What is a resource management board game?

Introduction

If you’re an avid player of board games, you’re likely no stranger to the resource management mechanic in board games. Resource management is a popular board game mechanic that requires players to compete for the same pool of resources to perform actions, such as building items or gain victory points by caching them in some way.

Resource management board games often require players to strategize in the early stages of the game and employ tactical thinking and responses to other players actions as you’re all often competing for the same pool of resources.

Examples of resource management board games

Our favourite board games that use resource management as a core mechanic are Catan, Wyrmspan, Brass and Everdell. There’s loads more resource management board games that are popular out there that we’ve yet to experience, like Scythe, The Lost Expedition, Tapestry, Arkham Horror and so many more!

How long can a game take to play?

Thanks to the way resource management mechanics work in board games, the games can usually take anywhere from an hour for lighter games to a day for more complex ones.

Some of the more complex games like Brass Birmingham, which on average takes 3-6 hours to play, are even more satisfying as they have two layers in which the game progresses. Brass Birmingham, divides the game into two stages, where players establish themselves in the first stage - the canal era, to gain benefits for the next stage - the rail era. The two eras require different strategies and approach to come out on top, and is a great example of resource management games that have you on the edge of your seat the whole game.

We hope you’re ready with snacks, sugar and water to keep your brain in shape when planning your strategies for one of these games.

Why we love this mechanic

There’s a real satisfaction when you’ve managed to wrap your head around a strategy and execute it, despite all opposition from other players. Similarly, there’s nothing like a last minute gambit that turns the game around when the resource pool has dwindled to almost nothing.

Brass Birmingham and Wyrmspan are two of the board games that made us appreciate resource management games all the more, as there’s several different strategies to win both these games. With Wyrmspan, we’ve often found that diversifying how you achieve victory points is more likely to have you win the game, though cached resources and eggs on the player mat can be very deceptive at first glance. Wyrmspan has you manage resources to acquire dragons, excavate cave systems, choose when to cache resources, as well as spend resources to gain more. We highly recommend it if you enjoy complex board games with resource management mechanics!

Anjali enjoys this genre as it allows for a lot of min-maxing if you know how to play the room. She prefers staying out of everyone else’s business to find another way to the top and often comes up with a mixed bag of results for this reason.

Joshua loves this genre as he enjoys securing resources the quickest and if it suits his tactics, blocking people from getting what they need so they’re forced to make deals with him. Strikes when least expected, and certainly one to look out for at the table!

Who might enjoy resource management board games?

If you enjoy strategy games where there’s healthy competition and an urgency to the moves you need to plan, a resource management board game has everything you could want.

Bonus points if you’re someone that enjoys complexity in your board game!

What are some good resource management board games to start with?

Wingspan

A good start for those new to slightly more complex board games and learning about engine-building in board games.

Playtime

A relatively quick game that often wraps up in 60-90 minutes.

Publisher Website

Stonemaier Games published Wingspan and the other span games like Wyrmspan and Finspan as well as other favourites of ours, like Tokaido.

Stonemaier Games also published Wyrmspan, another great resource management game, which we’ve reviewed. Go check it out.

Everdell

A slightly more complex board game that focuses on tableau building and resource management, perfect for those who enjoy building a city.

Playtime

A game usually takes us 90-120 minutes. We do usually suggest saving this for when people have braincells and time.

Publisher Website

Everdell was published by Tycoon Games under the name Starling Games.

Brass: Birmingham

A great strategy game for board game veterans who enjoy competition and resource management. Brass has quite a few mechanics that makes this game complex, but once mastered, it is a lot of fun!

Playtime

Games can take anywhere from 2 to 6 hours depending on how many new players are present. Recommended for the weekends or days off!

Publisher Website

Roxley Games published Brass Birmingham and other titles like Radlands, Gorilla Marketing, Skyrise, Santorini, Steampunk Rally and more.