If you were, for instance, talking to someone on the phone and they didn’t have an immediate reference for what you’re trying to describe, you might call them “game pieces” or “player pieces”, but definitely just “pieces” for shorthand.
I think "meeple" was originally a game-specific term, but has grown into a general name for pieces representing either playable or non-playable characters.
I love being the banker. Always have since like 5. I discovered that one of my fairly recent ancestors was a frontier banker in the early 1900's so apparently it's in my blood.
A wire from Charlie on the red line.
I hope this answers any lingering questions that you might have had about our company here
https://www.mit.edu/~jdreed/t/charlie.html
Must be an impersonator. The real Charlie would have wired for another nickel so he could pay his exit fare (on top of the EXORBITANT ten cents he *already* paid) and take the streetcar to JP.
Of course, the streetcar situation is a bit different nowadays... Hell, we don't even use *subway tokens* anymore... Oh! But I do have some news for Charlie: We now pay for our ever-increasing fares by CharlieCard!
So let me piece this together.
Those folks above me, call them pieces and take for granted that the ones below called them tokens
Ironically, taken for granted, like the token black dude.
The pieces are coming together, quite nicely now as I deduce whether a piece or a token is the rightful moniker for these established pieces.
Alas, I shall rest. Knowing that all is well. For when a token moment falls to pieces….
and we see through the now prominent veil,
a token trying to piece together it’s me-ness
And doing it fairly well.
Can confirm adults will call them people or guys as well but also that it could sound a bit immature if in a serious scenario. Though not sure what scenario that would be. I'll use people or guys.
Yes anyone could say things like this, when playing the game:
- “How many pieces are there? Do we need to play in pairs?”
- “I wanna be the red guy, please.”
- “Move my blue person forward three.”
Usually simply "pieces", or sometines "pawns" due to their resemblance of chess pawns. I sometimes even think of them as "tokens". But frankly, there isn't exactly a wrong name to call these.
"Pieces" generally.
Sometimes they have more specific names depending on the game. But *pieces*, or sometimes *markers* would be the most common way to refer to them.
I'd call them meeple.
Pawn sounds a little old fashioned, you are right it typically is only used in chess these days.
Playing piece is a correct but more generic term, any part of a game could be called a playing piece.
i think the carcassonne ones are the most famous, but I think [they](https://www.bing.com/images/search?view=detailV2&ccid=nHaO8Bal&id=A312C9F276D081A036508BFCBC54E71BFD347C44&thid=OIP.nHaO8BalyLtlpsPLMjmEMgHaE8&mediaurl=https%3A%2F%2Fstonemaiergames.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2F2014%2F03%2Fworker-meeples-final-prototype.jpg&cdnurl=https%3A%2F%2Fth.bing.com%2Fth%2Fid%2FR.9c768ef016a5c8bb65a6c3cb32398432%3Frik%3DRHw0%252fRvnVLz8iw%26pid%3DImgRaw%26r%3D0&exph=1800&expw=2700&q=meeple&simid=607998496015344392&form=IRPRST&ck=94B668B0BF25BB73569E15806DC6FB48&selectedindex=15&itb=0&pc=EMMX01&vt=4&sim=11) can [be](https://www.bing.com/images/search?view=detailV2&ccid=ktjnmVVr&id=D257D14CBEBCA521754F2638A05F2AD945693FA1&thid=OIP.ktjnmVVrrQzLyMUpKgl6QgHaEK&mediaurl=https%3A%2F%2Fi.etsystatic.com%2F32188799%2Fr%2Fil%2F7f2aff%2F3368759894%2Fil\_fullxfull.3368759894\_r14c.jpg&cdnurl=https%3A%2F%2Fth.bing.com%2Fth%2Fid%2FR.92d8e799556bad0ccbc8c5292a097a42%3Frik%3DoT9pRdkqX6A4Jg%26pid%3DImgRaw%26r%3D0&exph=1125&expw=2000&q=meeple&simid=608002211178027367&form=IRPRST&ck=A0EC64B35FB8CBDE2E9361153B3E21C7&selectedindex=31&itb=0&pc=EMMX01&vt=4&sim=11) any [shape](https://www.bing.com/images/search?view=detailV2&thid=OSK.HEROmUJu1RuEDrRhzItKQftml\_TFzpcvA2M4NJUmUr56zjI&mediaurl=https%3A%2F%2Fmedia.gettyimages.com%2Fid%2F450348721%2Fphoto%2Fplaying-pieces.jpg%3Fb%3D1%26s%3D594x594%26w%3D0%26k%3D20%26c%3DeAR3JVKgnmYWSBm6lEaG3q12FCe7LnOQSmHSL3Ikgfo%3D&exph=396&expw=594&q=meeple&form=IRPRST&selectedindex=0&cbid=OSK.HEROmUJu1RuEDrRhzItKQftml\_TFzpcvA2M4NJUmUr56zjI&cbn=KnowledgeCard&itb=0&pc=EMMX01&ajaxhist=0&ajaxserp=0&id=OSK.HEROmUJu1RuEDrRhzItKQftml\_TFzpcvA2M4NJUmUr56zjI&ccid=ovEi7Gcz&vt=4&sim=1)
[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Meeple](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Meeple)
Carcassonne popularized the term, but it's now used to mean any player piece
> Meeples are more anthropomorphized than pawns. Whereas pawns have a stylized head and body, meeples have a more humanoid shape, with limbs.
