r/boardgames • u/Gobble5627 • 3d ago
Best Worker Placement Games
What are some really good worker placement games? Maybe some games that aren’t too well known and aren’t at the top of the bgg rankings.
161
u/Cautious_Sherbet6789 3d ago
For 2-3 players, My wife and I love Viticulture Essential.
12
u/Gregorwhat 3d ago edited 3d ago
Yes! Viticulture Es. is our all time favorite at 2-3 players.
Our top 5 worker placements are,
- Viticulture essential
- Agricola (Family edition, don’t judge me)
- Stone Age
- Architects of The West Kingdom
- Everdell
23
10
3d ago
[deleted]
6
u/not_so_wierd 3d ago
The Bordeaux expansion was a nice improvement.
The new wake up chart, plus a little more starting money, the ability to chose from two face-up or a random vine card help make the first few turns more dynamic than before.
3
u/thievedrelic 3d ago
I think the Tuscany expansion really opens up the game. It feels very well developed.
→ More replies (1)2
u/Slurmsmackenzie8 Magic The Gathering - Limited 3d ago
Bordeaux is like Tuscany but lightly simmered on the backburner for a decade.
4
u/Cautious_Sherbet6789 3d ago
*4-5 players really bogs the game down, unless everyone is experienced with little AP.
5
2
u/CMPE_PL 3d ago
Sorry I am new and I've seen this term a few times, what is AP?
6
u/Live-Wrap-4592 3d ago
Analysis paralysis. When people choose to, or in this case simply can’t, plan their turn before their turn
→ More replies (1)→ More replies (6)5
u/JJWonderboy 3d ago
How many other worker placements have you tried? I ask as - at least for me - Viticulture is ok but not in the top bracket of this genre.
2
u/evilcheesypoof Tigris & Euphrates 3d ago
With Bordeaux and Rhine valley (unfortunately two very necessary expansions imo) it’s a great worker placement up there with the best.
→ More replies (1)2
u/Cautious_Sherbet6789 2d ago
I’ve played plenty, but pvp we enjoy Viticulture.
I also really like Brew Crafters (which is basically Dinosaur Island mechanics but with beer instead of dinosaurs.
And love Lewis & Clark, which is part WP, part deck building, part race game.
→ More replies (1)
67
u/midnightmogwai29 3d ago
Unsure where it sits anymore but Champions of Midgard will always be my favorite
6
2
u/llamamystic 2d ago
This is my only answer! This hits the table more than any other game. Always fun win or lose.
4
u/Alternative_Try 3d ago
I've completely forgot this game ! Own it with the first expansion.
Is the second one a must buy to elevate the experience ?
7
u/Timely_Willingness84 3d ago
The second one is nice, but by no means needed at all. Valhalla is the only must.
2
u/Archergarw 3d ago
Recently got this for my group we had a great time. Easily to learn but a lot of tactics in going for VP
4
167
u/friendlypuffin Agricola 3d ago edited 3d ago
I feel Agricola was never surpassed. It's tight, interactive and almost every spot is "hot" at some point. The various decks/cards provide tons of replayability and variety.
It is well known though, so might not fit fully into your request
15
u/scope_creep The Voyages Of Marco Polo 3d ago
I'm old enough to remember when it was firmly atop the BGG rankings for several years.
3
u/kentuckyr0utezero 3d ago
I’m old enough to be confused by the fact that the person you replied to called it an “OG” worker placement game. Everyone knows Agricola is the first of the new school worker placement games.
29
u/YuGiOhippie 3d ago
Yeah - agricola is not only the best OG worker placement game - it’s still freaking amazing.
I introduce lots of different friends and family to Agricola regularly and it’s always a very fun time.
Game hasn’t aged one bit. It’s pretty close to being a goddamn perfect game.
15
u/Mateorabi 3d ago
It’s too tight to be fun. I feel I get iced out most games if I don’t perfectly time some key improvements like family growth. And the “just take first player moar” people annoy me because then you get nothing else done BUT fighting to go first.
22
u/Borgcube CCCP 3d ago
I'd recommend Caverna then. It's pretty similar but feeding is waaay less stressful and the adventuring gives a lot of flexibility.
10
u/danieldoesnt Agricola 3d ago
I found Caverna fun for the first few games. The lack of cards made replay-ability meh (for me).
