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Description
It's a Wonderful Kingdom is a standalone solo or 2-player game in a Low-Fantasy universe. Inspired by the core mechanics of its predecessor "It's a Wonderful World", this new game offers more interaction, a bluff mechanism and new challenges.
The game is played using modules, each different and offering mechanical twists. Each game, players will choose one of the different modules to compete against each other. The game is divided into 4 rounds. Each round having 3 phases.
Split & Trap
Players take turns offering their cards to one another in two areas in the center of the table.
One player picks 2 cards from their hand and either places them in the same area or splits them between the two areas. The other player chooses an area and claims the card(s) in it. The players take turns repeating this step until both players have offered all of their cards. Each player has 2 Trap tokens which can be used to place cards face down, otherwise all cards are played face up.
Planification
Each player chooses which of the cards they have collected to build and which ones to recycle for immediate resources.
Sequential Production
Each player produces their Kingdom's resources sequentially. Since resources are produced in a specific order, it is important to plan ahead to optimize your production and development.
At the end of the fourth round, the player with the most victory points wins the game.
—description from the publisher
Year Published
2021
Transcript Analysis
Browse transcript mentions, sentiments, pros/cons, mechanics, topics, quotes, and references.
Total mentions: 4
This page: 4
Sentiment:
pos 4 ·
mix 0 ·
neu 0 ·
neg 0
Showing 1–4 of 4
Video l19C2U_sq_Q
Jungus Games general_discussion at 16:58 sentiment: positive
video_pk 10589 · mention_pk 31196
Click to watch at 16:58 · YouTube ↗
Overall sentiment (raw)
positive
Pros
none
Cons
none
Thematic elements
- Kingdom building
- Fantasy kingdom management
- Heroic fantasy
Comparison games
none
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
- unknown — Comment about the game mechanics in this discussion
Video topics + discussion points
No key topics recorded for this video.
Quotes (from this video)
- I am really looking for feedback from people because this is something very new
- Cube rails games have kind of grabbed a hold of my brain in a really interesting way
- Trans-Siberian Railroad is a wacky game
- I am in the throes of infatuation with this new genre of gaming
- I would really appreciate you considering that
References (from this video)
No references stored for this video.
Video K7GRhf3saOM
Before You Play playthrough at 0:03 sentiment: positive
video_pk 7498 · mention_pk 22265
Click to watch at 0:03 · YouTube ↗
Overall sentiment (raw)
positive
Pros
- Integrated two-player variant that supports deep strategic planning
- Advisors module adds meaningful choices and dynamic tempo
- Rich production/recycling loop with multiple pathways to scoring
- Strong thematic artwork (dragon egg, grand library) and visual clarity
- Replayability through multiple modules and card synergies
Cons
- Calamity cards introduce luck-shrouded risk that can swing end-game scoring
- Complexity can be intimidating for new players or those unfamiliar with It's a Wonderful World lineage
- Setup and bookkeeping can be lengthy in a live playthrough without a tidy app or dry-erase aids
Thematic elements
- kingdom construction, resource production, and strategic card drafting/assignment
- Fantasy kingdom-building session where players grow their own duchies
- explanatory tutorial with live playthrough and teach moments
Comparison games
- It's a Wonderful World
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
- advisors module — Advisors can be recruited via the offering phase and provide one-time per-round effects that affect production or other phases; they remain in play and impact choices.
- calamity cards — Calamity cards provide negative end-game scoring but are integrated into the drafting phase, influencing risk decisions and hand management.
- I split you choose — In each choice phase, players offer two cards (face up or down) to the opponent, who then selects a set to add to their planning area; this creates a drafting-like tension without a traditional draft.
- production sequencing — Resources are produced in a fixed order (gray, blue, purple, gold, blue exploration), and may be immediately used to construct cards or recycled for resources.
- recycling and construction — Planned cards can be recycled for top-right bonuses or placed into the construction area; resources on cards must be used to meet construction costs and trigger bonuses.
- supremacy/majority bonuses — At the end of each production round, the player who produced the most of a given resource gains a soldier token or similar benefit; this incentivizes balancing production between resources.
- tokens economy — Soldier tokens and trap tokens regulate advisor usage and card interactions; tokens must be spent to activate effects, which adds a resource management layer.
Video topics + discussion points
No key topics recorded for this video.
Quotes (from this video)
- it's a wonderful kingdom
- i split you choose
- we're going to be playing with the advisors module
- dragon egg look at the artwork by the way
References (from this video)
No references stored for this video.
Video ruJgak9bakk
Games boom goes the dynamite haul_and_impressions at 4:41 sentiment: positive
video_pk 7485 · mention_pk 22222
Click to watch at 4:41 · YouTube ↗
Overall sentiment (raw)
positive
Pros
- Expands on the world-building formula with a new era
- Adds variety and new strategies
Cons
- Requires familiarity with the base system
Thematic elements
- Kingdom-building and strategic planning
- Medieval-inspired world-building and expansion
- Transition from world-building to medieval scenario
Comparison games
- It's a Wonderful World
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
- drafting — Select actions and resources to shape your kingdom
- Resource management — Allocate resources to achieve objectives and upgrade territories
Video topics + discussion points
No key topics recorded for this video.
Quotes (from this video)
- this thing is massive
- it's huge it's bigger than our table
- we love the game
- we're going to pimp it up
- it is a beautiful production
- we have you know the first one and now the sequel
References (from this video)
No references stored for this video.
Video ShHFUwF_WXM
John Gets Games general_discussion at 7:44 sentiment: positive
video_pk 1777 · mention_pk 5125
Click to watch at 7:44 · YouTube ↗
Overall sentiment (raw)
positive
Pros
- Thoughtful offshoot of a beloved engine-building title
- New split mechanic adds interaction and tension
Cons
- Different enough from the original that expectations may vary
Thematic elements
- hand drafting with grid placement and resource management
- reimagined version of It's a Wonderful World, 1-2 players
- streamlined but familiar drafting dynamic with strategic depth
Comparison games
- It's a Wonderful World (original)
- split-draft / two-to-n player drafting titles
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
- grid placement and card discard for resources — cards either provide resources or play down for scoring
- split-you-choose (two-card split) — players split four cards into two pairs; the other player chooses a pair
Video topics + discussion points
No key topics recorded for this video.
Quotes (from this video)
- I love games that have time tracks.
- the components in this game look great.
- I am a sucker for creative use of components.
- folding the corners over as you are playing the game.
- this one is suddenly a game that I am very interested in.
References (from this video)
No references stored for this video.
Transcript Navigation
Showing 1–4 of 4