Kingdom Builder
Kingdom Builder Rulebook
Table of Contents
Table of Contents
Object of the Game
By skillful building of settlements players create their own kingdoms, aiming to earn the most gold at the end of the game.
The 3 Kingdom Builder cards specify the conditions which must be met in order to earn the desired gold.
Game Components
- 8 different game board sections
- Front: Landscape composed of 100 terrain hexes.
- Back: Gold score track for final evaluation.
- 28 location tiles: 2x oracle, 4x farm, 4x tavern, 4x tower, 2x harbor, 4x paddock, 4x barn, 4x oasis
- 160 settlements - 40 of each player color
- 4 gold markers - 1 of each player color
- 1 start player tile
- 25 terrain cards: 5x Grass, 5x Flower field, 5x Forest, 5x Canyon, 5x Desert
- 10 different Kingdom Builder cards (only 3 are used in a game; they specify the conditions for earning gold)
- 8 summary cards of location tiles - pictograms of extra actions
- 1 rules booklet
There are 9 different terrain types on each front side:
- 5 terrain types suitable for building: Grass, Canyon, Desert, Flower field, Forest
- 4 terrain types not suitable for building: Castle, Water, Mountain, and 8 different locations
Setup
- Select any 4 of the 8 game board sections and assemble them into a rectangular game board.
- Place four summaries of location tiles next to the game board pieces matching the location hexes.
- Place 2 corresponding location tiles on each location hex.
- Shuffle all terrain cards and keep them within easy reach as a face-down draw pile.
- Shuffle the Kingdom Builder cards, then randomly draw 3 cards and place them next to the game board, face up.
Distribution of Game Components
Give each player in their player color:
- All 40 settlements, this is their personal supply.
- 1 gold marker.
Additionally, each player draws one terrain card from the draw pile and keeps it hidden from the other players on their hand.
Give the start player tile to the oldest player; they will perform the first turn of the game.
Turn one of the unused game board sections over to its back side and place it next to the game board. Then, each player places their gold marker on the black space of the gold score track.
Put any game components not used in this game back into the game box.
Sequence of Play
Players take their turns in clockwise direction, beginning with the start player. The game lasts for several rounds.
Each player performs their turn the following way:
The active player plays their terrain card face up in front of themselves and subsequently builds their settlements.
Mandatory Action
During their turn, the player must build 3 settlements from their personal supply on unoccupied hexes of the same terrain type as their played card, strictly obeying the building rules (see Building Rules).
Please note: The mandatory action must be performed and the 3 settlements must be built successively one after the other.
Extra Action
In the course of the game players will collect location tiles. Location tiles grant extra actions and players can perform each extra action once during their turn. A player may perform each single extra action before or after their mandatory action.
The extra actions allow building additional settlements or even moving existing settlements.
In order to indicate that they have performed an extra action the player turns their corresponding location tile over to its picture side. After they have finished their turn, they flip the tiles back to their pictogram side.
After a player has performed their mandatory action and does not want to perform any extra actions or cannot do so, they put their terrain card on the discard pile and draw a new card from the draw pile, keeping it hidden on their hand.
Note: Shuffle the discard pile and use it as a new draw pile once the draw pile is exhausted.
Location Hex and Location Tile
Whenever a player builds a settlement next to a location hex, they seize immediately one of these location tiles, if available. Then, they place this tile in front of themselves, picture side face up and can use this extra action from their next turn on.
If there is no more location tile on a location, the player does not receive any location tile.
A player may seize only one location tile from a given location.
Please note: A player may only have 2 identical location tiles if they have built a settlement next to both identical location hexes of that game board section.
The player keeps a location tile as long as at least one of their settlements is adjacent to the corresponding location. If they move their last settlement away from such a location by using an extra action, they must discard this location tile and remove it from the game.
Castle Hex
At the end of the game, players will earn 3 gold for each castle hex if they have built at least one of their own settlements next to it.
Players earn 3 gold only, even if they have built more than one settlement next to a castle hex.
Building Rules
These rules apply to each single settlement (of three) built as mandatory action and as extra action.
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Exactly one settlement may be built on any one eligible terrain space.
- Note: A terrain space is the equivalent of exactly one hex of a game board section.
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Settlements may be built only on hexes of these terrain types: Grass, canyon, desert, flower field, and forest.
- Exception: If the rare case should occur that there is no eligible hex at the beginning of a player's turn or during their turn, i.e. there is no hex matching the type of their played terrain card on which they could build a settlement, the player draws a new terrain card immediately. The useless terrain card is removed from the game. If necessary, the player repeats drawing a new card until they draw a suitable card.
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Always, a player must build each new settlement adjacent to at least one of their own existing settlements, if possible.
If this is not possible, the player must (if mandatory action) or may (if extra action) choose a new unoccupied hex where they can build their settlement. There are several options, depending on the kind of the player's action:
a) If this is the player's mandatory action or an extra oracle or barn action they must choose a hex of the same terrain type as their played terrain card.
b) If this is the player's extra oasis, farm or harbor action, they must choose a hex of that terrain type as required by this location tile.
c) If this is the player's extra tower action the player may choose any suitable hex at the edge of the game board.