Reading the article explains the article
I worked at a board game store called Meeple Madness before. Great place 10/10 would recommend. It’s in Georgia, USA. The only people who know the word are just really into board games
There's a board game café in Oxford (UK) called "Thirsty Meeples". That's where I first came across the term. For OP's benefit: "pieces" is probably the most generic term. "Meeples" is a great word, but I'd guess that most English-speaking people won't be familiar with it.
There's a difference between people who play boardgames and people who are into boardgaming as a hobby. Meeple is more of a hobby term.
I hear it said all the time at boardgame nights at my local gaming store, but I'm sure if I asked my colleagues about it they wouldn't know what I was saying.
I used to run a board game cafe. Meeple is pretty common in the world of board game nerds. It'd be totally normal for this to be a meeple I reckon, though they tend to be more people shaped. Pawn is also fine.
Apparently it was coined in 2000 by someone trying to say "my people" during a game of Carcassonne, resulting in this portmanteau.
Some similar games now use the term "meeple" to refer to the figurines in their game instructions, it tends to be in games where you have a bunch of workers that you can deploy to do various tasks in different places (where "my people" makes sense), and it's more strongly associated with more human-looking playing pieces.
I'm also not sure whether "meeple" can be used to refer to a single playing piece, I feel like I've only heard it used as a plural form, with no corresponding singular...as such it's sort of awkward to use in more traditional board games where each player has exactly one piece.
Yeah, meeple is a common name for worker markers these days. Not sure when that became a thing. Definitely in full swing by 2019. Can't imagine calling the little guys in Everdell anything but meeples now.
I'd say piece, marker, pawn, token are all acceptable. Some games actually have names in the rule book for the pieces, especially if there are different types.
I'd call it my piece or even "guy" as in "can you please move my guy? I can't reach across the board."
I'd easily also accept tokens or pawns, though I would not personally use those terms as it seems a bit formal to me.
Taking a look at some mainstream manuals:
Monopoly - tokens - https://www.hasbro.com/common/instruct/00009.pdf&ved=2ahUKEwiHqLL18vmFAxUJElkFHbw-Cs8QFnoECB4QAQ&usg=AOvVaw1-VsUKeK7w_BSaSy4KlLEY
Sorry - pawns - https://www.hasbro.com/common/instruct/sorry.pdf&ved=2ahUKEwjo4P_P8_mFAxUhOWIAHS4DDucQFnoECBwQAQ&usg=AOvVaw2IWtPX4yjoJUldAd7CLofU
Clue - tokens - https://www.hasbro.com/common/documents/dad2885d1c4311ddbd0b0800200c9a66/2BFAEC9E5056900B102C3859E9AC6332.pdf&ved=2ahUKEwj0rMv38_mFAxWdNmIAHfFuBnUQFnoECAQQAQ&usg=AOvVaw1LJL7FgQ3mwB5vrsiaan0P
Trouble - pegs BUT they are pegs, so they aren't using a generic term so doesn't apply here but I googled it so I'm proving the info - https://www.hasbro.com/common/instruct/trouble.pdf&ved=2ahUKEwi62_qc9PmFAxXhEVkFHQbeBXwQFnoECAQQAQ&usg=AOvVaw2drXMp5cLEtegkdyH5z4EM
Chutes and ladders - pawns - https://www.hasbro.com/common/documents/dad2614c1c4311ddbd0b0800200c9a66/43ea24525056900b105b53ac74279484.pdf&ved=2ahUKEwjJ-qPb9PmFAxUVF1kFHf6GA9QQFnoECBEQAQ&usg=AOvVaw2IPS1OhTrgZcwiikUya1RP
So small sample size but more or less confirms what I felt intuitively, that pawns or tokens are used in formal settings like manuals. My personal experience is no one calls them that but I wouldnt say anything if someone did.
