This is a categorization of boards in the Mario Party series (and some similar games I'm familiar with).
I am considering the following games: Mario Party 1 through 8, DS, Super, Superstars, Jamboree; as well as Pummel Party and Party Project (only original boards).
I'm excluding Mario Party 3's duels, 4's extras, as well as Mario Party 9, 10, Advance, Island Tour, Star Rush, and The Top 100 because of their different board gameplay.
Written 06/05/2025.
Several categories will have subcategories, for boards that have different rules, but are close enough in spirit to not warrant their own categories.
These board follow the "classic" layout: stars (or chests in Pummel Party) spawn around the board and player must reach them to purchase them. It is by far the largest category of maps.
When a star is purchased, it moves to another random star location that hasn't been used for the current cycle. The details can vary per game.
I consider the following boards to be "pure classic", as in they follow that classic formula with no bells or whistles:
Eternal Star (MP1, Project) has all possible star spaces active at once, which all refresh once all stars have been aquired.
The stars are also carried by baby bowsers who only have a chance to hand you the star after payment, and may instead steal a star from you.
Spiny Desert (MP3) also spawns a mirage star on the board, undistinguishable from the real one, that will not do anything when encountered.
Neon Heights (MP7, Project) and Kamek's Library (MPDS) have 3 chests/jars that appear at once on the board instead of a single star, which can be opened for coins.
One chest contains coins, one sends the player back to start, and the last contains the star. Once the star is found, all 3 chests reappear at random locations.
Toadette's Music Room (MPDS) has the price of stars increase with each purchase, then resetting at the end of the price cycle.
Overgrowth (Pummel) (or any map if you activate the option) also spawns 2 fake chests, which give nothing when paid to open, a bit similar to the Three chests.
A big difference is that you are shown which chest is the real one (with a lil shuffle), so if you pay attention this essentially does nothing (except mess with rockets).
These boards have a fixed star location and are essentially just a long corridor to that location. Although I did have to carve a few exceptions based on feel.
I consider these boards "classic linear" as you still have to purchase the star once you reach it:
Mario's Rainbow Castle (MP1, Jamboree, Project) and Castaway Bay (MP6, Project) alternate between the star and bowser every time the end of the board is reached.
Bowser will take coins (in Rainbow Castle) or a star (Castaway Bay) when reached, so player need to watch their speed depending on what is happening at the end of the board.
Pagoda Peak (MP7, Project) and Kamek's Tantalizing Tower (Super) have the price of the star change every time one is purchased.
Pagoda Peak has a fixed price cycle (10, 20, 30, 40, repeat), while Tantalizing Tower draws the price at random (and also allows purchasing 2 at once).
Faire Square (MP6) and DK's Stone Statue (MPDS) let you purchase multiple stars at once when their fixed location is reached.
Faire Square's layout feels much closer to a classic map than a linear one, but I opt to consider it "linear" because of the fixed star spawn.
Also, at every night the price of stars is randomized for the current night. I count this apart from Variable prices as this happens independently of reaching the star.
Goomba's Booty Boardwalk (MP8) does not require the player to pay for the star upon reaching the end of the board, thus all coins can be spent on mobility.
These boards do not have any star location. Instead each player starts with a certain number of stars, and they must use board spaces/items to steal them from other players.
Snowflake Lake (MP6, Project) and Pyramid Park (MP7) use chain chomps. When passing one, you can pay to ride it for some dice and steal star(s) from every opponent you pass through.
Bowser's Warped Orbit (MP8) uses exclusive items that let you roll more dices and steal star(s) from any opponent you pass through.
Windmillville (MP7) and Koopa's Tycoon Town (MP8, Project) feature windmills/hotels around the board. Player passing by one can invest coins into it.
Whoever currently has the most coins in a given building is considered the owner and holds the star(s) associated with it.
In Windmillville the value of each individual windmill is fixed, while in Tycoon Town the value of an hotel depends on how many total coins are invested in it.
These boards do not share their gimmick with any other board and imo do not really fit in any other broad category.
Yoshi's Tropical Island (MP1, Superstars) is made of 2 islands, one hosting a star and the other bowser (who takes your coins).
This kinda makes it a linear board, but the positions are switched only by happening spaces (unlike Alternating Linear boards) and I don't feel like it's as close in spirit as Roll 'em Raceway.
Clockwork Castle (MP6, Project) has the same basis as a classic map, but the star (held by DK) rolls a dice roll to move after all the players, forcing anyone in its path to purchase a star.
During the night, the board direction is switch and bowser replaces DK, with the space now taking away a star instead.
Latency Lobby (Project) has robots spawn around the map and one of 3 checkpoints open. Passing by a robot causes it to follow you, and passing by the active checkpoint deposits them all for a star each.
Robots respawn once enough have been deposited (or collected, not sure), and the open checkpoint also changes (forgot how). Using a mega mushroom also allows you to steal robots following a player.