The City of Kings

The City of Kings

AdventureExplorationFantasyFighting
Players
1-4
Best withThe player count this game plays best at.
1 player
Play timeHow long a full game runs once everyone knows the rules.
180 min
AgeThe minimum age printed by the publisher.
14+
ComplexityHow demanding the rules are, from 1 (very light) to 5 (very heavy).
3.2 / 5
Year
2018

About the game

The City of Kings is a cooperative, puzzle-based fantasy adventure for 1-4 players in which heroes explore a hazardous world, trade for resources, and battle enemies across a rich campaign of stories and scenarios. Each of the six heroes offers twelve unique skills and nine customizable stats, letting you build a specialist in attacking, healing, tanking, or support. Instead of dice, combat is a persistent, puzzle-like duel against creatures generated from a huge pool of spells and stats. Players explore modular tile-based realms, manage workers, and build structures while uncovering an overarching story of a dying world fighting back.

Hobbli's Notes

Hobbli's editorial team loves how The City of Kings replaces dice-based combat with a genuine tactical puzzle, rewarding careful planning over luck. The character and worker customization gives it real longevity, and the scenario/story structure means groups can return to it again and again. It does ask for a real time investment and some rules patience up front, but fans of thinky cooperative adventures will find it deeply satisfying.

What we like

  • Combat is a genuine no-dice tactical puzzle rather than a luck-fest.
  • Deep hero customization with twelve skills and nine stats per character.
  • Rich cooperative storytelling across seven stories and twelve scenarios.
  • Modular exploration keeps each playthrough feeling fresh.
  • Strong solo mode for players without a group.

Keep in mind

  • Long playtime around three hours per session.
  • High complexity and rules overhead for newcomers.
  • Significant upfront setup for each scenario.

Who it's for

Best for teens and adults who enjoy cooperative fantasy adventures with a puzzle-solving edge; groups of 1-4 players who don't mind a meatier rulebook and longer sessions will get the most out of it.

Mechanics

Action PointsCooperative GameDice RollingModular BoardRole PlayingScenario / Mission / Campaign GameSolo / Solitaire GameGrid / MapStorytellingVariable Player Powers

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