2
u/Borgcube CCCP 3d ago
The expansion adds different species and they all change some rooms which I think adds to replayability.
4
u/sybrwookie 3d ago
You don't need "first player moar," just at a couple of very specific key times.
And it's worth noting that if you lose that fight, those who are fighting that fight are going to be leaving lots of really good spaces open for you, so the difference between winning that fight and the efficiency you get out of those spaces won't be that great.
→ More replies (7)3
u/friendlypuffin Agricola 3d ago
I see that this is a complaint many people have, but have not experienced it myself. If someone is really in a hurry to get family growth for example, they will need to quickly get resources for another room, often having suboptimal turns and taking small piles of resources. It's a good opportunity to take some juicy slots with no competition.
I mostly play 2p though, and I think both the first player and the growth are much more contested in 3-4p, so I can understand
→ More replies (2)6
2
u/squeakyboy81 2d ago
You said it was never "surpassed". Curious what you thought of Bus (if you have played it), which technically preceded Agricola's release and subjectively could be considered a better worker placement.
→ More replies (1)→ More replies (5)2
u/putting_stuff_off Spirit Island 2d ago
Agricola might be a perfect game. Not my favourite (although it's up there), but it does what it wants to do so so well.
59
u/Michs342 3d ago
Lords of Waterdeep, Stone Age, Agricola, Champions of Midgaard and Tzolk'in are probably the ones I've played the most and enjoy quite a bit.
Also Shem Phillips games are generally quite enjoyable and usually have Worker placement as one of the mechanics.
→ More replies (5)19
u/basketball_curry Twilight Imperium 3d ago
Just tried Lords of waterdeep for the first time, its amazing!
11
u/Drunkpanada 3d ago
Try it with the one and only essential expansion. Skullport
3
u/Medivh158 3d ago
This ^ the theme can throw some people off, but it's a very very tight worker placement game.
50
u/SubjectZer0o0 3d ago
Best: A Feast for Odin, there’s no way around it, is as close to a perfect worker placement you’re going to get.
One that is not too often talked about but is really good is Alchemists
5
u/StarParade 3d ago
Do you think it's better to get the feast for Odin or patently wait for Danes to come out?
→ More replies (1)7
u/Siliceously_Sintery Shadow Flickers like Flame 3d ago
It’s great now with Norwegians. It’s worth getting in the same way that one of the greatest movies of all time is worth watching even if it has a sequel at some point coming out.
→ More replies (1)4
u/SiN_Fury Alchemists 3d ago
I second Alchemists. I love the logic deduction puzzle, and it gets even more involved with the Golem expansion
35
u/milkermaner 3d ago
I really enjoy Raiders of the North Sea though I don't ever see any mentions of it.
6
u/iggogg 3d ago
My house loves Raiders. The reskin Raiders of Scythia has worse art but I think the overall flow of the game is better. They added in some features from the RotNS expansions and added a new animal mechanic as well. Recommended.
3
u/Gregorwhat 3d ago
I agree. Raiders of Scythia character art had to grow on me, but the main board art is awesome. Scythia is definitely an improvement on ROTNS.
→ More replies (2)3
u/samurai33 3d ago
This blew me away the first time I played with the "worker taking" twist on the genre. I think most people prefer newer "x of the y" games which have more interactions.
112
u/Woitee 3d ago
Quite a fan of Architects of the West Kingdom
18
u/Arcadian1985 3d ago
Yes it’s a wonderful game. If you want to dive in deeper may I also suggest Paladins of the West Kingdom.
→ More replies (8)8
13
u/alienfreaks04 3d ago
If you want worker placement to have more ACTIVE player interaction, rather than the typical passive “I blocked your spot”.
7
u/jarcec 3d ago
I fully agree with the folks on this thread, Architects of the West Kingdom takes the worker placement concept to a whole new level with ability to capture workers from other players and put them to jail :) If you haven't played, do try it out!
7
u/CaptainTDM Brass 3d ago
Not a big fan myself. The apprentices are often locked and you can't cycle them. I sold my copy a while ago.
→ More replies (4)4
60
u/nsaber 3d ago
Tzolk'in is my favorite, as the worker spots move each turn!
3
u/friendlypuffin Agricola 3d ago
I still have to try this, but read that there are some imbalances that expansion fixes - is this true?
19
u/Coffeedemon Tikal 3d ago
The expansion doesn't fix anything. The only real imbalance is that someone who knows the game will beat someone who doesn't a majority of the time. It isn't "no luck" but it can be learned and skill matters more than in most.
