This is the Kingdomino vs Queendomino game comparison showdown. It is natural to be thinking about the Kingdomino vs Queendomino comparison since Queen was released as a follow up 1 year after the King. From the same designer, Bruno Cathala, and publisher, Blue Orange Games, Queendomino takes what its predecessor did and adds the building tiles with the queen and dragon, as well as, knights, towers, money and two extra terrain types. Learn a little about the games then check out our Kingdomino vs Queendomino notes and final verdict.
ABOUT THE GAMES
About Kingdomino (2017): The game uses tiles with two sections, similar to Dominoes. Every turn, each player will select a new domino to connect to their existing kingdom, making sure at least one of its sides connects to a matching terrain type in play. The order of who picks first depends on which tile was previously chosen, with better tiles forcing players to pick later in the next round. Your goal is to make touching groups of the 6 different types of terrain with as many crowns as possible.
FOR MORE: Kingdomino Page | Buy Kingdomino
About Queendomino (2017): This game takes all the tile drafting and self grid placement of Kindomino but puts an economic and building engine on top of that. In addition to the drafting decisions, you have additional choices to make on how you are going to build up your tiles from the available improvements and how you choose to interact with the knights, dragon and queen. Making strategic investments will get you to victory points that will hopefully put you above your fellow players.
FOR MORE: Buy Queendomino
KINGDOMINO VS QUEENDOMINO ANALYSIS
Theme: They are the same backdrop of a medieval kingdom building out their lands, but Queendomino builds on what King made and ads much more depth with things to actually put on those grounds and characters such as knights and dragons to inhabit them.
Gameplay: Many of the same bones, but past that completely different. Kingdomino is a very simple game with very few decisions to make and Queen ramps that up by about 3x. King also forces you into the moment where you have Queen makes you think ahead. You still feel like you are playing the same game, you are just taking the logical next steps thematically and we really commend the game makers for that quality.
Mechanics: Queendomino is all the round by round drafting, space management and pattern building that King is. It then takes that and adds engine building and resource management. Making the right investments will take you down paths to victory points and all that.
Time Commitment: You do have a few more things to think about do so time is added, but since everything really happens all at once, it is not that much.
Player Count: Same everything, both even use the ingenious mechanic that scales the drafting from the allowed 2 – 4 players.
Cost: These are both going to cost the same and it is just the base game needed to get you playing the full game out of the box. King will be a bit cheaper because it is older and it will help get you into Queen.
VERDICT
Verdict For the Shelf: These are not the same game so it is not a matter of which is better. Kingdomino (80% of the time) because it is more versatile and will please a larger group of people. The core game is so good, it is really hard to replicate those well. Queendomino (20% of the time) if you very specifically want that richer economic game. Though, maybe look to 7 WONDERS to satisfy your drafting meets development itch.
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