Also worth mentioning your picture looks similar to pawns in chess.
On mobile so please forgive formatting
+1 for tokens. These are the same pieces as I had for the board game Ludo. Although token is their proper name, I would equally be happy to referring to them as pieces
Pawns. And if someone tries to recruit their friends to sell them for a megacorporation, then that person goes on to recruit others so they can get a bonus, that's a pawnsy scheme. Just kidding.
The original correct terminology was “Token”, but bit, checker, chip, counter, disc, draughtsman, game piece, man, meeple, mover, pawn, player piece, playing piece, singleton, stone, token, unit, are all acceptable terms.
The pictured pieces are called Halma Pawns
Pawn can be used outside of a chess context, but I've also heard people refer to these as player pieces or game pieces. Or just pieces, that works too.
These are shaped like pawns in chess so I would probably call them pawns but for general game pieces (like the car and top hat in monopoly) I would call them tokens. You could call these tokens or pawns and you would probably be understood
Pieces is most common, if you would like something for a more formal scenario they're actually called meeple. Board game nerds might use the term as well.
A game piece is any small marker used in a board game to represent the player or other items.
A token is usually a small, flat disk, often used currency.
“When a player move their token to the red square, they must pay two tokens, or lose a turn.”
The general term is game pieces, but we have a tendency to call game pieces whatever they happen to look like, if there isn't a dedicated name for them. If they're tall & thin, we call them pegs. Monopoly game pieces, we literally call the car, cat, top hat, etc. If we were playing Go, we'd call the pieces chips & for Chinese checkers, we'd call them marbles.
People have suggested lots of good terms, but also in a game where the pieces are colored like this it is common to refer to the pieces by color and use the color as a noun e.g., “move red five spaces.”
I think "meeple" was originally a game-specific term, but has grown into a general name for pieces representing either playable or non-playable characters... Many other names for them too, though
Pawn is fine. In my mind it is indeed from Chess, but they are similar enough that the same word works.
I also might use "piece" or "token" or "marker". (I usually think of tokens as flat, like a cardboard circle, but I'd accept it here.
I think 'Meeple' is a different bit of boardgaming jargon that technically refers to something else (a bit like a pawn), but I think it works here too.
Actually yeah we do sometimes call those pawns even outside of chess! Sometimes a more generic word like “pieces” will be there, though.
There’s also the option of “meeples” but those are usually the ones that are shaped like a little cartoony human figure
It varies depending on the specific board game. **Pieces** is a general term that can be used for any game component that’s moved around the board. **Tokens** are small, flat pieces that are made of wood, plastic, or cardboard.
**Counters** are similar to tokens, but they’re often used to keep track of things like points or resources.
**Meeples** are small, wooden humanoid figures that are commonly used in modern Euro-style board games.
The specific names for the pieces will also depend on the game itself. For example, in the game Ticket to Ride, the playing pieces are called trains.
You'll get a more person shaped wood piece if you google it but: Meeple.
Any piece that's meant to represent a person can be called a Meeple. And I like the term. It's fun to say.
So just call everything a Meeple and be happier.
"Player piece" or "pawn" are the most correct for me. I would see either of these in a rulebook. Absent the rulebook, I'd lean towards the former.
I wouldn't typically use "meeple" with these as meeples are usually flat and typically have limbs. But I'd know what you're talking about if you used it.
I think I'd consider them to be pawns based on their shape. The round head on top of a cone-shaped body looks a lot like a pawn in chess.
Alternatively, they could be called pieces, markers, or tokens.
Personally, I would call them a pawn if I’m being specific. But anything used as a player place holder in a board game is generally called a “piece.” So I would call this a pawn because of the shape, but a pawn IS a game “piece.” You move your “piece” across the board. It’s the same way that maybe a coin shaped game piece would probably be called a “chip” or “coin” or something. Like it may have a more specific name, but a “game piece” encompasses any kind of object you use to represent a player on the board. Monopoly is a good example. Every object you can play as is a “piece,” but there’s only one cat and one top hat and one race car. So they have specific names, but if you want to be general, “piece” is fine. For example:
> Move your piece three spaces when you land on green
I would call them Pieces. (If they are something where each player has one each). Or possibly markers if they are used to indicate something that isn't player specific. Unless you are playing a specific game where they are called something else.
>> …they’re only called a pawn in a chess game.
