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Kingdomino vs. Queendomino: Which Kingdom Do You Choose?

Kingdomino is a popular tile-laying board game that introduces younger players to strategy board games. Similar to a game of Dominoes, players will have to draw two-sided tiles in an effort to earn points and beat out the other players. While Kingdomino is a simple and fun game that’s perfect for families, they’ve also released a sequel called Queendomino that adds a few more challenging mechanics.

Kingdomino

In the game of Kingdomino, you’re a lord who’s seeking new lands with which to grow your kingdom. From wheat fields to lakes to mountains, you’ll have to work against the other lords to be the first to nab the best plots.

Laying Down the Dominos

Kingdomino pits players against each other in order to see who can build the best 5×5 grid of dominoes by the end of the last round. The board game comes with 48 numbered dominoes that get shuffled and placed into a draw pile for players to choose from. Each player gets to start with one square piece, then gets to draw one additional tile each round to add to their kingdom.

The tiles in Kingdomino are similar to traditional dominoes in that each one has two different ends. In Kingdomino, however, these ends represent different landscapes with which to build your kingdom. In order to add a tile to your board, you must place it next to another tile of the same landscape. Tiles of the same landscape will form properties, which can earn you points.

Gathering Crowns

While you’ll earn points by connecting tiles with the same landscape to form large properties, you’ll also earn points through crowns. The tiles in Kingdomino each come with a certain number of crowns on each end, which will help boost your points at the end of the game. When all of the tiles have been collected, players will calculate points based on the size of their properties, then multiply that score by the number of crowns on it.

Crowns also play a role in the order that you draw dominos. If you choose the tile with the highest number of crowns on it, then you’ll earn more points in the end. However, this means you’ll be one of the last players to choose the next tile. Choosing a low number tile with no crowns on it earns you the ability to be first in line to choose in the next round.

In order to place a domino on your board, it has to either touch your starting square or match the landscape of another tile. If you can’t legally place your domino, then you have to discard it and lose your turn. Your kingdom cannot be larger than a 5×5 grid of landscapes. However, if you’re playing the game with only 2 players, then you can each form a 7×7 grid using more tiles. 

Queendomino

Queendomino involves the same gameplay as Kingdomino in terms of laying tiles, although it comes with a few more game mechanics that make it more complicated. This board game can be played independently from Kingdomino or they can be mixed together, allowing 4-6 players to play at once. 

Buying Buildings

In the game of Queendomino, your task is to build your kingdom by claiming different landscapes such as wheat fields, marshes, and mountains. However, you can also add buildings to your land to earn even more points and win certain bonuses. Each player gets access to the Builders’ Board, which holds six Building Tiles for purchase.

The Builders’ Board will assign a different cost to each Building Tile at the beginning of the game. The longer you go without buying a Building Tile, the cheaper it will be. However, you don’t want to wait too long, or else someone else will nab it first. If you build one of the Building Tiles, then you can earn crowns, knights, and towers.

Collecting Taxes

Another new mechanic that comes with Queendomino is the inclusion of knights. Your knights will travel throughout your realm to collect taxes from your loyal subjects. By placing a knight onto one of your dominos, you can earn coins based on the size of your property. These coins can then be used to buy buildings to put on your land.

You can place up to two knights each turn, but you have to place them both on the same tile, taxing each terrain separately. However, if your tile features two of the same terrain, then you’ll earn twice the income from that terrain.

Towers, Queens, and Dragons

Some building tiles will earn you towers. Whichever player has the most towers in their kingdom earns the honor of hosting the Queen. This will reduce all of your building costs by 1 coin. If the Queen resides in your kingdom once the game is over, she’ll also add one additional crown to your largest property.

The dragon is the part of Queendomino that adds a bit of fun malevolence to the game. The dragon allows a player to burn one of the buildings in the market row, preventing one of the other players from getting it. If you lack the number of coins to buy a building but want to stick it to the other players, the dragon can help you earn some sweet revenge.

Build Your Kingdom with Kingdomino and Queendomino

Kingdomino is playable by 2-4 players. If you play with only two players, then you can build a larger 7×7 grid, while four players will have to stick to the standard 5×5 grid. This board game is suitable for ages 8 and up, as it’s easy to understand and fast-paced. Playing time lasts around 15 minutes, so you can easily knock out a couple of rounds.

Queendomino is also playable by 2-4 players, although you can play with up to six players if you integrate the two games. It’s also suitable for ages 8 and up, although playing time lasts a little bit longer at 25 minutes due to the added complexity.

If you’re interested in fantasy, strategy, and logic, then you’ll love Kingdomino and Queendomino. Consider one or both of these games the next time you’re looking to add a new board game to family game night. Buy these board games today and enjoy the prosperity of your kingdom!

 

Smash Up: Wreak Havoc And Rack Up Points

Sure, dinosaurs are pretty terrifying, but what if they also had laser beams? Smash Up asks the questions that no one else would dare, giving you countless combinations of vicious minions to choose from in your quest to build the ultimate army. Minions do what minions do best, and Smash Up delights in mayhem, uncontrollable outbreaks, and the gleeful destruction of property. With your army of wizard-dinosaurs and alien-pirates, you’ll have a wicked good time smashing bases and double-crossing your opponents.

Shuffling The Factions

Smash Up comes with eight different factions of creatures, from mechanical robots to undead zombies to supernatural aliens. Each game presents a unique combination as you combine two different factions to create your own playable deck. Each faction comes with a 20-card deck, giving you 40 different action and creature cards that you can unleash during the game to destroy bases and earn points.

