We really enjoy Euro games like Settlers of Catan and Puerto Rico where you're settling a territory and building it up. However, we don't always have a whole lot of time to play them. That's when it's nice to have a game like Kingdomino or Queendomino in your closet. Both of these games are also about building a territory, but they can be played in less than an hour and they both use the same brilliant mechanic: Dominoes.
These are not the kinds of dominoes you stack in a line and knock over. They are tiles on steroids, hefty rectangular pieces that have two types of properties, one on each end, such as a field, farm, water, or mine. Some of these squares also contain crowns.
On your turn, you lay down a domino you've claimed, matching at least one side to a similar type of property in your kingdom.
You then stake your claim on a domino for the next round.
This mechanic is so simple and easy to grasp that you can teach newcomers how to play in a minute flat. The strategy is not as simple. Your points = the number of squares of each type in your kingdom X the number of crowns. That's right--kids playing with you now have a reason to do math!
Another brilliant thing about the domino mechanic is that you can look ahead and try to plan your next move. Interplay is also higher than in some Euro games. You might see a domino for the next round that would be perfect for your kingdom, but everyone else sees it too. Who will get to it first? It depends on the order of turn, which changes depending on who is first in line.
Queendomino is a standalone game that can also be played with Kingdomino to create a larger territory. It adds a few more interesting twists, such as the potential to build buildings on some of your squares, knights that collect taxes, towers, and even a dragon. These additions increase the time it takes to play, but the potential to gain points in different ways adds to replayability.
Whichever you choose, King or the Queen, you'll enjoy creating a kingdom that's bigger and better than everyone else's. Maybe you won't manage it, but you're sure to have fun while you try.
A by-the-numbers Game Review of Kingdomino
# Players . . . up to 4
Ages 8 and up
Game time . . . . . . . . 15 minutes
Set up . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 minute
Luck . . . . . . 5 . . . . . . Strategy
*Interplay . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5
Visual Appeal . . . . . . . . . . . . 9
Component Quality . .. . . . . 9
*Replayability . . . . . . . . . . . 7
*See "How we Rate" for a definition
A by-the-numbers Game Review of Queendomino
# Players . . . up to 4
Ages 8 and up
Game time . . . . . . . . 25 minutes
Set up . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2 minutes
Luck . . . . . . . . .7 . . Strategy
*Interplay . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6
Visual Appeal . . . . . . . . . . . . 9
Component Quality . .. . . . . 9
*Replayability . . . . . . . . . . . 8
*See "How we Rate" for a definition
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