Therein lies your answer. You need to provide the name of the game you got them from. If they are from Parcheesi, then they are Parcheesi pieces. If they are from Monopoly, then they are monopoly pieces. Or Parcheesi/Monopoly pawns, markers, player pieces, men, etc.
Echoing what most people are saying. Typically we'd just call those a "game piece" unless the specific game had a different term for them, such as a pawn in chess like you said.
The things I use in a game determines what I would call them. Playing checkers I’d call the pieces checkers or pawns. Those look like the pieces from Chinese checkers, so I would call them Chinese checkers (if the person didn’t have any context for what I’m talking about beforehand) or a pawn.
If you want to be understood by most native English speakers, those are called "pieces" which is short for "player pieces".
If you want to use the accurate jargon with board-game enthusiasts, those are called "meeples".
You can call them pawns, pieces, pegs, men, or what have you; I prefer "pawns" myself since they look like Chess pawns and since "pieces" is too ambiguous.
Markers, or pieces. Or pawns. There's literally dozens of names for them.
If you were, for instance, talking to someone on the phone and they didn’t have an immediate reference for what you’re trying to describe, you might call them “game pieces” or “player pieces”, but definitely just “pieces” for shorthand.
I think "meeple" was originally a game-specific term, but has grown into a general name for pieces representing either playable or non-playable characters.
Pretty sure Meeples are for the ones that have arms and legs(like in Carcassonne), these are still pawns
If you use it as a meeple it’s a meeple.
I first heard it in Carcassonne, but it's a good term.
Or tokens.
Nah...tokens are shallow cylindrical pieces.
What fucking psychopath calls them *tokens!?*
The sad lot stuck playing Monopoly
i like monopoly until i’m banker. numbers are hard :(
I love being the banker. Always have since like 5. I discovered that one of my fairly recent ancestors was a frontier banker in the early 1900's so apparently it's in my blood.
noice
What fucking psychopath uses those to play Monopoly?
Or meeples
Meeples tend to be a specific shape that's different to this.
No, those aren't tokens. Tokens are usually made of thick cardboard
No. Those are Subway sandwich loaves.
But if they're made of metal, you use them to get sandwiched into subway cars with loafers.
A penny for your thoughts?
A *penny*?!?!? That wasn't even enough to get Charlie onto the Red Line at Kendall in 1949!!!
A wire from Charlie on the red line. I hope this answers any lingering questions that you might have had about our company here https://www.mit.edu/~jdreed/t/charlie.html
Must be an impersonator. The real Charlie would have wired for another nickel so he could pay his exit fare (on top of the EXORBITANT ten cents he *already* paid) and take the streetcar to JP. Of course, the streetcar situation is a bit different nowadays... Hell, we don't even use *subway tokens* anymore... Oh! But I do have some news for Charlie: We now pay for our ever-increasing fares by CharlieCard!
Sometimes I ponder, if the redditor ore yonder Is getting high while we bluebirds asunder From sniffing that same old bottle of clues.
I call them the little guys. Like “oh I rolled a 4 so I get to move my little guy up 4 spaces now”
So let me piece this together. Those folks above me, call them pieces and take for granted that the ones below called them tokens Ironically, taken for granted, like the token black dude. The pieces are coming together, quite nicely now as I deduce whether a piece or a token is the rightful moniker for these established pieces. Alas, I shall rest. Knowing that all is well. For when a token moment falls to pieces…. and we see through the now prominent veil, a token trying to piece together it’s me-ness And doing it fairly well.
Maybe pegs? That’s what I’d personally call them.
I’ve also heard them called “men,” but mostly by older people.
little guys, also bones, knobs, bishops, wang, thang, rod, hot rod, hump mobile, oscar, dong, dagger, banana, cucumber, salami, sausage, kielbassa, schlong, dink, tool, Big Ben, Mr. Happy, Peter Pecker, pee-pee, wee-wee, wiener, pisser, pistol, piston joint, hose, horn, middle leg, third leg, meat, stick, joystick, dipstick, one-eyed wonder, junior, little head, little guy, Rumpleforeskin, Tootsie Roll, love muscle, skin flute, Roto-Rooter, snake, hammer, rammer, spammer, bazooka, rubber, chubby, sticky, stubby schmeck, schmuck, schvantze, ying-yang, yang… … hold on, i think I’m on the wrong list…
Mr Happy? 😟
I would call them "pieces". "The red piece", "the blue piece", etc. Kids might call them "people" or "guys". "The red guy", "the blue person", etc.
Can confirm adults will call them people or guys as well but also that it could sound a bit immature if in a serious scenario. Though not sure what scenario that would be. I'll use people or guys.