End of the Game and Final Scoring
The game ends when one player has built the last settlement from their personal supply. However, the current game round is still completed; the player on the right of the start player is the last player to perform their turn.
Now each player calculates the amount of gold they have earned and records their total on the gold score track.
- The 3 Kingdom Builder cards are evaluated one after the other for each player, beginning with the start player.
- Then, each player calculates the amount of gold earned by their settlements next to castle hexes (3 gold per castle hex) and adds it to their score.
The player who has earned the most gold is the winner of the game. In case of a tie for the most gold, the tied players share the victory.
Kingdom Builder Cards
Only 3 of these 10 cards are used in each game.
Fishermen
Build settlements on the waterfront.
1 gold for each of your own settlements built adjacent to one or more water hexes.
Note - Extra harbor action: The "Fishermen" card does not generate gold for settlements on water hexes.
Merchants
Connect location and castle hexes.
4 gold for each location and/or castle hex linked contiguously by your own settlements to other location and/or castle hexes.
Discoverers
Build settlements on many horizontal lines.
1 gold for each horizontal line on which you have built at least one of your own settlements.
Hermits
Create many settlement areas.
1 gold for each of your own separate settlement and for each separate settlement area.
Note: Settlement area = cluster of adjacent settlements belonging to one player.
Citizens
Create a large settlement area.
1 gold for every 2 of your own settlements in your largest own settlement area.
Note: Settlement area = cluster of adjacent settlements belonging to one player.
Miners
Build settlements next to a mountain.
1 gold for each of your own settlements built adjacent to one or more mountain hexes.
Workers
Build settlements next to location or castle hexes.
1 gold for each of your own settlements built adjacent to a location or castle hex.
Knights
Build many settlements on one horizontal line.
2 gold for each of your own settlements built on that horizontal line with the most of your own settlements.
Note: If a player has built the same maximum number of settlements on more than one horizontal lines they earn gold for one line only.
Lords
Build the most settlements in each sector.
Each sector: 12 gold for the maximum number of settlements there; 6 gold for the next highest number of settlements.
Note: If several players tie for the most settlements all tied players earn 12 gold. Likewise, tied players for the second most settlements earn 6 gold each.
Farmers
Build settlements in all sectors.
3 gold for each of your own settlements in that sector with the fewest of your own settlements.
Separate Evaluation for each player: A player earns 3 gold for each of their own settlements in the sector where they have the fewest settlements.
Note: If there is the same number of a player's fewest settlements in more than one sector, they earn gold for one sector only. In order to qualify as a "Farmer" a player must have built at least 1 settlement in each sector.
Extra Location Tile Actions
Apply building rules as usual.
Extra action: Build one additional settlement from your personal supply.
Oracle
Build one settlement on a hex of the same terrain type as your played terrain card. Build adjacent if possible.
Farm
Build one settlement on a grass hex. Build adjacent if possible. Skip this action if there is not a single unoccupied grass hex on the game board.
Oasis
Build one settlement on a desert hex. Build adjacent if possible. Skip this action if there is not a single unoccupied desert hex on the game board.
Tower
Build one settlement at the edge of the game board. Choose any of the 5 suitable terrain type hexes. Build adjacent if possible.
Tavern
Build one settlement at one end of a line of at least 3 of your own settlements. The orientation of the line does not matter (horizontally or diagonally). The chosen hex must be suitable for building.
Extra action: Move one of your existing settlements.
Barn
Move any one of your existing settlements to a hex of the same terrain type as your played terrain card. Build adjacent if possible.
Harbor
Move any one of your existing settlements to a water hex. Build adjacent if possible. This is the only way to build settlements on water hexes.
Paddock
Move any one of your existing settlements two hexes in a straight line in any direction (horizontally or diagonally) to an eligible hex. You may jump across any terrain type hex, even water, mountain, castle and location, and/or your own and other players' settlements. The target hex must not necessarily be adjacent to one of your own settlements (building rule no. 3 does not apply in this case).
Suggested Set-up for Your First Game
- Combine the 4 board sections that feature the tavern, the paddock, the oasis and the farm to form a rectangular game board.
- Place each location tile summary next to the game board section that features the corresponding locations.
- Place 2 corresponding location tiles on each location hex.
- Shuffle all terrain cards and keep them within easy reach as a face-down draw pile.
- Place the 3 Kingdom Builder cards Fishermen, Knights, and Merchants next to the game board, face up.
All other steps of the game set-up remain unchanged.
Some Hints for Your First Settlements
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You should build your first settlement next to a location hex. This way you will gain a location tile that you can use starting with your next turn, which will give you more options for placing settlements on the game board. For each terrain card, you have a choice of several location hexes for your first settlements.
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You should try to build your first 3 settlements adjacent to as few different terrain types as possible. By building this way, you lessen the chance of being forced to build next to your own settlements, thereby allowing you to build in other sectors of the game board more quickly.