Kingdom Builder Game Rules

Welcome to the fascinating realm of Kingdom Builder! I’m here to guide you on an exciting journey where you’ll become a master of strategic decision-making. So, let’s dive right in and discover the key rules of this captivating game.

Objective:

In Kingdom Builder, your aim is to establish prosperous settlements across the vast landscape. The player who earns the most points by the end of the game will be crowned the successful ruler.

Game Setup:

To start, place the game board in the center of the table and randomly choose four Kingdom Builder cards. These cards will define the special rules for the current game. Arrange the scoring tokens nearby, ensuring they are easily accessible for everyone. Each player then receives a terrain card, which determines their starting location.

Gameplay:

On your turn, you’ll perform three simple steps:

1. Draw a terrain card: Select a card from the deck and add it to your hand. You can only hold up to three cards at a time.

2. Place three settlements: Examine the terrain card you just drew. It will indicate which terrains you can build on. Pick any terrain from your hand and add three settlements to available empty spaces on that terrain. The settlements must connect to a location where you already have a settlement. Be strategic in your placement to maximize your points later on.

3. Score points: Evaluate the conditions mentioned in the Kingdom Builder cards and tally your points accordingly. You might earn points for connecting settlements, building near special locations, or having the most settlements in a region. Adapt your strategies to the unique rules of the current game and aim for the highest score.

The game continues in a clockwise direction until all players have placed their settlements.

End of Game:

Once all players have exhausted their settlements, the game comes to a close. Count up the total points to determine the winner. Remember, points can be earned from various sources, such as the Kingdom Builder cards, connecting settlements, and occupying special locations.

Final Thoughts:

The allure of Kingdom Builder lies in its blend of strategic thinking and adaptability. With every game, you’ll face new challenges and opportunities. So gather your friends and embark on an exciting journey into the world of Kingdom Builder. May your settlements thrive and your strategies prevail!

In today’s world, there are countless options available to us. It can sometimes feel overwhelming when faced with decisions. But don’t worry, I’m here to help you make an informed choice about the board game Kingdom Builder.

So, what’s included in the Kingdom Builder game? Let me break it down for you:

• 8 different game board sections
• 28 location tiles
• 160 settlements – 40 of each player color
• 4 gold markers
• 1 start player tile
• 25 terrain cards
• 10 different Kingdom Builder cards
• 8 summary cards of location tiles
• 1 rules booklet

Setup

1. First, I want you to select any 4 out of the 8 game board sections and arrange them into a rectangular shape, just like the example below.
2. Next, place four summaries of location tiles next to the game board sections that match the location hexes.
3. Take 2 corresponding location tiles and place them on each location hex.
4. Now, it’s time to shuffle all of the terrain cards and keep them within easy reach so they’re ready to be drawn.
5. After that, shuffle the Kingdom Builder cards, randomly draw 3 cards, and place them face up next to the game board.

How to distribute the game components

Each player should receive their player color:

Did you know that each of the 40 settlements has its own unique supply? It’s true! When I talk about supply, I’m referring to the resources that are available in each settlement. These resources can range from food and water to building materials and tools. Having a good supply is crucial for the success and growth of a settlement.

Imagine this: you’re living in a settlement and you don’t have enough food to eat. You and your fellow settlers would go hungry, and that’s not pleasant, right? But if you have a bountiful supply of food, you and everyone else would have enough to eat, and that’s a happy settlement! So, it’s clear to see why supply is so important.

Now, each settlement has its own set of resources, and that’s what makes them unique. Some settlements might have an abundance of one resource, like water, while others might have more building materials. It’s all about balancing the needs of the settlement with the available resources.

When we talk about supply, we also need to consider how these resources are distributed. Do they have a system in place to ensure everyone gets a fair share? Or is it a free-for-all where the strong take what they want? The way resources are distributed can have a big impact on the overall well-being of the settlement.

So, when it comes to choosing the right settlement for you, it’s important to take into account the supply. Ask yourself: do they have enough resources to support the needs of the settlement? Are they distributing those resources fairly? These are important questions to consider.