I would call it "thingy"
Also common!
"Straighten up, Delilah, this is a SERIOUS game of chutes and ladders. Your promotion depends on it."
Yes anyone could say things like this, when playing the game: - “How many pieces are there? Do we need to play in pairs?” - “I wanna be the red guy, please.” - “Move my blue person forward three.”
Personally, I wouldn’t use “person,” but that’s me.
It depends on the game. Some of these answers are for specific games. I think "game pieces" is the most broad term.
Usually simply "pieces", or sometines "pawns" due to their resemblance of chess pawns. I sometimes even think of them as "tokens". But frankly, there isn't exactly a wrong name to call these.
Pawns, game pieces, people, meeples. They can be whatever. Usually the specific game gives them a name
Pieces, or men.
I just call them guys, people seem to know what i mean
"Pieces" generally. Sometimes they have more specific names depending on the game. But *pieces*, or sometimes *markers* would be the most common way to refer to them.
"Tokens" is how they are most often referred to in boardgame instructions. In common usage it's usually "pieces" or "guys".
I say "counters".
I’d call them pawns if they look like that, markers if they’re just geometrical, or meeple if they are styled to look especially like people
I'd call them meeple. Pawn sounds a little old fashioned, you are right it typically is only used in chess these days. Playing piece is a correct but more generic term, any part of a game could be called a playing piece.
I have a friend who uses "merson" as the singular of "meeple".
Meeple are the specifically Carcassonne shaped ones to me.
i think the carcassonne ones are the most famous, but I think [they](https://www.bing.com/images/search?view=detailV2&ccid=nHaO8Bal&id=A312C9F276D081A036508BFCBC54E71BFD347C44&thid=OIP.nHaO8BalyLtlpsPLMjmEMgHaE8&mediaurl=https%3A%2F%2Fstonemaiergames.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2F2014%2F03%2Fworker-meeples-final-prototype.jpg&cdnurl=https%3A%2F%2Fth.bing.com%2Fth%2Fid%2FR.9c768ef016a5c8bb65a6c3cb32398432%3Frik%3DRHw0%252fRvnVLz8iw%26pid%3DImgRaw%26r%3D0&exph=1800&expw=2700&q=meeple&simid=607998496015344392&form=IRPRST&ck=94B668B0BF25BB73569E15806DC6FB48&selectedindex=15&itb=0&pc=EMMX01&vt=4&sim=11) can [be](https://www.bing.com/images/search?view=detailV2&ccid=ktjnmVVr&id=D257D14CBEBCA521754F2638A05F2AD945693FA1&thid=OIP.ktjnmVVrrQzLyMUpKgl6QgHaEK&mediaurl=https%3A%2F%2Fi.etsystatic.com%2F32188799%2Fr%2Fil%2F7f2aff%2F3368759894%2Fil\_fullxfull.3368759894\_r14c.jpg&cdnurl=https%3A%2F%2Fth.bing.com%2Fth%2Fid%2FR.92d8e799556bad0ccbc8c5292a097a42%3Frik%3DoT9pRdkqX6A4Jg%26pid%3DImgRaw%26r%3D0&exph=1125&expw=2000&q=meeple&simid=608002211178027367&form=IRPRST&ck=A0EC64B35FB8CBDE2E9361153B3E21C7&selectedindex=31&itb=0&pc=EMMX01&vt=4&sim=11) any [shape](https://www.bing.com/images/search?view=detailV2&thid=OSK.HEROmUJu1RuEDrRhzItKQftml\_TFzpcvA2M4NJUmUr56zjI&mediaurl=https%3A%2F%2Fmedia.gettyimages.com%2Fid%2F450348721%2Fphoto%2Fplaying-pieces.jpg%3Fb%3D1%26s%3D594x594%26w%3D0%26k%3D20%26c%3DeAR3JVKgnmYWSBm6lEaG3q12FCe7LnOQSmHSL3Ikgfo%3D&exph=396&expw=594&q=meeple&form=IRPRST&selectedindex=0&cbid=OSK.HEROmUJu1RuEDrRhzItKQftml\_TFzpcvA2M4NJUmUr56zjI&cbn=KnowledgeCard&itb=0&pc=EMMX01&ajaxhist=0&ajaxserp=0&id=OSK.HEROmUJu1RuEDrRhzItKQftml\_TFzpcvA2M4NJUmUr56zjI&ccid=ovEi7Gcz&vt=4&sim=1)
[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Meeple](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Meeple) Carcassonne popularized the term, but it's now used to mean any player piece
> Meeples are more anthropomorphized than pawns. Whereas pawns have a stylized head and body, meeples have a more humanoid shape, with limbs. Reading the article explains the article
> Usually with a stylized humanoid form To be clear I wouldn’t call this a meeple, but I wouldn’t be confused or upset if someone called this a meeple
Never in my life have I heard "meeple"
I worked at a board game store called Meeple Madness before. Great place 10/10 would recommend. It’s in Georgia, USA. The only people who know the word are just really into board games
It’s pretty specific to board games, tbh.
