Board games are typically organized by their mechanics, and I covered a few in my first Board Game Jargon post from a few days ago. These mechanics vary wildly and are often found in combination with several others to form the modern type of board game. Thankfully, a couple of terms have sprung up to clearly define a game without having to list all of its mechanics, given that you know what the terms entail: Euro Games (aka European games, German games, or designer games) and Ameritrash (aka Amerithrash or Thematic games). These two broad categories are the board game equivalent of comedy or tragedy, a quick sorting of the game to give a player a general idea of what the game is going to entail having not heard the rules or mechanics involved. So what makes a game a Euro or a Thematic game?
Where does the term Euro come from? Starting in the 1960s and ramping up from there, primarily European designers worked to publish their games through German companies. Germany still has the most games published per capita than any other country and also holds the world’s biggest board game convention annually in Essen.
Keep in mind that these definitions are very subjective and rife with counterexamples, and that this is a very general breakdown of what a Euro game is. Typically, it will have these elements:
Keep in mind that these definitions are very subjective and rife with counterexamples, and that this is a very general breakdown of what a Euro game is. Typically, it will have these elements:
- Very little player interaction: If there is interaction, it is usually indirect by blocking a player in order to keep them from getting a resource as opposed to attacking their character. That doesn’t mean the games can’t be tense, just no direct interaction.
- Themes tend to be “drier”: Not always the case, but usually a dead giveaway. If the game is about farming, it’s a Euro. Some games include: Agricola, Castles of Burgundy, Kingsburg, Puerto Rico, Caylus, etc.
- No player elimination: That’s not to say that players can be taken out of contention to win, but they will be playing the game for its duration. This is opposed to other games like Monopoly, Risk, etc.
- Focus on mechanics over theme: This is often described as making a game abstract, or a game having a “pasted-on” theme (meaning the theme and mechanics are not tied together). The focus of the game is in how it plays and the strategies it involves as opposed to what the game is about. Some examples include: Lords of Waterdeep and Five Tribes.
- Very little luck or randomness: Euro games are truly games of skill. There will usually be a little bit of randomness because without it games are solvable, but this is usually done through cards and there are ways to mitigate the luck factor by playing well.
- Winner decided by victory points: The manner of how the player achieves points can vary wildly, but this is usually a pretty clear indication of a typical euro game.
- Notable Games: Settlers of Catan, Agricola, Puerto Rico, Castles of Burgundy, Terra Mystica, Power Grid, 7 Wonders, Keyflower, Lords of Waterdeep, Five Tribes
- Main Goal: Elegance and skill
American style games seem to have descended from the rich role-playing game worlds like Dungeons & Dragons. The worlds of these games are immersive and lend to very strong thematic games that make the players feel a sense of danger. Ameritrash as a term has taken a beating lately, although it started as a term of endearment, hence the shift to "Amerithrash" or "Thematic" games.
- Focus on theme over mechanics: The reason why the genre is sometimes referred to as thematic games. These games are about player immersion, making someone feel like they are the character in the game, or what they do is tied to what the game is about. This can be done with flavor text on the cards or by having back-stories for the characters. Some examples are: Dead of Winter, Eldritch Horror, Cosmic Encounter, etc.
- Lots of player interaction: Often players are pitted against one another and a large portion of the game is trying to screw up other player’s plans. This can include player elimination. Examples include: King of Tokyo, Coup, Descent.
- Unique Player Powers/Asymmetric Set-Up: Players will usually select a character or will have some sort of unique set-up that will add to the thematic feel of the game. For example each player will get a different alien at the beginning of Cosmic Encounter with a power that “breaks” the rules in some way.
- Luck plays a large role in games: This is usually done using dice to determine the outcome of certain events in a game: fights, success rolls for doing a certain action, etc. This takes some of the game out of the player’s hands, but can lead to extremely tense moments that come down to one roll of the dice.
- Notable Games: Descent, Arkham/Eldritch Horror, Mage Knight, Twilight Imperium 3, Betrayal at House on the Hill, Dead of Winter, Battlestar Galactica, King of Tokyo, Star Wars: Imperial Assault
- Main Goal: Story and Drama