One of the coolest aspects of the game is the different kind of power you find through the different combination of factions. Alien-ninjas fighting off against pirate-zombies makes for a one-of-a-kind battle unlike anything you’ll ever see onscreen! You’ll have to maneuver the unique powers of your faction (such as the power of robots to make weaponized mini-robots) if you want to build up your army’s value and earn the most points.

Smashing Bases And Scoring Points

Players earn points throughout the game by building up their army’s strength around certain location cards. Each turn allows you to play cards from your hand and deploy your army to certain locations. Once you’ve deployed enough troops, your minions destroy the base and you earn points. You can still earn points even if it wasn’t your troops that triggered the destruction, as the second- and third-place players with the next highest amount of minions in each location will also earn points.

The strategy to win involves spreading your cards both widely and smartly. For example, the strength of your alien faction to reclaim discarded cards may mean that you’ll earn the most points by consolidating minions in a few key areas rather than trying to be everywhere at once. Or, your special ninja strength may mean the best course of action is to attack the other players and keep them from earning those crucial points!

Smash Up Expansions

As if dinosaurs, ninjas, and aliens weren’t enough, Smash Up has released several expansions that feature even more unique characters you can use to cause mayhem. The Munchkin expansion takes on the characters from the card game Munchkin, giving you armies of medieval orcs and elves with which to wreak magical destruction upon your enemies.

Pretty Pretty Smash Up is a hilarious expansion that replaces vicious zombies with adorable kitty cats whose greatest weapon is their cuteness. Beautiful princesses and mischievous fairies will face off in this expansion that’s nothing if not pretty. And if horror is your thing, The Obligatory Cthulhu Set expansion adds cultists and terrifying Elder things to the game for a scary good time.

Choose Your Combo Carefully With Smash Up

Smash Up is playable by 2-4 players, so it’s definitely more of a game for small groups than it is for larger parties. Because it’s suitable for ages 12 and up, Smash Up is the perfect game for the kids to play while mom and dad have a night out. Or, the whole family can enjoy facing off as laser-wielding dragons and drooling zombies! Playing time lasts around 45 minutes, but the possibility for multiple combinations of decks means that you could play any number of rounds before you’d get sick of the game.

Smash Up shines with its intricate artwork and creative monsters. The countless expansions make Smash Up a must-have game, as you can continue to add new decks with zany characters that keep the game fun and interesting over the years. The cards are definitely creative, but they’re also simple enough that you don’t have to be an expert in card games to keep up. Smash Up is a card game that has the best of both worlds, giving you interesting characters and simple rules that anyone can enjoy.

Build your army and crush your opponents!

 

Tsuro: Paths that Lead to Enlightenment and Fun

Few games include such beautiful tokens or such a heartbreaking story as Tsuro, the 2004 tile-based game that has drawn in countless players.  With simple and fast gameplay and an entertaining background story, Tsuro is a board game that will stand out in your mind for years to come.  As the board fills up and the small carved tokens follow their winding roads, Tsuro is sure to leave you desperate for another round.

The Story Of The Dragon

One of the most beautiful parts of Tsuro is its Asian spiritual theme, as the lines that you travel along are meant to represent the roads leading to divine wisdom.  The story behind Tsuro is that of a Dragon and Phoenix tasked with overseeing these paths.  One day, Ares drove the Phoenix away and turned the Dragon into a war general.  Now the Dragon seeks to follow the winding paths back to his true love, the Phoenix.  Can you help him succeed?

Laying Down The Line

At the beginning of the game, each player is given a token that must follow the path to enlightenment.  Gameplay involves laying down tiles in front of your token to keep it on the board and continue its path.  After you lay down a new tile on the 6×6 grid game board, you will move your token as far as the path takes you.  The more tiles you lay down, the faster the board begins to fill up, leading you down a path that may be your downfall.

The End Of The Road

The aim of the game is to try to keep your token on the board longer than your competitors.  The way to do this is to use strategy to ensure your token follows the correct path while you try to divert the other players’ tokens to force them out of the game.  If you reach the end of the board or end up running into someone else’s token, it’s game over for you.  Only the wisest and most strategic can achieve true enlightenment.

When there are three or more players, the Dragon tile is used to help extend gameplay.  Once you run out of tiles, the next player takes the Dragon tile to signify that they will be the first to draw from the deck of unplayed tiles left over by eliminated players.

Alternate Editions of Tsuro

Calliope Games published Tsuro in 2004, and have since created many different versions and spinoffs of the game.  The first was called Tsuro of the Seas, created in 2012.  This fun spinoff adds new boat-shaped player pieces as well as dangerous daikaiju tiles that will automatically remove anyone who lands on them.  This spinoff game also comes with a larger game board measuring 7×7 instead of 6×6.

Veterans of the Seas is an expansion of Tsuro that adds four new types of tiles.  These tiles range from whirlpools to tsunamis that require you to roll a die to avoid.  There’s even a Star Wars themed spinoff called Asteroid Escape, which takes the water bound game and launches it into outer space.  Instead of riding boats and navigating around whirlpools, you’ll be flying spaceships and dodging asteroids!

Tsuro: The Game of the Path

Tsuro is a beautiful and simple game that is easy to learn.  Suitable for ages 8 and up, Tsuro is a great way to introduce your kids to board games that have a story behind them, which are often much more memorable and entertaining than simple games like Scrabble.  Game time also lasts around 15-20 minutes, which means that it’s not too much of a time investment to work in a game or two in an evening.

Tsuro also fits anywhere from 2-8 players, allowing you to enjoy the game both with a large group at a party as well as an intimate night in with your partner.  Inspired by the romance of the Dragon and the Phoenix, Tsuro is sure to ignite the romantic passions of lost love—just so long as you don’t knock the other player off the board first!  Dive into Tsuro and follow the path to divine wisdom and enlightenment.

 

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