Kensington (2019) Board Game

Kensington is a city-building board game designed by Kinetic and released in in 2019. The game allows 2-5 players to compete in creating their own borough in the prestigious area of London known as Kensington. With tile placement mechanics, players must strategically build their neighborhoods to attract the most prestigious residents and score points.

Game Components of Kensington

Game board featuring the Kensington area of London

Neighborhood tiles representing different types of buildings

Prestige tokens

Player tokens

Reference cards

How To Setup Kensington

Place the game board in the center of the table.

Shuffle the neighborhood tiles and place them face down.

Each player chooses a color and takes the corresponding player tokens and reference card.

Determine the starting player and begin the game.

Gameplay Mechanics and Game Objective

Players take turns drawing neighborhood tiles and placing them on the board to build their borough. Each tile has a different building type, such as parks, mansions, or shops, which attract different types of residents. The objective is to strategically place tiles to score the most prestige points based on the residents in each neighborhood.

Player Experience

Pros:

Strategic tile placement mechanics

Engaging city-building theme

Quick gameplay with a 30-minute runtime

Cons:

Limited player interaction

Lack of variability in gameplay

Some components may feel lacking in quality

Personal Thoughts on Kensington

Kensington offers a fun and engaging city-building experience with its tile placement mechanics and thematic setting. However, the game may lack depth for more experienced gamers looking for complex strategies. The build quality of the components is decent, but some players may find them lacking compared to other games in the same category.

In terms of pricing and availability, Kensington can be found at a reasonable cost for a new copy. However, potential buyers should consider the game’s replay value and whether it will be worth the investment in the long run. Alternatives to Kensington include other city-building games such as Suburbia or Quadropolis, which may offer more in-depth gameplay mechanics.

Overall, Kensington is a solid choice for casual gamers or those looking for a light city-building experience. It may not be suitable for players seeking a more competitive or strategic game, but it can still provide an enjoyable gaming session for those interested in the theme. Players who enjoy tile placement games and building up their own neighborhoods may find Kensington worth their time, while those seeking a more complex or varied experience may want to consider other options.

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