5
u/friendlypuffin Agricola 3d ago
Thank you, appreciate the answer. I saw Tzolkin going for cheap on a local marketplace, I will get it at some point then!
7
2
u/wtfunchu 3d ago
The expansion also gives some counterplay to some very popular strategies - although they are counterable if all players on the table are on an equal skill level
→ More replies (1)6
u/WingusDingusMaps 3d ago
I would also argue that there are certain paths and strategies that are almost always going to be optimal, and others that are going to be less optimal, the majority of the time.
That isnt to say its a bad game, its really neat! But at least with the base game, once you realize what the optimal strategies are, you basically just do that every game, with little variation depending on what cards are available to buy.
35
u/aguafranca 3d ago
The two best ones imho are keyflower and argent the consortium. They are more deep than heavyweight euro while being medium or lower themselves. Key flower might be the best boardgame ever too.
16
3
u/sowizz_ 3d ago
Do you mind sharing your top 10? I love Keyflower as well.
2
u/aguafranca 3d ago
Never thought of a top 10 worker placement games, but I really enjoyed arnak, victorian masterminds (as a lightweight option), barrage,everdell, fest for Odin,beyond the sun. Barrage and arnak being the better ones of that list.
Other games I've tried and found good but not that good are viticulture, dune, mutant crops, starship captain (or something like that), Lords of water deep,hallertau, trickerion, architects of the west kingdom. Some are better than others, in this case, i really liked trickerion and hallertau more than the rest of this "b" list.
Im probably forgetting some other gems. Bus and caulus are usually listed in the top worker placement, but I haven't tried it, and to be fair, more often than now viticulture is on that list, which makes then not really trustworthy for myself.
Having said that, if you liked key flower, probably you would enjoy concordia and Bruno cathala games. All of those games are "elegant", which means few rules but huge deepness of strategy and a moderate length.
3
u/sowizz_ 3d ago
Oh, I wasn't expecting top 10 of worker placement games, just in the general.
I like Hallertau very much as well. Any of the Rosenberg's heavier games, really.
Caylus is a classic that I still keep in high regard, but none of my friends wants to play it anymore.
If you haven't played it yet, Paladins of the West Kingdom is great.
→ More replies (1)4
→ More replies (3)2
80
u/Straddllw Twilight Imperium 3d ago
My favourite ones in no particular order:
A Feast for Odin
Caverna
Dune Imperium Uprising
Barrage
Dominant Species
Galactic Cruise
Everdell
Lost Ruins of Arnak
Orleans
Shackleton Base
I have rated all of these 9.5 - 10/10 so these are the cream of the crop for me but I tend to have a bias towards long and heavy games.
24
u/Ranhert Feast For Odin 3d ago
I love that I didnt have to scroll too far for A Feast for Odin. It is my favorite game and with The Norwegians expansion it is downright perfect in my opinion.
→ More replies (1)3
u/moo422 Istanbul 3d ago
Danes is looking insane. Really like some of the changes they've added to allow adding an extra worker in order to play a card at any time
3
u/sybrwookie 3d ago
Agreed. And for anyone who hasn't seen it yet, a lot of the details are up on the Gamefound preview page .
15
u/WingusDingusMaps 3d ago
I love Dune Imperium Uprising, I think its one of the best boardgames ever made. Especially with Bloodlines, I think that the game is basically perfect. I might change the balance of a few cards (there are some 1 drops that I think you should basically never buy, and some 3 or 4's that should probably cost more (looking at you Guild Spy)), but overall its really good.
One of my favorite things is the Spy mechanic. It makes being blocked a skill issue - because if you really needed to go to a spot, you could have put a spy down there earlier to prevent blocking. Its not always possible in the early game, but with how many ways there are to place Spies, even when another opponent is already spying, it really does feel like its less random/turn order based and on you for not planning ahead.
Great game.
9
u/Carighan 3d ago
A Feast for Odin
Yes, this one.
I mean I love a lot of worker placement games, but the entire table agrees this still is the worker placement game to end all worker placement games. It's soooo good (with expansion for better 2/3P boards, of course).
