Asymmetric
An asymmetric game is one where players start with different abilities, resources, or even different victory conditions, instead of identical opening positions. Each "side" plays by partly different rules.
Why it matters
Asymmetry adds replayability — a different faction is a different game — but it doubles the design work. Every faction has to be balanced against every other one, and rules become harder to teach.
Example
Root has four factions: Marquise builds an industrial empire, Eyrie commits to a programmed agenda, Alliance builds underground support, Vagabond completes solo quests. None share the same scoring path.