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Game Info
Year
2018
Collection
Ratings
Creator Score
Expansions & Family
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Mechanic profile
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Description
This world used to be a garden full of life; from the flying Vadora to the deep-dwelling Dwarves – but that was before Vesh came. The world has been lost and only one city remains; the oldest city in the world – and the last refuge for all of us. Now... we fight back.
The City of Kings is a co-operative, puzzle-based, fantasy adventure board game for 1 - 4 players in which your character is tasked with exploring the hazardous world, trading for vital resources, and battling your enemies whilst uncovering a story of a world imperiled.
You start by choosing one of seven stories or twelve scenarios, then select your hero, with each of the six heroes featuring twelve unique skills and nine customizable stats that allow you to specialize in attacking, healing, tanking, worker management, or whatever you desire. Aside from your hero, you need to manage your workers, who must gather resources in order to trade for new items and build structures to gain powerful bonuses.
You explore across the Ageless Realms by turning over tiles, discovering resources, side quests, hazards, building sites, traders and creatures as you continue to power up whilst preparing to enter Azure Rise.
At its heart, The City of Kings is a complex puzzle featuring endless strategic battles. Each creature is generated from a pool of spells, characteristics and stats offering over 10,000,000 unique battle situations. There are no dice, damage is persistent, it’s up to you to customize your characters and work together to come up with a strategy to defeat whoever stands in your way.
The City of Kings Family
(4 games)
This page includes videos and mentions from the whole The City of Kings family. Drill into a specific game below.
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All mentions
Browse transcript mentions, sentiments, pros/cons, mechanics, topics, quotes, and references.
Total mentions: 55
This page: 5
Sentiment:
pos 3 ·
mix 1 ·
neu 1 ·
neg 0
Showing 51–55 of 55
Video 0vlOEgGjHQI
Board Game Garden Discussion at 5:11 sentiment: positive
video_pk 28504 · mention_pk 161609
Click to watch at 5:11 · YouTube ↗
Overall sentiment (raw)
positive
Pros
- compact solo-friendly option
Cons
none
Thematic elements
- cat-focused exploration and drawing mechanics
- Isle of Cats-themed exploration and drawing
- narrative-light
Comparison games
none
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
Mechanics unknown.
Video topics + discussion points
No key topics recorded for this video.
Quotes (from this video)
- I managed to fit 17 games into this one ticket to ride box
- this is insane to me
- I'm trying to think of you know a well-rounded collection here
- it's a wonderful world would be 11
References (from this video)
No references stored for this video.
Video HJtIC85_T-Q
The Broken Meeple Review at 1:37 sentiment: positive
video_pk 9084 · mention_pk 124644
Click to watch at 1:37 · YouTube ↗
Overall sentiment (raw)
positive
Pros
- compact, lighter variant compared to Isle of Cats
- two-player friendly with quick play sessions
- rules are easy to learn and well-illustrated in the rulebook
- retains core puzzle feel and familiar aesthetics from the big game
Cons
- two-player only; no solo or larger group options
- no drafting phase, which reduces strategic depth
- movement mechanic lacks strong interaction to block opponents
Thematic elements
- cat-themed puzzle-filling on a boat with family formation and scoring via lesson cards
- an island where cats live and players try to assemble cat families while avoiding rats
- whimsical and light-hearted
Comparison games
- Isle of Cats (base game)
- Isle of Cats Flip and Write
- Isle of Cats (Big Version)
- Seven Wonders Duel
- Tokaido
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
- card selection / action economy — players choose from available tiles or cards each round to gain powers, tiles, or scoring opportunities
- movement across a shared board — a cat token moves up to two spaces per turn, enabling tile/card acquisition from start, pass-through, or end points
- Resource Management — fish are spent to gain extra actions or progress, with limited availability shaping choices
- resource management (fish tokens) — fish are spent to gain extra actions or progress, with limited availability shaping choices
- set collection / scoring — points are earned for large cat families and for completing room goals on the board
- Tile Placement — polyomino-like cat tiles are placed on the boat to form families and satisfy rooms
Video topics + discussion points
No key topics recorded for this video.
Quotes (from this video)
- Isle of Cats Duel gets a fine seven out of 10.
- it's quick simple and has that same Tetris feel
- the main difference is how you select the tiles
- this is a pretty solid in the whole jeel universe
- you don't draft the cards anymore
References (from this video)
No references stored for this video.