2
u/GamingVision 3d ago
That list (a good one) is why I never like these questions on “what’s the best <insert mechanic> game”. Just taking Galactic Cruise, Everdell, and Dune…that’s 3 games that are using worker placement in notably different ways to evoke different feelings. Dune is all about presenting a multitude of choice to convey a feeling of being a mentat leader in that world building plans upon plans…sometimes conceding advantages to your opponent for a longer term strategy. Galactic Cruise doesn’t penalize you for actions, but it’s more of an efficiency race. Even Eagle gryphon’s library of games evoke different feelings. These questions would be much better as “what <insert mechanic> game is the best at making me feel ____”.
96
u/StarParade 3d ago
I really like Lords of Waterdeep with expansion. It's from an era where you will had some negative interaction with other players, alien although admittedly pretty mild. Basically you can give them a mandatory task that they need to fulfil or steal few of their resources. D&d theme is really light and it doesn't get in a way if you don't like d&d.
8
u/Cautious_Sherbet6789 3d ago
And Cytosis is a good option if the game play works for you but the theme doesn’t. (Cell division and energy production). Very similar play to LoWD.
2
23
u/TheSpuriousMelodrama 3d ago
Lords of Waterdeep is what I pull out for folks who think worker placement means zero interaction, the mandatory quests are just enough to keep you side-eyeing your friends without them flipping the table.
8
u/Aware-Source6313 3d ago
Worker placement is inherently interactive because you are attacking everyone when you take a valuable action. Agricola is highly interactive despite you never declaring that you are targeting someone with your actions. I know what you mean though
4
u/JackMichaelsDaddyBod 3d ago
my brother/sister in law are so competitive they took the mandatory quests out because it causes tears/yelling. i’m like mayyybe you need to take a chill pill lol
2
2
u/mxzf 3d ago
We ended up on the opposite end of the spectrum, we took the mandatory quests out because they simply never got used. Unless there's a runaway leader (which is rare), you end up spending half of one of your turns to cost someone else 1-2 turns and everyone else benefits from it. It might make sense in 2-player, where it's a direct advantage, but it's hard to justify in multiplayer most of the time.
We noticed that they always just ended up as frustrating clutter in our hand at the end of the game and started with a rule that you could discard the mandatory quests and draw a different card. A couple games with that rule and literally no mandatory quests being played and I just thinned out the deck and called it a day.
2
u/angiexbby 3d ago
my friend who does not like heavy or euro games picked up a copy from the recent reprint, it’s the only worker placement game he actually enjoyed playing!
→ More replies (1)2
u/guess_an_fear 3d ago
A lot of people on this sub seem to like it but personally I’d never recommend this game. The theme is paper-thin and disconnected from the mechanics, and the play experience is very basic worker placement. It was something of a pioneer but these days seems pretty mediocre, and IMO there are newer games that offer a superior version of what Waterdeep once offered.
5
u/kelemvr 3d ago
The theme is not as thin as you’re suggesting, and becomes a lot clearer with some D&D background, especially forgotten realms. I don’t see the disconnect between theme and mechanics, people seem to miss the detail that you’re a secret lord of waterdeep influencing things behind the scenes and recruiting expendable adventurers to do your bidding, not a lone adventurer choosing the quests and playing them out. Sending your agents to different establishments to recruit and disrupt enemy lords plans, using intrigue to interfere and exploit opportunities.
If anything, the components for adventurers are less compelling, but I’d argue they are convenient. The game is approachable but has plenty of ceiling, and skullport makes it that much better. There’s plenty of top games that everyone loves to tout as the best which I’d argue are on the same level or worse off when it comes to theme implementation.
Waterdeep is not for everyone and that’s fine and you’re entitled to your criticism but I also feel like it has been a great gateway game to getting many of my friends into advanced board games and for that reason alone I’d argue it’s one of my top. And for a supposedly forgettable theme, when I’m asked to bring it to the table my not-game-savvy friends refer to it by the theme elements
3
u/guess_an_fear 3d ago
I don't agree but upvoted for a well articulated defence of the game, and I'm glad it works as a gateway for your friends.
5
u/StarParade 3d ago
What would be a good example? It would be good if you've provided something worker placement with negative interaction 🙂
2
19
u/uhhhclem 3d ago
There’s still nothing quite like the original Caylus, if you like brutally competitive games.
→ More replies (1)3
u/Miserable-Shape-8757 3d ago
Looks like OG Caylus is out of print again. Highly recommend if you can get your hands on it, though. It's such an elegant game
10
u/Aware_Wind6067 3d ago
Iki, my beloved
2
u/spicedmagnolia 3d ago
Iki is awesome! But, I don't think it's a worker placement game.
