"Kingdomino Origins plays similarly to the original game, but introduces new components for additional actions and new ways to score points. Regions in your territory will earn you points if they contain fire. Fire is either part of your terrains or earned by adding dominoes with volcanoes. There are three game modes to play:
- The first one introduces fire and volcanoes;
- The second mode uses wooden resources;
- And the third one features cavemen tokens.
You earn points by collecting resources, with additional points when you have the majority of a type of resources. These resources allow you to bring cavemen to your territory, and each type of caveman has its own way to give you points based on their position."
—description from Blue Orange
The theme takes us further back in time, from medieval kid-friendly fantasy of Kingdomino: prehistoric theme of cavepeople, mammoths, flints and erupting volcano. Theme wise, it still make sense. You win if your tribe of cavepeople have the most comfort points. In lieu of fixed scoring multiplier on specific tiles, regions now score for the number of connected squares multiplied by the number of fire symbols in the region (which adds more flexibility of the game, instead of just waiting for specific tiles)
Here is a How to Play video for Kingdomino Origins.
I have a big fascination to volcanoes (growing up near a volcano myself). In what turns out to be one of Kingdomino Origins’ best twists, fire symbols don’t just appear printed on squares, but are erupted out of volcano tiles when added to a player’s region in the game’s default ‘Discovery Mode’. How far the fire travels, and how many symbols the token counts are determined by the number of craters on the volcano tile square, with the player deciding in which direction the lava flies. The volcano tiles makes the game more exciting because you now have flexibility and strategy to make a region score more points. My usual frustration in playing Kingdomino is another player would should snatch the tiles with crowns. This gives the player greater control but still keeping with the fun and accessible nature of Kingdomino.
The other two modules will be familiar to Queendomino players, offering a similar addition to the sequel’s additional marketplace board and building tiles. Here, tiles may offer resources, kept on their respective squares when added to a player’s grid: mammoths, fish, mushrooms and flint.
Totem Mode: This mode is played in the same way as the Discovery Mode with resources as a bonus!
Tribe Mode: This mode is played in the same way as the Discovery Mode with resources and cavemen as a bonus!
The box is bigger than Kingdomino, and it has a nice weight. The resource tokens are super cute (my favorite is the mammoth). The tiles are nice and glossy, which I think is done to make the tiles more durable. The rulebook is available both in English and in Filipino. It is really a beautiful game.
I think the only missed opportunity for Kingdomino Origins is that it cannot be combines to Kingdomino or Queendomino (given that King and Queen can be combined together - while Origins can’t be used in conjunction with either previous game). But as a standalone game, Kingdomino Origins is a leap to the future!
photos by Mateusz Zadja
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