Video eRj63avc-7E
Before You Play Discussion at 10:53 sentiment: positive
video_pk 7155 · mention_pk 21187
Click to watch at 10:53 · YouTube ↗
Overall sentiment (raw)
positive
Pros
- Cooperative tension with a puzzle-like feel
- Campaign depth with many scenarios
- Engaging for groups who enjoy puzzle-solving under pressure
Cons
- Morbid thematic framing may be off-putting for some players
- Can be punishing if players mismanage communication or timing
Thematic elements
- cat rescue in a perilous, timer-driven scenario
- a herd of cats is being rescued from a burning island; players cooperatively guide cats to a raft
- campaign-driven narrative with recurring scenarios and a sense of urgency
Comparison games
- Isle of Cats
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
- cooperative card placement — Players lay down terrain and path cards to create safe routes for cats toward the raft; collaboration is essential.
- limited communication tokens — Tokens restrict talking during another player's turn, increasing tension and forcing strategic planning.
- movement and discard mechanics — Discarding cards can move a cat more quickly, but at a cost; strategy revolves around tilting the puzzle in your favor.
- polyomino fire tiles — Fire tiles are drawn and placed, blocking routes and adding spatial challenges reminiscent of a puzzle.
- scoring via tiles and campaign progression — Progression across scenarios affects scoring and unlocks broader content; choices affect future rounds.
Video topics + discussion points
No key topics recorded for this video.
Quotes (from this video)
- it's very light but still with enough strategy
- the art is very nice
- Unique because in most trick-taking games you have to follow the leader
- I think it's very puzzly and that's the sweet spot for me
- the look of the board when you're placing out fire it's scary
- it's quiet; a tense environment knowing there are dire consequences for these cats
References (from this video)
No references stored for this video.
Video keUMLQ3vgsM
The Broken Meeple Discussion at 0:00 sentiment: neutral
video_pk 4016 · mention_pk 116315
Click to watch at 0:00 · YouTube ↗
Overall sentiment (raw)
neutral
Pros
none
Cons
none
Thematic elements
none
Comparison games
none
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
Mechanics unknown.
Video topics + discussion points
No key topics recorded for this video.
Quotes (from this video)
- it's only a game
- Matt Leacock will you grow another thread of innovation in your skull and do something else
- we're done with pandemic
- I would rather be pessimistic and then pleasantly surprised then optimistic and then constantly disappointed
- I could rank something like Alice's garden a 9 10 out of 10 for how perfect a game for its genre it is but that doesn't mean I want to play it game after game
- this theme is going to speak to me heavily from a Nostalgia perspective
- you're not as good as you used to be mate
- this is why you've got to get your demos right
- head cubes on tracks is that really what I'm supposed to get excited for
- this one I think is the game that void fall should have been
References (from this video)
No references stored for this video.
Video A4tf58pOJbA
The Broken Meeple Review at 0:24 sentiment: mixed
video_pk 2039 · mention_pk 5830
Click to watch at 0:24 · YouTube ↗
Overall sentiment (raw)
mixed
Pros
- Strong solo puzzle experience with a large selection of scenarios
- Good value for content and components
- Solid grid/pattern puzzle feel similar to Honshu/Hokkaido
- Cooperative core with a clear solo appeal
Cons
- Multiplayer can feel less engaging for traditional gamer audiences
- Meowing/cat-token mechanic felt gimmicky and misaligned for some players
- Colorblind accessibility is limited in practice
Thematic elements
- Rescue and teamwork under pressure in a cooperative puzzle
- Cat island with burning sections, where cats must reach a raft to be rescued
- Scenario-driven rescue mission with cooperative play
Comparison games
- Isle of Cats
- Honshu/Hokkaido
- Walking in Province
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
- Cooperative play with restricted communication — Players coordinate collectively, but must cease communication during another player’s turn unless using special tokens.
- Deck-drafting and card usage — Draw from multiple decks and choose how to deploy cards to move cats along color patterns.
- Grid-based card placement — Players place grid-pattern cards to alter the landscape and influence cat movement toward the raft.
- Mini-Games — A single-player variant that offers a puzzle-focused experience with slightly different setup from multiplayer.
- Polyomino-like tile placement for fire — Draw and place large fire tiles to create fire spread constraints, blocking or guiding cat routes.
- Scenario-based variability — A rulebook and campaign-like content provide varied boards, fires, and cat placements per scenario.
- Solo mode with a distinct but related flow — A single-player variant that offers a puzzle-focused experience with slightly different setup from multiplayer.
Video topics + discussion points
No key topics recorded for this video.
Quotes (from this video)
- this is a full Cooperative game that can also be played solo and the solo mode is slightly different to the multiplayer but for the most part exactly the same
- it's definitely going to be more sort of family friendly feel this one
- I think it's going to be more for new people to games and certainly for families with younger your kids
- I think this game deserves a 7 out of 10 because I've enjoyed my time with it as a solo gamer
- I just hate this stupid meowing cat thing
References (from this video)
No references stored for this video.