Worker Placement

This mechanic requires players to draft individual actions from a set that is available to all players. Drafting is done one-at-a-time and in turn order. Once drafted, an action can no longer be taken until a subsequent turn or until the action space is no longer occupied by a worker.

Usually, each player has a limited number of pieces with which to participate in the process. In other words, they "place workers" to show which actions have been drafted by which players.

In Agricola, for example, you start with two family members who can be placed on action spaces to collect resources or take certain actions like building fences. When someone places on a given space, that action is no longer available until the next round.

Well known examples of Worker Placement include Agricola, Caylus, Stone Age, Pillars of the Earth, Tribune, and Dominant Species. Early design experiments with the mechanic include Way Out West, Bus, and Keydom (though there is some disagreement about this).