Remember, a settlement is only as strong as its supply. So, if you’re looking for a place to call home, make sure to choose one with a robust and equitable supply. With that in mind, you’re on your way to finding the perfect settlement for you!

When you’re playing this game, you and the other players each get to draw a hidden terrain card. It’s important to keep it a secret from the other players!

Hey there! Let me walk you through a quick tip for starting a game. When you’re playing a game with a group of people and you have a start player tile, give it to the oldest player. Why? Because they get the honor of taking the first turn!

To start the game, flip one of the unused game board sections over and place it next to the game board. Then, each player puts their gold marker on the black space of the gold score track.

Put any game components that aren’t used in this game back in the game box.

Playing the Game

Players take turns in a clockwise direction, starting with the first player. The game goes on for multiple rounds. Here’s how each player takes their turn:

The active player plays their terrain card, facing up, in front of them, and then builds their settlements.

Required Action

During their turn, the player must build 3 settlements from their personal supply on unoccupied hexes that match the terrain type of their played card. It’s important to follow the building rules carefully.

Extra Action

During the game, you’ll collect location tiles. These tiles give you extra actions that you can take during your turn. You can choose to use these actions before or after your mandatory action.

These extra actions give you the opportunity to build more settlements or move your existing ones. They add an extra layer of strategy to the game.

Once you’ve completed your mandatory action and finished using any extra actions, you’ll discard your terrain card and draw a new one from the draw pile. Keep this new card hidden in your hand.

Understanding the Location Hex and Location Tile

When I build a settlement next to a location hex in the game, I get to immediately take one of these location tiles if there are any left.

I keep this tile in front of me, with the picture side facing up, and I can use the special action on it starting from my next turn.

I can only take one location tile from each location.

I get to keep the location tile as long as I have at least one settlement next to that location. But if I move my last settlement away from that location using a special action, I have to discard the location tile and remove it from the game.

Castle Hex: A Powerful Strategy

Imagine this: at the end of the game, if you manage to construct your settlements near any castle hex, you will receive a whopping 3 gold coins for each one! This could be a game-changing move that propels you to victory.

Simple Building Rules for Success

Let me break it down for you. There are two golden rules when it comes to building settlements:

1. You can only build one settlement on a single terrain space. Seems straightforward enough, right?

2. Now, here’s the kicker: settlements can only be constructed on specific types of hexes. You get to choose from the lush grasslands, treacherous canyons, scorching deserts, colorful flower fields, and the enchanting forests. The world is your oyster!

Exception: If, by some rare chance, at the start of your turn or during your turn, there isn’t a suitable hex for you to build a settlement on (meaning there isn’t a hex that matches the type of terrain card you played), don’t worry! Just draw a new terrain card right away.

Now, the useless card you drew? You can toss that one out of the game.

If you happen to draw another unsuitable card, keep drawing until you get one that works for you.

3. Here’s an important rule: When building a new settlement, always try to place it next to one of your existing settlements, if you can.

If it’s not possible to do so, I have to find a new empty spot on the board to build my settlement. Depending on what I need to do, I have a few different options:

– If I’m required to take this action or if it’s an additional action granted by an oracle or barn, I must choose a hex that has the same terrain type as the card I played.

– If it’s an extra action given by an oasis, farm, or harbor, I have to pick a hex that matches the terrain specified on the location tile.

– Finally, if it’s an extra action from a tower, I can choose any suitable hex at the edge of the board.

And that’s how you choose where to build your settlement in the game. Once the game is over, you win by having the most points, which you can earn by completing various objectives and achieving certain goals.

When I play the game, it’s a race to see who can build their last settlement first. But even when that happens, we don’t just stop there. We finish the round and let everyone take their turn, starting with the player on the right of the person who started the game.

After that, we start tallying up our gold. Each player counts how much gold they’ve earned and writes down their total on the gold score track.

Then it’s time to evaluate our Kingdom Builder cards. We go through them one by one, starting with the player who started the game.

But that’s not all. We also calculate how much gold we’ve earned from our settlements next to castle hexes. For each castle hex, we get 3 gold. And we add that to our score.

And finally, we determine the winner. The person who has earned the most gold is the winner of the game. And if there’s a tie, then those players share the victory.