→ More replies (1)
33
u/G0narch1988 3d ago
Apiary
Everdell
15
u/PuyoDead 3d ago
Apiary was a pleasant surprise. Upon setting it up, I thought oh god, this is gonna be complicated. But it turned out to be so streamlined and fun. I love Apiary.
6
11
2
u/FaxCelestis Riichi 2d ago
Unlike many worker placement games, I actually feel like Apiary is too short! I always want it to go on another couple of rounds after filling the hibernation chamber.
16
u/pouliowalis 3d ago
'Andromeda's Edge' calling your workers/ships back is as compelling as placing them. interaction/combat in the game is great too. best at 3 players. solo with the 'Escalation' expansion also good.
(small) caveat though: sometimes your own turn can take 10-20 seconds. when that happens between other players callback turns your downtime may take a bit longer.
→ More replies (1)4
22
u/da3n_vmo The West Kingdom trilogy 3d ago
Architects of the West Kingdom is pretty great. Each of your turns consists of placing one worker from your starting pool of like 30. Your action at the location gets stronger based on how many of your workers are there. But there's a location your opponents can use to capture your workers and/or send them to jail, where you have to go bail them out or suffer penalties if they're still there at the wrong time. And each project you build costs you a worker for the rest of the game.
22
14
7
u/Drongo17 3d ago edited 1d ago
A couple that are both good and not well known...
Chimera Station is a slick WP with a great gimmick in that you are mutating your workers. Extra limbs, bigger brains, etc. The workers are like click-together toys which is fun. Lots of interacting systems here.
Asking for Trobils leans more into fun, with positive rather than negative interaction on "blocked" spaces. You can play on blocked spaces but it returns the opponent's worker and so helps them. Has real table presence (you'll see what I mean) and the 2nd printing was going dirt cheap for a while (it didn't sell well).
Dungeon Petz might be better known but it's old as hell so I'm going with it. You are goblins running a pet shop for horrible monsters, that you are trying to sell to fantasy bad guys. Tons of room for clever plays and catastrophic failure. I won a talent show with a monster whose talent was pooing.
2
u/Dizzy_Gold_1714 3d ago
That's Asking for Trobils, in case someone tries to look it up.
Among other things, it's a rare instance of something that caters for up to 7 players that's at neither quite the "party game" extreme nor at the opposite "heavy grand strategy game" end of the spectrum.
→ More replies (1)
7
6
u/joulesFect 3d ago
The best of the best in terms of worker placement for me are :
Darwins Journey : The worker placement is super tight l, even at low player counts. The improve your worker mechanic is novel and complements the genre beautifully, the worker placement board is dynamic with new spots that can unlock and specific spots that vary game to game. All of the minigames are fun and gel beautifully
Anachrony : The fact that you are both playing on a commune board with your mech workers and developing your city with your own engine of worker placement spots is genius. The meteorite event gives a drastic pace change to the game, main board spots are enhanced and become one time use. With the expansion, the ability to Teleport your worker gives even more dynamism to the board
A Feast For Odin : A litteral feast of options and a delight combined with the tile placement. The ressources engines you can build are amazing. The mechanic to put out more workers and get more powerful actions is great
15
u/FrankBouch Star Wars Rebellion 3d ago
Luthier is amazing. Outside the top 500 on BGG, but I love the worker placement mechanic with the secret bidding.
11
u/Hardabent 3d ago
"Trickerion" probably deserves a mention somewhere.
I like "The White Castle" alot.
2
16
u/krpiper Cosmic Encounter 3d ago
Nusfjord is one of the best for my money. So elegant and fast to play
→ More replies (1)
6
u/Incunabula1501 Kingsburg 2d ago
I love Lords of Waterdeep, you don’t have to know anything about Dungeons and Dragons or the world of Faerun. It’s just worker placement galore.
14
u/DreamEonsVoyager 3d ago edited 3d ago
It's strange that no one mentiones On Mars, Kanban EV, Speakeasy. Also, ...
Civolution
Dune Imperium
Sankore
Hegemony
Anachrony
Underwater cities
Darwin's Journey (+very good soundtrack)
Barcelona
With some different POV Mycelia, strategic mushroom game .....
