Episode 586: Pickup and Delivery Games

Episode release date is July 9, 2025

 

Show Notes

 

This week we kick off our discussion of pickup and deliver games. So, we are going to line up a bunch of games and choose some to discuss.

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Meeple Nation Gaming Highlights (Highlight-Thirty)

• Nathan

Sequoia

• Sequoia is a quick, light dice-rolling and area majority game where players compete to grow the tallest trees in 11 different "forests."

• Objective: Have the tallest tree (most tree tokens) in as many forests as possible to score victory points.

• Over 10 turns, all players simultaneously roll five dice. They then secretly form two pairs from four of those dice (leaving one die unused). The sum of each pair determines which "forest" (numbered 2-12) they can place a tree token in.

• Strategy: You have to decide whether to focus on a few forests to dominate them, or spread your efforts to secure second-place consolation prizes.

• After 10 turns, the player with the most trees in a forest gets the first-place points, and the second-place player gets a smaller consolation prize. Ties are resolved with special tie-breaker rounds.

• Quick and Portable: Sequoia is known for its fast gameplay (around 10-15 minutes) and small box size, making it easy to bring to game nights.

Switchback

• Switchback is a quick and engaging tile-laying board game where players are trying to create the longest continuous paths of numbers (representing hiking trails up a mountain).

• Score the most points by having your "hikers" on tiles that form continuous numerical sequences of four or more tiles.

• Players take turns placing a tile from their hand onto the board. After placing a tile, they either place one of their hikers on that tile, or "buddy up" two of their hikers for a future double move.

• You'll constantly be making choices like:

• Where to place your tile to extend your own paths or block opponents.

• When to place a hiker versus buddying them up for a better placement later.

• Whether to join an opponent's path to share points or create your own.

• At the end of the game (when all tiles are placed), only hikers on paths of four or more consecutive numbers score points.

• Simple rules but tough decisions, all with a quick playtime (10-20 minutes).

 

• Douglas

• Tiny Epic Cthulhu

 

This week we are kicking off our discussion of pickup and delivery games. The "Pick-up and Delivery" (P&D) mechanic in board games is a core gameplay loop where players acquire specific items or units from one location on the game board and then transport them to another designated location to complete an objective or earn points. It's a fundamental concept that simulates logistics, trade, and transportation challenges within a game's theme.

Here's a breakdown of its characteristics and how it's used:

Core Characteristics of Pick-up and Delivery:

1. Goods/Passengers/Resources: There's always something to be picked up.

2. Pick-up Locations (Sources): Designated spots on the board where the goods originate. These can be:

   • Fixed locations: Factories, farms, cities, ports.

   • Player-controlled locations: A player's own production buildings.

   • Dynamically generated: Cards drawn that specify a pick-up point.

3. Delivery Locations (Destinations): Designated spots where the goods need to be dropped off. 

4. Movement/Transportation: Players use their game pieces (vehicles, ships, trains, pawns representing workers) to move from the pick-up location to the delivery location. This often involves:

   • Movement costs: Spending actions, money, or specific movement points.

   • Route planning: Deciding the most efficient or strategic path.

   • Obstacles/Competition: Other players, terrain, or events that impede movement or make certain routes less desirable.

5. Capacity Limits: Players usually have a limited capacity for how many items they can carry at once, forcing strategic decisions about what to pick up and when.

6. Reward/Completion: Successfully delivering an item typically grants:

   • Victory points: The most common form of reward.

   • Money or resources: To fund further actions.

   • Unlocking new abilities: Access to new routes or upgrades.

   • Advancing on a track: Progressing towards an endgame condition.

The P&D mechanic is incredibly versatile and appears in many genres:

1. Logistics and Trade Games:

   • Theme: Often about managing a transportation network or economy.

2. Economic Games:

   • Theme: Focus on resource management, production, and supply chains.

3. Adventure and Quest Games:

   • Theme: Characters embarking on journeys, completing tasks, or rescuing individuals.

4. Worker Placement Games (often integrated):

   • Theme: Players assigning workers to perform actions.

Overall, the Pick-up and Delivery mechanic adds a layer of logistical challenge and strategic depth to board games, forcing players to think about movement, resource management, and timing to achieve their objectives.

 

Pickup and Delivery Games

• Dead Men Tell No Tales

• Space Dealer

• Century: Golem Edition - Eastern Mountains

• Escape Zombie City

• Forbidden Desert

• Maglev Metro

• The Witcher: Old World

• Pirates Cove

• Waste Knights: Second Edition

• Evacuation

• Pandemic Legacy Season 2