King’s Pouch (2014) Board Game

King’s Pouch is a city building board game that was released in in 2014. Designed by Giung Kim and published by Divedice, this game is set in a medieval world where players take on the role of rulers vying for control of territories.

Game Components of King’s Pouch

Citizens: Represented by wooden components in two shapes – cylindrical (hexagonal prisms) for corrupt officials and common citizens, and cubes for soldiers, merchants, and clerics.

Buildings: Green religious buildings, red military buildings, and yellow commercial buildings.

Character Cards: Influence characters and territory cards.

Pouch: A bag from which players draw citizens.

Map: Featuring territories to conquer and a central palace.

Army Power Tokens: For conquering territories.

Prestige Points: For scoring.

How To Setup King’s Pouch

To set up the game, each player starts with four common citizens in their starting area and four basic buildings already constructed in their city. The map is laid out with various territories and the central palace. Players determine the starting player based on the number of prestige points, which is usually random at the beginning.

Gameplay Mechanics and Game Objective

Mechanics

Deck, Bag, and Pool Building: Players manage a pouch of citizens.

Area Majority / Influence: Controlling territories and buildings.

Game Objective

Earn Prestige Points: Through military conquest, religious piety, and political favor.

Conquer Territories: Using army power to expand reach.

Construct Specialized Buildings: To support chosen strategies.

Manage Citizens: Drawing and utilizing citizens effectively from the pouch.

Great Councils: Scoring additional prestige points at rounds 3, 6, and 9.

Player Experience

In King’s Pouch, players take on the role of feudal lords vying for supremacy in a divided kingdom. Each turn involves assigning citizens to buildings, constructing new buildings, claiming character cards, and conquering territories. The game requires strategic planning and resource management, as players must balance their efforts between military strength, religious influence, and political favor. The unique use of a pouch with differently shaped citizens adds a tactile element to the game, allowing players to feel for the specific pieces they need.

Pros

Innovative Pouch Mechanic: Different shapes of citizens allow for a unique drawing experience.

Thematic Buildings: Buildings are designed to fit their respective categories (religious, military, commercial).

Multiple Strategies: Players can choose between military, religious, or political paths.

Cons

Turn Order Issue: Players with more prestige points go first, which can cement early strategies and reduce flexibility.

Increasing Downtime: Longer game times with more players.

Corrupt Officials: These citizens are nearly worthless and penalize players at the end of the game.

Personal Thoughts on King’s Pouch

King’s Pouch is ideal for fans of strategy and resource management games who enjoy a mix of tactical decisions and thematic depth. It is suitable for players looking for a game that offers multiple paths to victory and a unique mechanic with the pouch and different citizen shapes. While it may have some drawbacks like turn order issues and increasing downtime, the game’s clever design and thematic elements make it a compelling addition to any board game collection.

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