Kingdom Builder

Today's game review is of the 2011 release, Kingdom Builder.  For 2-4 players, it plays in 45 minutes.

Overview
In Kingdom Builder, your goal is to earn as much gold as possible by building settlements on a map (see below).  The map itself is modular, constructing by randomly choosing and joining 4 quadrants (8 are provided).  It features different types of terrain, some of which can be built on (grass, desert, canyon, flower field, forest) and some of which cannot (mountains, water, castle, locations).

Map sections; image from here

How much gold you earn is based on conditions specified on the 3 Kingdom Builder cards used in a game (there are 10 possible Kingdom Builder cards, 3 of which are randomly selected for each game- see below).

Kingdom Builder cards; image from here

On your turn, you play settlements only on the terrain card you drew for that round.  They show one of the five possible building terrains on it (see below).  The main rule for settlement placement: you must build adjacent to one of your existing settlements if you can.  That means you have to be smart about where you lay your settlements- especially early in the game- as it can restrict you later on.

Terrain cards; image from here

Simplified Gameplay
The first player takes his/her turn and play proceeds clockwise.  On your turn, you

• Play your terrain card face up in front of you.
• Build 3 settlements (drawing from your supply of 40) on unoccupied map hexes matching the terrain type on your played terrain card.  Remember that you must build adjacent if possible.
• Take extra actions if possible/desired.  To do so, you need to have location tiles, which you obtain automatically if at any point you build a settlement next to a location on the map.
• Place your terrain card in the discard pile.
• Draw a new terrain card from the draw pile, keeping it hidden.

Image of a game in progress is below.

Game in progress; image from here

Play proceeds clockwise until one player has exhausted their personal supply (built 40 settlements).  Then the round is completed (giving everyone the same number of turns), and each player calculates the amount of gold they have earned.  To tally gold:

• Evaluate each of the 3 Kingdom Builder cards, recording how much gold each player has earned for each card.
• Record the gold each player earned by settlements built next to castle hexes (3 gold per castle) and add it to their total.

The player with the most gold is the winner!

Review
This game has polarized the community.  On the one hand, it won the 2012 Spiel des Jahres (German game of the year), which generally means it's quality.  Personally, I love the variety of both the map options (the semi-modular board is cool) and the differing victory conditions each game- making each game feel new.  It's also easy to learn but difficult to master- an admirable combination.  On the other hand, critics note how restrictive the game can be.  The "must build adjacent if possible" rule, combined with only one terrain option per turn, can really take over the game and leave you helpless (though the game's fans will point out that smart placement early on can minimize this problem).  I see both sides of this . . . I see the flaws, but something compels me to keep playing.  In the end, this is a good, if not great, selection.  Check out the BGG site here for more information (including review videos and rules).

Rating: B+