Blue Orange Games Kingdomino Award Winning Family Strategy Board Game

Product Description

Dominoes with a Kingdom building twist! each turn, connect a new domino to your existing Kingdom, making sure at least one of its sides connects to a matching terrain Type already in play. The game mechanics for obtaining the tiles is clever: the order who of who picks first depends on which tile was previously chosen. Make sure to secure tiles with crowns- these royal treasures help to multiply the worth of your Kingdom at the end of the game! the game ends when each player has completed a 5 x 5 grid, and then points are counted based on number of connecting tiles and crowns.

Top Reviews

Approachable, Affordable, Adorable
by Wendy (5 out of 5 stars)
April 3, 2017

There is great strategy in this little game. It plays quickly and is very easy to grasp, but the decision space is a good size. Kingdomino has elements of a larger, meatier game, but boiled down into a streamlined process. Turn order changes as you take stronger/weaker tiles, you can read your opponents to prevent them from getting certain tiles while weighing out if it's still good for you, you have to arrange your kingdom so you can maximize points, and the scoring system is unique. Its easy enough for kids, and decisions are plentiful enough for more serious gamers too.
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Simple to learn game that will force difficult decisions as you learn the mechanics
by Donovan L. (5 out of 5 stars)
August 30, 2017

TL;DR - Easy to learn, layers of strategy, excellent components, short play time, excellent replay value, perfect filler game between epic sessions for the heavy complexity gamers. Grab two!

Kingdomino is a really entertaining light filler game that deservingly won the 2017 Spiel des Jahres award given to the best game of the year for casual players (dedicated hobby gamers look to the Kennerspiele des Jahres for the heavier games that appear to the more addicted). It is a great entryway to tabletop gaming in a small, teachable format. The components are of high quality - Blue Orange has done a marvelous job producing this game in a manner befitting such a high-caliber experience.

The play is simple - you are building your kingdom by selecting one of three or four (depending on player count) available tiles representing one or two land types,and possibly a number of crowns. You draft the piece in turn order, but the piece you select also determines your draft order the following turn. The pieces are numbered on the back and laid out lowest to highest each turn before the draft - the player who selects the lowest numbered tile will select first the following round. When the tiles are all selected, you add them to your kingdom, keeping in mind that the maximum size for your kingdom is 5x5 and each tile is 2x1. How you place the tile is fairly simple as well - at least one of the two land types must be placed against an existing land of the same type or against your castle (effectively making your castle a wild tile). If you cannot place a specific tile, either because no matching land types exist, or it extends beyond the required 5x5 dimension, you discard the tile. When the draft pile has been exhausted, the players total their points by calculating the number of ordinal contiguous tiles of the same type and multiplying it by the number of crowns in that contiguous land mass. As you can see, crowns are critical to scoring, because even a 10 space forest has no points unless a crown exists on one of them! Adding further strategy is the land types vary significantly with the distribution of tiles and the crowns on those tiles - there are only 6 caverns, and five of them average 2 crowns - a well placed cave system can be a viable route to victory, whereas there are 26 fields but only 6 of them have crowns, and a single one at that.

Looking at the attached completed game board picture:
1. Note that there's a castle piece located in the 4th row 4th column - there is no requirement that your castle end up in the center of your kingdom.
2. Scoring the completed board starting from the top right:
A. A two square Lake scores zero points (no crowns)
B. The Swamp that begins in row 3 covers 8 squares and there are 3 crowns total, scores 24 points.
C. The Mountain range at the bottom left is two squares with four crowns for 8 points.
D. The Wheat fields starting at row 1 column 2 has 4 squares with one crown for 4 points.
E. The Pasture located on the bottom row scores zero points for two squares with no crowns.
F. The single Mountain in row 1 scores 2 points for 2 crowns in a 1x1 plot.
G. The Forest next door has zero value, as does the 2 square Lake below it, no crowns anywhere.
H. Finally the Forest at the bottom right has two squares and two crowns for 4 points

The final score for this board is: 42 points (a pretty strong score) on the power of a huge swamp with three crowns.