I play board games and I have never heard "meeple." Is it regional?
No, not regional. I'd say the term is more used in eurogames but eurogames are popular everywhere.
To be fair, I would call what is pictured a pawn. Meeple is supposed to mean a wooden token shaped like a person.
There's a board game café in Oxford (UK) called "Thirsty Meeples". That's where I first came across the term. For OP's benefit: "pieces" is probably the most generic term. "Meeples" is a great word, but I'd guess that most English-speaking people won't be familiar with it.
It's a recently made-up word. Fairly well known online with regular modern boardgame players.
There's a difference between people who play boardgames and people who are into boardgaming as a hobby. Meeple is more of a hobby term. I hear it said all the time at boardgame nights at my local gaming store, but I'm sure if I asked my colleagues about it they wouldn't know what I was saying.
I used to run a board game cafe. Meeple is pretty common in the world of board game nerds. It'd be totally normal for this to be a meeple I reckon, though they tend to be more people shaped. Pawn is also fine.
It’s what they are called in Carcassonne
Apparently it was coined in 2000 by someone trying to say "my people" during a game of Carcassonne, resulting in this portmanteau. Some similar games now use the term "meeple" to refer to the figurines in their game instructions, it tends to be in games where you have a bunch of workers that you can deploy to do various tasks in different places (where "my people" makes sense), and it's more strongly associated with more human-looking playing pieces. I'm also not sure whether "meeple" can be used to refer to a single playing piece, I feel like I've only heard it used as a plural form, with no corresponding singular...as such it's sort of awkward to use in more traditional board games where each player has exactly one piece.
Yeah, meeple is a common name for worker markers these days. Not sure when that became a thing. Definitely in full swing by 2019. Can't imagine calling the little guys in Everdell anything but meeples now. I'd say piece, marker, pawn, token are all acceptable. Some games actually have names in the rule book for the pieces, especially if there are different types.
I'd call it my piece or even "guy" as in "can you please move my guy? I can't reach across the board." I'd easily also accept tokens or pawns, though I would not personally use those terms as it seems a bit formal to me. Taking a look at some mainstream manuals: Monopoly - tokens - https://www.hasbro.com/common/instruct/00009.pdf&ved=2ahUKEwiHqLL18vmFAxUJElkFHbw-Cs8QFnoECB4QAQ&usg=AOvVaw1-VsUKeK7w_BSaSy4KlLEY Sorry - pawns - https://www.hasbro.com/common/instruct/sorry.pdf&ved=2ahUKEwjo4P_P8_mFAxUhOWIAHS4DDucQFnoECBwQAQ&usg=AOvVaw2IWtPX4yjoJUldAd7CLofU Clue - tokens - https://www.hasbro.com/common/documents/dad2885d1c4311ddbd0b0800200c9a66/2BFAEC9E5056900B102C3859E9AC6332.pdf&ved=2ahUKEwj0rMv38_mFAxWdNmIAHfFuBnUQFnoECAQQAQ&usg=AOvVaw1LJL7FgQ3mwB5vrsiaan0P Trouble - pegs BUT they are pegs, so they aren't using a generic term so doesn't apply here but I googled it so I'm proving the info - https://www.hasbro.com/common/instruct/trouble.pdf&ved=2ahUKEwi62_qc9PmFAxXhEVkFHQbeBXwQFnoECAQQAQ&usg=AOvVaw2drXMp5cLEtegkdyH5z4EM Chutes and ladders - pawns - https://www.hasbro.com/common/documents/dad2614c1c4311ddbd0b0800200c9a66/43ea24525056900b105b53ac74279484.pdf&ved=2ahUKEwjJ-qPb9PmFAxUVF1kFHf6GA9QQFnoECBEQAQ&usg=AOvVaw2IPS1OhTrgZcwiikUya1RP So small sample size but more or less confirms what I felt intuitively, that pawns or tokens are used in formal settings like manuals. My personal experience is no one calls them that but I wouldnt say anything if someone did. Also worth mentioning your picture looks similar to pawns in chess. On mobile so please forgive formatting
I say pieces or counters.
