creating the word. In 2015 Meeple was added to the Oxford English Dictionary.

Dragoon Meeples
Metal Dragon Meeples from Dragoon

A Few Examples of Meeples in Games:

  • Fire in the Library: “typical” meeples
  • Dragoon: Metal or plastic dragons
  • Carcassonne: Where it all began
  • King Domino
  • Fire Tower: Rising Flames Fire Hawks (Featured in cover photo above)

So there you have it! Our guide to meeples. Whether you’re a seasoned gamer or just starting out, we hope this article has helped introduce you to the wonderful world of meeples and shown you how much fun they can add to your gameplay experience. Sound off in the comments and let us know your thoughts on our favorite gaming token! Do you prefer wooden ones, like most gamers? Or do you like something a little more flashy and eye-catching? We want to hear from you!

You can also look at our other video game definitions from previous weeks here!

What do you think? Sound off in the comments and let us know your thoughts!

Make sure to keep your eyes on Engaged Family Gaming for all of the latest news and reviews you need to Get

Your Family Game On!

The EFG Essentials

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Like us on Twitter!

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