Diagram of the completed picture for reference:

L W W M F

L S W W L

S S S S L

M S S X F

M S P P F
(L=Lake, P=Pasture, W=Wheat, M=Mountain, S=Swamp, G=Grassland, X=Castle)

Final thoughts: I can cite nothing that I dislike about this game. It has definite replayability, and is asked for with some regularity at my home and on game day. GET A SECOND COPY and play 7x7 kingdoms, for even more challenge and a deeper level of strategy!
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QAQC the product.
by Jimmy Crack Corn (3 out of 5 stars)
October 12, 2017

The gameplay is easy to learn and has fun strategy. The manufacturer may have some QC issues. The stickers on the domino's were pealing off before we played the first game. See image.
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Easy to learn, short playtime, good for kids and adults.
by Brad (5 out of 5 stars)
December 29, 2017

Really simple to learn, quick to play and has a nice balance of strategy and luck. Our 5 year old loves board games and this one is great because, while it is competitive, it isn't harshly so. I usually find co-op games more rewarding to play with him because competitive games can get a little boring when I'm purposefully not playing that well so he can stay in the mix. Kingdomino I don't have to hold back that much because, while you CAN screw other players, it's mostly about building your own territory - you're sort of playing solo competitively if that makes any sense. So he can have fun doing his moves and doesn't spend the whole game feeling like I am beating him (even if I am) and I don't have to spend the whole game trying my best not to beat him too badly or letting him win (though I still do from time to time).

As a bonus, I have one of those weird kids who's really into math and we are using the score counting phase to work on his addition and multiplication. He loves it.
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A MUST HAVE!
by Neal C. (5 out of 5 stars)
September 13, 2017

Blue Orange Games does it again!

Kingdomino is a terrific adaptation of classic dominoes. It has a ton of replay value and a surprising amount of strategy. It also achieves the rare feat of being equally fun as a 2-, 3-, or 4-player game. I love it and my family does, too!

The concept is simple. Lay tiles and build on similar land types (meadows, wheat fields, sea, etc.) to score more points. However, you only accrue points for that land type if you also have crowns associated with it. For ex, 6 adjacent meadow tiles with 2 crowns - 6x2=12 points. 6 meadow tiles with 0 crowns - 6x0=0 points. You can quickly see where the strategy comes into play, trying to balance building land with adding crowns.

There is a nice spatial component to the game, as players can only build within a 5x5 grid. This reminds me of another one of my favorite games, Patchwork. Both of these games are really relaxing to play and loads of fun.

Lastly, I just love the quality of this game. There is such a nice tactile component to board games, and this is especially true for Kingdomino. The tiles are colorful, glossy, and made of heavyweight cardboard. The "kings" are wooden. Great all around. It's no wonder this won game of the year!
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love letters etc) when we have family night
by Shibi0722 (5 out of 5 stars)
July 30, 2017

My family and I have been really enjoying playing this game and several others (gravwell, backstab, love letters etc) when we have family night. This is the most recent addition to our game night and it's been worth every penny. Some strategy is involved in that there are more of certain land types available.

The game allows you to build a 5 X 5 grid giving you 25 individual squares one of which is the 1 X 1 throne you start with. Each round you add a 1 X 2 domino off your throne or other matching domino. Some lands show crowns while similar lands have none. To win, you multiply total crowns in each connected area by total squares of similar lands. So having 15 squares of connected desert with 3 crowns gives 45 points plus say you have a 2 X 2 forest with 2 crowns gives 4 pieces of connected forest for 8 more points etc. Keep a calculator handy if anybody adds out loud lol.
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Great family game with some strategy. We're having a lot of fun with it!
by Michael (5 out of 5 stars)
September 30, 2017

It's a really easy tile laying game that reminds me the most of Carcassonne even though it's not that similar. It's a little tighter play than Carcassonne and you don't have a shared board. But you're still laying tiles where if you lay your areas right you can get the most points.

I really like the fact that it is quick and I like that there is some strategy. In Carcassonne you have to make some goals you keep for the length of the whole game and that other players can wreck your goals with their tile placement. Carcassonne has some more long term strategy that may or may not work out and favors the experienced player. This is easier to get into and we pick it up quicker.The competition here is for who gets which tile where your actual playing board is yours alone. Nobody ruins your playing field but you... :)

The artwork is great and the tiles are really well made. I have no issues with any of the components and I like the smaller box. The rules are easy to read and to follow. I have no issues with the physical components of the game.

I don't know if this has the staying legs of Carcassonne. But for now, this is one of our favorite games. We almost always play four players and we really like it. While my three year old girl doesn't understand the strategy, she can follow the rules and play. She even won once by accident! But a mix of kids and adults are able to play and all have fun.
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A wonderful, quick strategy game for the whole family
by Reasonable Reviewer (5 out of 5 stars)
May 2, 2019

Summary: Kingdomino is a tabletop, tile laying game for 2-4 players by Blue-Orange games. It is listed as for ages 8+ (though some six year olds in the neighborhood were able to enjoy a "gentle" game with some grown-ups). The game lasts approximately 15 minutes both according to the box and in practice.

