Tips kingdombuilder

Early Game

(1) When you place your first settlements, try to avoid being adjacent to too many terrain types. This will allow your next moves to be in different parts of the board (since you will not be constrained by adjacency) and will allow you to grab several location tokens.

(2) Often, the winner ends up getting several location tokens. Depending on the objectives, it may be more useful to have tokens that allow you to construct new settlements (for example, Tavern and Tower are strong when playing with Knights, Lords, or Citizens). On the other hand, mobility tiles are often underrated and are very useful for certain objectives (for example, Paddock is very useful when playing with Hermits).

(3) Look for "pockets" created by other players: small sections of terrain which are not adjacent to a lot of the same terrain, allowing you to play just a few settlements there before jumping to somewhere else.

Later Game

(1) Try to play in a way that you will have a useful move no matter which terrain type you draw. If you become too dependent on drawing a particular terrain type, then you only have a small chance of getting "lucky."

(2) Keep careful track of how many settlements you and your opponents have and how many location tokens you each have that allows placing extra settlement. It is very unfortunate to only be able to place one or two settlements on your last turn. Sometimes, it makes sense to place a settlement that does not score any points just to end the game earlier.

--- Quick, How to play ---

Kingdom Builder is a cellular automata house placement game. Building large kingdoms by placing 3 new houses every-turn onto places where the card dictates. Every placement has to be adjacent if possible. If not, fantastic, now you can put it somewhere else on the board that matches the card criteria.

The four (4) goal cards will earn you victory points (VP). For example, one goal card will give VP when one or more of your houses touch the castle hexes. Other goal cards will make points in simple ways that you will want to manipulate your settlement houses in ways to get the most. Read these cards and try to get the points.

Putting settlements next to castles and other special hexes give you house placing abilities beyond the placing 3 houses rule. Touch these with your kingdom and get their powers to use 1 every turn. Most of the time you will want to use them. You can only use them before or after the place 3 rule.