Research Guides: Educational Games: Resource Management

Games employing the Resource Management mechanic require players to acquire and use resources efficiently and effectively to meet certain conditions to gain advantages or advancement towards victory.

A classic example of this mechanic is Settlers of Catan.

Settlers of Catan
In this game, players are trying to build roads, settlements, and cities to be the first person to earn ten victory points. To build these they need to collect the resources (brick, lumber, ore, grain, and wool.) These resources are collected when one of your settlements or cities is located on a tile and its number is randomly rolled. This game requires both critical thinking and problem solving to play well. It also includes an element of trading resources to acquire others you may not have access to, thus also helping with communications and team work.