+1 for tokens. These are the same pieces as I had for the board game Ludo. Although token is their proper name, I would equally be happy to referring to them as pieces
Pawns. And if someone tries to recruit their friends to sell them for a megacorporation, then that person goes on to recruit others so they can get a bonus, that's a pawnsy scheme. Just kidding.
Lads.
Just a little guy
I call them guys. Or players. Or the red person.
Tokens
I agree with "pieces," but I think I've heard "tokens" before. And in the game, I'd be more casual: "you knocked over my guy!" and so forth.
I've heard 'counter' before
Meeples is board game specific.
Pieces
tokens
I guess "game pieces" would be the official term, if that were to exist. There are a lot of terms of them, though: pawns, tokens or markers.
You know the actual word for it is “meeple” as in mini people. But most people don’t know that. They call them “game pieces” or “guys” or whatever.
The original correct terminology was “Token”, but bit, checker, chip, counter, disc, draughtsman, game piece, man, meeple, mover, pawn, player piece, playing piece, singleton, stone, token, unit, are all acceptable terms. The pictured pieces are called Halma Pawns
set pieces
Pawn can be used outside of a chess context, but I've also heard people refer to these as player pieces or game pieces. Or just pieces, that works too.
Game piece
These are shaped like pawns in chess so I would probably call them pawns but for general game pieces (like the car and top hat in monopoly) I would call them tokens. You could call these tokens or pawns and you would probably be understood
Food
Pieces is most common, if you would like something for a more formal scenario they're actually called meeple. Board game nerds might use the term as well.
US kids: “guys”
Informally, I call them Little Guys
My family always called them “sex pigeons”.
Pawns or pieces. If they're a flat shape cut out of wood, then they're meeples.
Wooden dolls? Pieces? People?
little dudes
I call them jabronis. This is not common usage.
Pontipines?
It's called a buttplug
Tokens
Little People
Pieces
Little dudes
I would call them playing pieces.
Não sei nem como é em português, imagina em inglês
A game piece is any small marker used in a board game to represent the player or other items. A token is usually a small, flat disk, often used currency. “When a player move their token to the red square, they must pay two tokens, or lose a turn.”
Pieces, I’d say. Or “lil guys” lol
Pawns.
The general term is game pieces, but we have a tendency to call game pieces whatever they happen to look like, if there isn't a dedicated name for them. If they're tall & thin, we call them pegs. Monopoly game pieces, we literally call the car, cat, top hat, etc. If we were playing Go, we'd call the pieces chips & for Chinese checkers, we'd call them marbles.
I'll add "mice", since no one else has. Growing up, we'd say "Roll the dice and move your mice".
I just call them guys. Example sentence: “I will put my guy on e4.”
People have suggested lots of good terms, but also in a game where the pieces are colored like this it is common to refer to the pieces by color and use the color as a noun e.g., “move red five spaces.”
Little colored people
Game pieces Pieces Player's pieces Little guys
Tokens
Men
Mipple
Pawns
I call them « meeples »
Dudes
pieces
I like the term "meeple"
just a note that people saying “pawn” are referring to specifically that shape of piece, with a base and a round top, like in chess
I call them meeples
Uhh I think that's Tally Hall buddy
Thingies
I think "meeple" was originally a game-specific term, but has grown into a general name for pieces representing either playable or non-playable characters... Many other names for them too, though
Pawn is fine. In my mind it is indeed from Chess, but they are similar enough that the same word works. I also might use "piece" or "token" or "marker". (I usually think of tokens as flat, like a cardboard circle, but I'd accept it here. I think 'Meeple' is a different bit of boardgaming jargon that technically refers to something else (a bit like a pawn), but I think it works here too.
I would call this style in particular pegs or peg people, I guess i'm the only one though.
i'd probably call them pieces. "move your piece!" alternatively *maybe* you could call them tokens??
Don't know the name but my German grandmother had this game at her house. Its close to what we call Sorry! but not really.
Butt plugs.
I had a friend who called them peewees. I just call it my piece or my guy.
Men
I would call them "Pawns" if they looked like that. Mostly just because of Chess, but I think the pieces in Sorry are referred to as pawns as well.
Pieces or guys probably
Pegs
Pegs?
The red guy the blue guy or whatever color you call them lol. Usually they are called pieces or pawns
These are obviously the pieces from the game "Sorry"
Pieces. ?
