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Board Game Mechanics – Turn Order Until Pass Auction

The turn order until pass auction mechanic in board games is a type of auction mechanism in which players take turns bidding for an item or resource until all players have passed. At that point, the highest bidder wins the auction and takes possession of the item or resource.

In games that use this mechanic, players may choose to bid higher or pass depending on their available resources, the value of the item being auctioned, and their overall strategy. The turn order until pass mechanism can create a sense of tension and competition as players jockey for position and try to outbid each other. It can also require careful planning and resource management, as players must make decisions about how much to bid and when to pass.

Here are 10 popular board games with the turn order until pass auction mechanic and a brief description of each:

  1. Power Grid – In Power Grid, players take turns auctioning off power plants that they can use to power their cities. The auction uses a turn order until pass mechanic, where each player has the option to make a higher bid or pass until all players have passed, and the highest bidder wins the auction.
  2. Keyflower – Keyflower is a worker placement game where players bid on tiles that they can add to their village to produce resources and score points. The auction uses a turn order until pass mechanic, where each player has the option to make a higher bid or pass until all players have passed, and the highest bidder wins the auction.
  3. Five Tribes – In Five Tribes, players bid on turn order for the round by placing their meeples on the board. The auction uses a turn order until pass mechanic, where each player has the option to place a meeple or pass until all players have passed, and the player with the most meeples on the board gets to choose their turn order position for the round.
  4. El Grande – In El Grande, players bid on turn order for the round by placing their caballeros on the board. The auction uses a turn order until pass mechanic, where each player has the option to place a caballero or pass until all players have passed, and the player with the most caballeros on the board gets to choose their turn order position for the round.
  5. Small World – Small World is an area control game where players bid on different races with unique abilities to control territory on the board. The auction uses a turn order until pass mechanic, where each player has the option to make a higher bid or pass until all players have passed, and the highest bidder wins the auction.
  6. Tigris & Euphrates – In Tigris & Euphrates, players bid on turn order for the round by placing their leaders on the board. The auction uses a turn order until pass mechanic, where each player has the option to place a leader or pass until all players have passed, and the player with the leader farthest back on the board gets to choose their turn order position for the round.
  7. Samurai – In Samurai, players bid on different tiles to place on the board to control territory and score points. The auction uses a turn order until pass mechanic, where each player has the option to make a higher bid or pass until all players have passed, and the highest bidder wins the auction.
  8. Cyclades – Cyclades is a game where players bid on different gods to gain special powers and control territory on the board. The auction uses a turn order until pass mechanic, where each player has the option to make a higher bid or pass until all players have passed, and the highest bidder wins the auction.
  9. Medici – In Medici, players bid on different goods to add to their trading ships to score points. The auction uses a turn order until pass mechanic, where each player has the option to make a higher bid or pass until all players have passed, and the highest bidder wins the auction.
  10. Homesteaders – Homesteaders is a game where players bid on different buildings and resources to add to their town to produce goods and score points. The auction uses a turn order until pass mechanic, where each player has the option to make a higher bid or pass until all players have passed, and the highest bidder wins the auction.

One example of a board game that uses the turn order until pass auction mechanic is Keyflower. In Keyflower, players use workers to bid on tiles that represent various resources and actions. On their turn, a player can either place a worker on a tile to bid for it, or pass.

The auction continues until all players have passed, at which point the player with the highest number of workers on a tile wins the auction and takes possession of the tile. This mechanic creates a tense, dynamic, and interactive gameplay experience, as players try to outbid each other for the most valuable tiles.