Resource Systems, Economies, and Engines
Key vocabulary and balancing math for designing game economies that grow and resolve.
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Questions Covered in This Set
11 cards to master
What is a game economy?
A set of resources plus the rules for how they enter the game, transform into each other, and leave it.
Source
Where a resource enters the game (e.g., 'gain 2 wood each turn'). Sources set the pace of the game.
Converter
A rule that trades one resource for another (3 wood → 1 house). Converters are where decisions live, since rates make traps or strategies.
Sink
Where a resource leaves in exchange for something permanent or scoring (10 gold → 5 VP). Sinks stop hoarding and give a reason to spend.
Drain
Where a resource leaks out involuntarily — upkeep, decay, hand-size limits. Drains create pressure and prevent runaway stockpiles.
What is an 'engine' in game design?
A positive feedback loop where you spend resources to raise your future production rate (e.g., Splendor's discounting gems).
Why is positive feedback mathematically dangerous?
Output compounds as roughly P₀·rⁿ, so a small early lead snowballs and the game can be decided on turn 3 while play drags on.
Name five ways to tame runaway engines.
Hard caps, diminishing returns, sinks that compete with the engine, negative feedback/catch-up mechanisms, and a hard end trigger.
How do you compute payback time?
Cost ÷ production per turn. A 6-gold building making 2 gold/turn pays back in 3 turns; bought turn 1 of 12 it nets +18 gold, bought turn 10 it loses 2.
Currency of account (and why mis-price things?)
A single unit all resources convert to (1 wood ≈ 1 gold ≈ 2 VP) so you can price cards and spot outliers; deliberately mis-price ±15% to create the 'good deals' players hunt.
What happens if a game has sources and converters but no sinks or drains?
Players accumulate forever — the game feels bloated and never ends.