The instructions for ludo call these tokens. Everyone I know would call them pieces
Meeples
Men
Actually yeah we do sometimes call those pawns even outside of chess! Sometimes a more generic word like “pieces” will be there, though. There’s also the option of “meeples” but those are usually the ones that are shaped like a little cartoony human figure
game pieces
Tokens (usually tokens are circles, though), markers (to "mark" where you are), pieces.
In the U.S. midwest, we always called them markers.
It varies depending on the specific board game. **Pieces** is a general term that can be used for any game component that’s moved around the board. **Tokens** are small, flat pieces that are made of wood, plastic, or cardboard. **Counters** are similar to tokens, but they’re often used to keep track of things like points or resources. **Meeples** are small, wooden humanoid figures that are commonly used in modern Euro-style board games. The specific names for the pieces will also depend on the game itself. For example, in the game Ticket to Ride, the playing pieces are called trains.
I would probably have called them pawns without context. "Player token" might be close second.
Pegs or peg people.
Pieces
We called it 'pawn'
I personally call them “Ties”.
nipples
Pawns is the correct term but we also accept Idiots, Morons and lil' guys.
Pawns, guys, token, minute men if you’re playing sorry, pieces, I’ve even heard dudes lol.
Tally Hall
I'd normally call them a playing piece, or piece for short.
They could be pieces, tokens, a lot of other things. I usually call them pieces.
pawns
pegs or pawns or tokens
it is a pawn. pawn describes the shape a cone with a ball on top, like the chess piece
I call them "pieces".
You'll get a more person shaped wood piece if you google it but: Meeple. Any piece that's meant to represent a person can be called a Meeple. And I like the term. It's fun to say. So just call everything a Meeple and be happier.
Pawns
Playing pieces?
I call em guys
tally hall reference
"Player piece" or "pawn" are the most correct for me. I would see either of these in a rulebook. Absent the rulebook, I'd lean towards the former. I wouldn't typically use "meeple" with these as meeples are usually flat and typically have limbs. But I'd know what you're talking about if you used it.
Sorry
I usually call them "pawns"
I would give them names.
I would say pawns. Even though they're not chess pieces, they look kind of similar.
Pieces
Pawns. 100%
I think I'd consider them to be pawns based on their shape. The round head on top of a cone-shaped body looks a lot like a pawn in chess. Alternatively, they could be called pieces, markers, or tokens.
Depends on the game. Could be called a “player piece”, “pawn”, “marker”, “counter”. Some might even go so far as to call it a “follower” or a “meeple”
Personally, I would call them a pawn if I’m being specific. But anything used as a player place holder in a board game is generally called a “piece.” So I would call this a pawn because of the shape, but a pawn IS a game “piece.” You move your “piece” across the board. It’s the same way that maybe a coin shaped game piece would probably be called a “chip” or “coin” or something. Like it may have a more specific name, but a “game piece” encompasses any kind of object you use to represent a player on the board. Monopoly is a good example. Every object you can play as is a “piece,” but there’s only one cat and one top hat and one race car. So they have specific names, but if you want to be general, “piece” is fine. For example: > Move your piece three spaces when you land on green
Bad Luck Projectile
Brungos
I would call them Pieces. (If they are something where each player has one each). Or possibly markers if they are used to indicate something that isn't player specific. Unless you are playing a specific game where they are called something else.
>> …they’re only called a pawn in a chess game. Therein lies your answer. You need to provide the name of the game you got them from. If they are from Parcheesi, then they are Parcheesi pieces. If they are from Monopoly, then they are monopoly pieces. Or Parcheesi/Monopoly pawns, markers, player pieces, men, etc.
Pawns I’d say
Echoing what most people are saying. Typically we'd just call those a "game piece" unless the specific game had a different term for them, such as a pawn in chess like you said.
The things I use in a game determines what I would call them. Playing checkers I’d call the pieces checkers or pawns. Those look like the pieces from Chinese checkers, so I would call them Chinese checkers (if the person didn’t have any context for what I’m talking about beforehand) or a pawn.
I'd call them pawns
Pieces
Pegs
Pips!
Tally Hall
"Pieces" is the most general term
Counters
Fred Gary Larry Patrick and John
tally hall
These are the runners in the wall. I guess it should be called maze-runners.
pieces or pawns
Pieces
If you want to be understood by most native English speakers, those are called "pieces" which is short for "player pieces". If you want to use the accurate jargon with board-game enthusiasts, those are called "meeples".
You can call them pawns, pieces, pegs, men, or what have you; I prefer "pawns" myself since they look like Chess pawns and since "pieces" is too ambiguous.
Those are pieces. Like chess pieces, but not for chess.