Each round, the players take the tiles they selected in the previous round and play them in and around their castles. Each player manages his or her castle and tiles separately. Aside from claiming a tile that might be useful to an opponent, there is no direct interaction between players' strategies.
(Please see the enclosed pictures.)

Scoring is based on multiplying the number of contiguous tiles of the same land type times the number of crowns appearing on all those tiles.

The game is a combination of planning and careful placement of tiles. You can never exceed five spaces in any dimension.

All in all, this is a fun, quick game that helps the younger gamer develop skills of planning, spatial understanding, and pattern matching.

On to the Dr Games' Criteria ...

GO/NO GO Criterion
* Complexity: (GO) This is not a complex game. There are two decisions only each turn, which tile do I want next turn, and where shall I place the tile I just picked up.
* Balanced: (GO ) It is entirely balanced.
* Chance (GO) The tiles are selected randomly, but knowing how many of each tile there is, and being adept at seeing what your neighbors are trying to accomplish add a reasonable level of skill to the game.
* Clarity: (GO) The rules are clear enough, but there are videos in abundance on this particular game.
* Reasonable Time: (GO) Fifteen minutes is a reasonably fast game.

Bonus Criteria
* Social: Nothing special here.
* Unique/Interesting Mechanics: Nothing wildly noteworthy here either.
* Informed: This is a great game for teaching younger players about planning, probabilities, counting, spatial relationships, and pattern matching.
* Rewards Throughout: Once played, a tile cannot be moved. Each turn your score will increase.
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Simple and delightful!
by SharkBear (5 out of 5 stars)
February 18, 2018

Kingdomino is a fast and fabulous game!

Setup and play are super simple. Each player begins with a starter tile, then adds dominoes to build outward into a 5x5 square. Kingdominoes are played similarly to regular dominoes: dominoes can only be played if one side matches an existing domino in the kingdom. But instead of numbers, kingdominoes contain a variety of landscapes (fields, water, swamps, pasture). And rather than creating a line or a chicken foot, players are attempting to cluster the same types of land together to gain points.

Here's where the trick comes in: it's a gamble to get the right dominoes! Four dominoes are laid out at a time. During the first round, players are drawn in random order, then claim dominoes in that order. The player who claims the first domino in line plays first, the second plays second, and so on. The last person in line isn't left with much choice--but this is where strategy comes in! A second row of four dominoes is revealed once the first four are claimed. After the first player plays, they can claim a new domino from the second line--but their best choice may be third or fourth in line, which affects turn order. So--do you claim land you don't really want, just to keep others from choosing first? Do you select the best piece of land, knowing it puts you at risk for always being the last to play? For the cutthroat player, this opens up another level of variety! Less competitive players may not be making choices to spite their opponents, yet the variety of dominoes will force gameplay to stay interesting.

When all 5x5 squares are finished, players count up their points. The one with the most points wins!

This game is fabulous for a variety of reasons: It's easy to explain. It's easy to prepare. It's colorful and inviting. It takes 5-10 minutes per game. And it's flexible enough to appeal to those who like simple games and those who like more strategy. If you're looking for something fresh to bring to game night, or something to play with kids, or something to play between heavier games, or something that's as affordable as it is wonderful, Kingdomino is a winner!
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I would not recommend this for the avid game player.
by Kindle Customer (2 out of 5 stars)
December 25, 2018

We have three boys, 11, 9 and 3. We bought this as a family game after reading the high reviews, to play mostly with our two oldest boys. My husband and I played through it a couple of times to learn the rules, so we could teach our boys. There was no interaction between players. There didn't seem to be a point to this game, besides taking turns to pick dominoes. It will be fun to play with my youngest in a couple of years. My husband and I were excited, as it won game of the year, but came away wondering how it got any award. There is no point to the castle, or the tile that is placed in the middle. It is made of high quality cardboard dominoes and the little figures are cute, but not a big part of the game, other than to keep track of who goes next.

We get a game every year, some of our favorites are Blokus, Ticket to Ride, and Catan and Azul. We expected this game to be comparable to these.

After my husband and I played through the first time, we both said, 'Thats it? What was the point?'. We played again after understanding the rules, and came away not understanding the point any better. We'll keep it, and hope my youngest likes it in a few years, but it won't be played much in our house. I'm already thinking of a replacement game we can get.

Edited: We played this with our two oldest boys, and it was a little bit more fun with 4 players, but it still won't be played much in our house.

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