Turn Order, First-Player Advantage, and Catch-Up

1) Can the first mover claim a scarce contested resource? 2) Does acting later give usable information? 3) Does the game end abruptly before players get equal turns?

A fixed point bonus (usually 6.5 or 7.5) given to White in Go to offset Black's first-move advantage; the half point prevents draws.

About 54–56% — a small but statistically huge first-player advantage.

Draft order runs 1-2-3-4 then reverses 4-3-2-1, so late pickers get back-to-back picks; evens out total pick quality (used in fantasy football).

One player proposes the opening or komi and the other chooses which side to take, so the proposer is incentivized to make it fair (Hex, Twixt).

Ending 'immediately' when someone hits a threshold silently gives the first player an extra turn; fix by finishing the round or giving each player one final turn.

Turns turn order into a strategic cost rather than a fairness flaw, but the leader can keep buying the best slot, creating runaway effects.

Everyone plays face-down then reveals (7 Wonders, Diplomacy, Libertalia); removes turn-order advantage but loses sequential drama and adds analysis paralysis.

Rules that aid trailing players to keep games tense — Mario Kart item boxes, Power Grid's reversed turn order, loser of a trick leads next.

If catch-up is too strong, being ahead becomes a disadvantage and skilled play stops being rewarded.