As I was writing this, I noticed that there is not much difference between variable player powers and asymmetrical powers in gaming. I tried to think about how they are different but they seem to me to be very similar. Variable player powers are actions that I am able to take that another player can’t take through out the game. Then again, that’s what asymmetrical means to me also. Anyway, I really enjoy playing games where I feel different from other players. Many times thinking their power is better than mine. I do not like when games kinda tell me what to do each round or turn, but I, for some reason, like when games give me a direction to go into with player powers. For instance, I don’t like when games tell me I will get more points for doing this action this round. But like it if I am given more points through out the game if I do this action more often. I know it doesn’t make sense. Anyway, before I talk myself out of this list….here are the Best 3 Games with…Variable Player Powers!
3. Battlelore Second Edition by Fantasy Flight Games
Not only does Battlelore have different player powers but they even have different Unit powers. Both sides of the battlefield will have different unit types. The types are ranged, melee, and Elite. Each of these types of units have special abilities associated with them and are unique to each Race. Archers on the Daqan Lords can fire multiple times if they did not move while the Archers on the Uthuk Y’llan, can poison their enemies. Each side plays very different and each unit on each side is distinguished from the other side. Not only that but each Race has their own Lore card decks that they can use Lore to activate another power through out the game. These special cards have have huge impacts, giving you extra Victory Points or healing a Unit. Richard Borg has done a great job in the design of all areas of Battlelore to make each Race feel different and unique.
2. Terra Mystica by Z-Man Games
I could not believe all the different player powers in Terra Mystica. I must admit, that it is not one of my favorite games. I like it, just don’t love it. BUT, the thing I do love about it is all the different player powers. The fact that they were able to make so many different powers and still keep balance in this game is remarkable. There are 7 factions that come in the game and each one has two different powers for a grand total of 14. I have played this game three times now and every single time I have felt different playing. Each time I really felt that my power is guiding my strategy and actions through out the entire game. Some games I have ignored terraforming or traveling. Other games, all I did was travel and terraform putting out as many buildings as I could. I am blown away with Jens Drogemuller and Helge Ostertag’s ability to make such a fantastic variable player power mechanism in such a big game.
1. Forbidden Stars by Fantasy Flight Games
Forbidden Stars is similar to Battlelore as in each faction has their own deck that makes them unique and different. One of the actions that you can take in Forbidden Stars is to Strategize. When you Strategize, you go through your factions deck of cards and purchase one of them. Each card has two copies of it. So you will take each and put it into your deck. But you have to take out two that you don’t want that are already in your deck. This makes the variable player powers so unique and exciting. Not only does my deck have cards to differentiate it from other decks but I can choose which cards I want to use and what order I want to get them. Maybe a certain card will help me at the beginning of the game but another card will help me later in the game. Samuel Bailey, James Kniffen and Corey Konieczka’s spin on variable player powers makes me think even more when deciding how I want to play each game and round. Not only are there variable player powers but I get to choose which and when to get them…..fantastic!
-Tim
The Players' Aid 
So many great choices available for this category! I think my top 3 would have Cosmic Encounter, Eclipse, and Elder Sign in it, but I couldn’t tell you which order.
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I think a difference between Asymmetrical and Variable can be your goals. For me, in a Variable power game all players usually have the same victory conditions but different ways of getting there, with distinct advantages/disadvantages. For example in Throneworld, a quasi 4x space game, different races have certain boosts/weaknesses that will lead to certain playing styles. However, all the players are generally on the same footing, they are all star faring empires and they all seek the same victory condition: to conquer the throne world in the center of the map.
In an Asymmetrical situation, the two sides not only have different abilities but usually different objectives and ways of achieving victory that are entirely unique to their side. As an example look at Labyrinth and the fact that the Jihadist player can win by executing a WMD terror plot against US soil which the US obviously cannot do. The US player can also win by wiping out all terror cells but the Jihadist can’t really remove any US troops from the map.
Of course some games may not meet the criteria so neatly so there can be a blend of between variable powers and asymmetry in game play leading to shared or unique victory conditions.
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Great point….so according the that i think i am okay with my choices.
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Labyrinth is top notch and a great example of asymmetrical play. Would you say the COIN series is asymmetrical or varied player powers?
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I would say they are both????? Is that possible? Maybe asymmetrical….you all pretty much have the same actions they are just called different things…..and you all have different victory conditions. What am i talking about. You guys are the war game professionals.
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COIN is asymmetric for sure.
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I think the best example of an Asymmetrical game is Netrunner. The Corporation player plays a totally different game from the Runner’s game. The Corporation builds servers and protects them with software ice, setting up traps, using admins, and resources to push their agendas through to completion. The Runner is building a computer rig with software and hardware to hack into the Corporation servers and steal the agendas before they are completed. They have common interests in the agendas, but their game play is done with a completely different mindset and manner of play. The Corporation player wins by completing a certain points worth of agendas and the Runner wins by stealing a certain number. The Corporation player can also win by killing the runner. It is also an example of variable player powers. I honestly can’t think of any Asymmetrical games that aren’t also variable player powers as well.
I would agree that none of your choices here are really Asymmetrical. While the individual units and armies/races as a whole have different abilities that modify the rules, they all still follow the same basic rules framework in how the players win. They all have the same win conditions, they just differ in the minor details on the way to get there.
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Alexander and I have been dying to try Netrunner but neither one of us has pulled the trigger on it.
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Is there enough in the netrunner base set to get a good amount of play oUT of it?
To me asymmetrical implies players use different mechanics not available to the others, usually with different goals or parameters. Something like Star Wars Rebellion, definitely asymmetrical, aso is netrunner. But the varied player powers which might break game rules don’t indelibly change the nature of the game for that player.
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I think there is definitely enough in the base game to get a lot of play out of it. You’ll spend three or four games playing as both the Corporation and as the Runner before you have a good feel for how to play each side. Then you can explore the strengths and weaknesses of each.
There are cards for all four corporations and cards for all three runner criminal types. In addition there are two specific runner and corporation identities. On that basis alone there is tons of variety having 6 different runner themes and 8 different corporation themes. You can use cards from other corps and criminal types but each deck has to be a majority from the identity you are playing. There is lots of room for building different decks with each identity. My only complaint is that the corporation specific agendas can only be included with the identity that matches their corporation. There are generic agendas but not enough to have significant variety for each corporation. I would have liked to see more generic and or corporation specific agendas for each corporation in the base set.
One guy I used to play with only ever used the base box. I had the base game, the first two big expansions and the first 12 data pack expansions. He was still able to build competitive decks, even with not having all the cards I did. He probably played at least 60 games before our group moved on to other games.
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Lieber Helge zu Deinem Geburtstag mòchte ich Dir von ganzem Herzen gratulieren! Ich wùnsche Dir und allen Deinen Lieben alles Gute und mòge dieser wunderbare Tag, an dem Du geboren wurdest noch viele Male wiederkehren. Natùrlich gratuliere ich Dir auch zu all Deinen Erfolgen mit Deinen so wunderbaren Spielen, die Du ùber all die Jahre entwickelt hast. Toll. Einfach grossartig. Denn ich weiss , um Deine wunderbare Passion seit Deiner Kindheit! Einfach grossartig.
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