What is Drafting in Board Games?

What is Drafting?

Drafting is a board game mechanism where players choose cards, actions, resources, or other opportunities from a shared pool. These selections could provide benefits, turn actions, or go toward completing sets. There are multiple subcategories of drafting including open drafting, closed drafting, and action drafting. Drafting is one of the most basic board game mechanisms and in its various forms it plays a role in hundreds of excellent games.

There are three qualifications that set drafting apart from other methods of selection:

1. The game presents multiple choices that are shared by all players. All players have access, or at least the possibility to access all the available choices in the pool.

2. The pool is set up in such a way that once one player has picked an action it cannot be chosen by another player.

3. Players are always given a conscious choice when drafting. For instance a random or blind card draw is not considered drafting, even if a player's selection takes that option away from other players.

Open Drafting vs. Closed Drafting

The difference between open and closed drafting is pretty straightforward. In an open drafting system the available options are visible to all players at all times. This allows players to plan ahead, but also creates added tension as a player’s preferred choices may get taken at any moment. In a closed draft the options are not visible to a player until it is their turn to select from the pool. This is most often done with small hands of cards passed around the table. This makes planning ahead more difficult and players often have to think on the fly.

Action Drafting and Worker Placement

Action drafting is a common subtype of drafting where the available choices represent the actions the players take on their turn. This is most often done in an open draft, but there are closed drafting systems that could be considered action drafting. Like other forms of drafting the available actions are limited in quantity and each one may only be selected by one player.

Though done in reverse, with players placing pieces rather than taking them, worker placement is a familiar mechanic that falls under the action drafting umbrella. In worker placement games players choose from several locations to place their “workers” in order to receive benefits, claim territory, or gather resources. Not all worker placement games are true drafts as some do not restrict players from choosing the same spots as other players.

Examples of Games with Drafting (and what type they use)

7 Wonders: Closed Drafting

7 Wonders is kind of like the poster child of closed drafting systems. In this game players choose from a randomized hand of cards to build their kingdom and score points. Everyone reveals and resolves their cards simultaneously, then all players pass their hand to the next player and the cycle repeats. No player knows exactly what's coming, but the cards are well connected enough that you can still plan out your strategy.

The closed draft here is so effective because your choices are completely private but everyone’s current active cards are out in open display, and because your card sets interact in interesting ways. You can know exactly what cards you can pick to mess up other people’s strategies and yet you can tell other people are competing for the same cards you are. No matter what card you choose you’re never quite sure if you’ve made the best choice. It’s all about opportunity cost and that's what a good drafting system should be.

Ticket to Ride: Open Drafting

Ticket to Ride is a well known game and a simple example of open drafting. Players draft train cards in order to complete sets and compete to complete train routes between major cities. The drafting may not be as in depth as 7 Wonders but it’s one of the game’s backbones and the only way to obtain cards. Players often have to figure out how to accomplish their goals while not always getting the cards they most need. And while routes and sets are hidden until played, you usually still have a good idea of which train cards are in high demand.

Dune Imperium: Action Drafting/Worker Placement

Dune Imperium is one of my favorite examples of a worker placement system that works as an excellent action draft. Players play multiple workers onto a very limited board of locations, and once a player plays in a location it is unavailable for the rest of the round. The benefit of each location feels distinct and valuable, making you wish you could play in all of them. You know that whatever good spot you don’t take, someone else will. And with different goals each round and many ways to earn points, focusing on just one strategy won’t win you the game. The game also presents a pretty good open draft for its card system.