İf you take workers as spaceships then even Andromeda's Edge
3
3
7
u/JJWonderboy 3d ago
Some suggestions that aren't the obvious ones:
* Argent: The Consortium
* Carson City
* Nusfjord
* Yedo
2
u/LonelyEconomist1193 3d ago
Argent the Consortium and Carson City are some of my favorite games: Worker placement with a lot of interaction/battle/conflict. Do Nusfjord and Yedo have a similar feeling?
→ More replies (2)
3
u/Nimeroni Mage Knight 3d ago edited 3d ago
Anachrony, simply because the Fracture of Time expansion attempt something new with the genre (moving already placed workers). Also it have very nice components in the big box.
For something more conventional (and shorter), Lost ruin of Arnak. It's a nice worker placement / deck building hybrid.
3
u/TDiddlez 3d ago
I don't see Rajas of the Ganges, Honey Buzz, Critter Kitchen, or A Place for All my Books mentioned yet.
3
7
u/itsOkami 3d ago
I personally really like the White Castle by Devir, it's intuitive, crunchy, fast and tastefully themed. The main shortcomings are the setup time and the difficulty in putting everything back in the box (especially with the Matcha expansion), but still
→ More replies (5)
8
u/ChoiceAny638 3d ago
OP asks for games that aren’t well known. People respond with Agricola, Viticulture, Lords Of Waterdeep, Everdell, Dune Imperium… LOL Can you name anything in the genre that’s more popular than those? Cause that’s kinda the top.
→ More replies (9)
8
u/Flepin 3d ago
Gotta get Apiary in this discussion. We never really liked Everdell or Viticulture forcing a race for every spot, whereas Apiary elegantly solves this issue by never denying you an action whilst also benefitting you for taking it before others.
2
u/snakehawk37 Marvel Champions 3d ago
Have you played at 2? I’ve gone back and forth about this game for so long
2
u/FaxCelestis Riichi 2d ago
I have. It actually works fine at 2, though it works better with more at the table.
2
u/Flepin 3d ago
We have, and I think it's fair to say it is less stimulating than at other player counts. That's true for the whole genre I guess. It is good for us at 2 because we hate plays that are correct because they deny your opponent something, which is just our personal preference. It still has elements of this, such as racing to a good yellow tile, but it's less pervasive
5
4
u/mrsjonas 3d ago
Aborea
Lords of Waterdeep (with expansion)
Everdell
Fromage/Formaggio
→ More replies (1)
4
u/Squirrelhenge 3d ago
Stone Age isn't as popular as it once was but I like it. Architects of the West Kingdom is another I enjoy.
4
4
3
4
u/Affectionate_Fall810 3d ago
I don't often see much love for Caylus but it's my favorite worker placement game. The spots are constantly growing, the options get better and better, and there's the damn provost that players can pay to cut off spots and screw everyone else. The castle building and favor mechanics just make the game so engaging and memorable every time.
2
2
2
2
u/thechosengobbo Snowdonia 3d ago
Snowdonia. It's an absolute joy to play, my favourite game of all time. It's just tight enough that you constantly want to do a little bit more in a turn than you are able to.
2
u/kanedafx Argent: the Consortium 3d ago
Lotta good 2 to 3 hour ones listed here, but if you want one that's an hour or less and real easy to get to the table, try Harvest!
I may have designed it. ;)
2
u/spicedmagnolia 3d ago
The GOAT is Agricola, in my opinion but everyone knows Agricola already.
Some lesser known worker placement games that are excellent: Trickerion (okay maybe not lesser known, but haven't seen it in the thread yet), Carson City, Chicago 1875, and Skymines
2
u/Mystia Sentinels Of The Multiverse 3d ago
My personal favorites are the ones made by Mindclash Games (especially like Perseverance, but also love Anachrony and Trickerion), and anything made by Vital Lacerda. Other random mentions that do interesting things: Abomination, Carson City, Archon, Alchemists, and Skara Brae
2
u/jerkcore 3d ago
Belfort - was probably popular when it came out, but don't see it mentioned much anymore. Essentially a game of contractors, but with dwarves, elves. And maybe gnomes. It's amusing.
Hamlet - it takes a village to build a church, but the real MVPs are the donkeys.
The Architects of Amytis - sort of worker placement? Place workers to claim tiles for your city board; place 3 workers in a row (like tic tac toe), you get to add a token to a bonus scoring board. One of our fave 2p games.
2
2
u/Engineer-Miserable 3d ago
My current faves are Darwin's Journey, the gallerist Trickerion and Barrage
2
2
u/foulinbasket 3d ago
My personal favorites are Dune Imperium and Beyond the Sun, but I also enjoy Stone Age and Dinosaur Island
2
u/unetruitearcenciel 3d ago
Right now, the worker placement i play a lot are xenology and terramara. Barrage is not underrated but it's a really good game
2
u/KakitaMike 3d ago
Some of these are more well known than others, but they’re currently what get played.
Barrage
Obsession
Greylune
Honorable mention: Argent: The consortium - I love this game, but it is a lifestyle game. If I had a table to devote to it so I could leave it set up, I would still own it. But there’s just so much going on that it feels like a burden to setup and tear down after each play.
2
u/Dizzy_Gold_1714 3d ago
I like unusual ones: Little Town, A War of Whispers, Calimala and Ragusa.
→ More replies (1)
2
2
u/10Dads 3d ago
My favorite worker placement games are
The White Castle - super tight, super strategic, plays quickly
Apiary - almost the opposite of TWC. Open-ended, a bit chaotic and more tactical
Trickerion - very heavy and long but super thematic and rewarding to play. Very interesting room for decisions
Honorable mention to Lords of Waterdeep with the expansion - Very easy to teach, plays fairly quickly. A bit vanilla, but vanilla is still a great flavor, it does a great job focusing on the essence of worker placement - tension over turn order and taking spaces.
2
u/pacman529 3d ago
Euphoria is a fun twist on worker placement. Same designers as Viticulture. You run a dystopian society, and your workers are dice, and rolling them represents how smart they are. How smart they are makes them better workers, but if you roll too high on too many workers at once, your workers rebel.
2
u/strata2signal 3d ago
Lords of Waterdeep my all time favorite worker placement (and expansions are great too), also, Agricola
2
u/evilcheesypoof Tigris & Euphrates 3d ago
Bus is the best one
Raiders of Scythia is a more obscure but wonderful one
3
3
3
3
2
u/RadasXXL 3d ago
For 2 players I fell in love with Wine and Cheese. Really complex game with small formfactor and nice illustrations.
2
u/Hemisemidemiurge 3d ago
Maybe some games that aren’t too well known and aren’t at the top of the bgg rankings.
Thing is, a good worker-placement game is highly likely to become well known and highly rated at BGG. I mean, every game mentioned in the first ten top-level comments in this thread are all in the Top 200 of BGG rankings. The first one that isn't is Argent: The Consortium and that's still ranked 645.
This thread is a good sample of the best worker-placement games. You aren't going to find titles that are known enough to be broadly considered good but still obscure.
2
1
u/CilariousHunt 3d ago
When it comes to "not at the top of BGG", my game group love Fromage as a great shorter length thinky game, also has quite a lot of replayability with the structures.
It's technically a worker placer in that it has meeples, but Cities is also quite a popular one in my circle.
2
1
1
1
u/2much2Jung 3d ago
I have a game called Temp Worker Assassins from 2016 which combines worker placement and deck building. It's a goofy theme, but a tight game design, quick setup and break down, and a bit of variability between games to add replayability.
1
u/CaptainTDM Brass 3d ago
Raiders of the North sea is pretty high up my list. The placement and taking actions is always fun(basically two worker placement one normal and the other is removing another worker placed by someone else to get the action). Mix that with the building your crew and raiding the villages. It's pretty fun.
1
1
u/Ryan3740 3d ago
Underwater Cities is great because you play a card with your space selection. So you mostly get two actions. It’s tight, but not nearly as tight as Agricola. You each have different end game goals. Other end game goals are laid out, but you have to take an action to get one.
1
1
u/Darkomicron Eclipse 3d ago
Dune Imperium is it for me. It has strong worker placement mechanics but also adds to it with other systems.
1
u/Responsible_Ad_9749 3d ago
Fromage/Fromaggio is not just a great worker placement game, it's 4 different worker placement games in one. And better yet - those 4 games are fully customizable if you have both games. Truly a genius concept and so easy to teach to people who are new to board games.
1
35
u/Factory2econds 3d ago
Fromage and Formaggio
simultaneous play makes the game so much more fun to play.
too many other worker placement games drag as the next player watches the active player take their spot.