King Me! (2019)
King Me! (2019) Rulebook
Table of Contents
Table of Contents
Object
Score the most points by capturing enemy Checkers and controlling territories.
Setup
- Decide who will be the Crimson (red) player and who will be the Onyx (black) player.
- Unfold the game board and place it so the red ship is on the Crimson player's side and the black castle is on the Onyx player's side.
- Each player places their 12 Checkers on the starting spaces near their ship or castle. The starting spaces have tents or building that match the player's color.
- Place the four Crowns on the matching Crown icons across the center of the board.
- Place the four King Tiles next to the board.
- Separate the cards into four piles according to the symbols on the backs. Shuffle the four piles separately, then stack the piles in any order to form a single deck.
- Place the deck on the first space of the Kingdom Track, nearest the Crimson player.
- Give each player a reference card.
The Crimson player takes the first turn.
On Your Turn
Do the following, in this order:
- Move two of your Checkers (see MOVEMENT). You may not move the same Checker twice, unless it is a King (see KINGS).
- Note: The Crimson player may move only one Checker on their first turn. Each player moves two Checkers on all future turns.
- Trigger the card on the Event space which is the last space of the Kingdom Track (see KINGDOM TRACK). Skip this step for the first six turns, until there is a card on the Event space to trigger.
- Slide any cards that are face up on the Kingdom Track one space to the right. Skip this step on the first turn, as there are no cards to slide. Once cards slide to the Event space, stack them in a pile face up, so the last card moved is on top.
- Draw one card from the deck and place it face up on the Kingdom Track, on the empty space next to the deck. Once the deck runs out, skip this step but continue playing. The game continues until every card in the deck has been triggered on the Event space.
Movement
Stone Checkers appear on the board in each territory. You may not march to, or land on, a space occupied by a Stone Checker.
March your Checker diagonally forward or backward onto an unoccupied space.
OR
Jump your Checker diagonally forward or backward over one occupied space, to land on an unoccupied space. You may jump multiple times in one move if there is an occupied space diagonally forward or backward from the space where you landed. You may jump your own Checkers, enemy Checkers, or Stone Checkers on the board. When you jump over an enemy Checker, that Checker is captured. Set the captured Checker aside for scoring at the end of the game.
Kingdom Track
Watch the Kingdom Track carefully to plan ahead. You can see how swift the river will move Checkers across the realm (see River Cards), and which territories will be scored soon (see Territory Cards).
- Note: A card is triggered only if it is on the Event space of the Kingdom Track after a player moves.
River Cards
There are two rivers on the board that move Checkers during the game.
When you trigger a River Card, all Checkers on a river move the number of spaces shown on the card—one or two—along the river in the direction indicated by the arrows on the board (clockwise).
- Note: River movement does not count as a player's movement for the turn.
Territory Cards
Controlling a territory when that Territory Card is triggered scores you points. The points are indicated in the top corners of the card, according to player color, and may be different for each player.
When you trigger a Territory Card, the player with the most Checkers in that territory collects the card to score at the end of the game. If there is a ruling King in the territory, it counts as two Checkers. Any King also breaks a tie (see KINGS). If no player controls the territory — or if there is a tie that cannot be broken — neither player collects the card.
Each Territory Card also has river movement. After territory control is determined, move all Checkers on a river in the same way you trigger a River Card.
Example: The Onyx player has three Checkers and the Crimson player has one Checker in the territory when the Star Dunes Territory Card is triggered. The Onyx player collects the card.
Example: The Onyx player has three Checkers and the Crimson player has two Checkers in the territory when the Lotus Pond Territory Card is triggered. However, one of the Crimson player's Checkers is the Hidden King, which counts as two Checkers in the Lotus Pond, then breaks the tie. The Crimson player collects the card.
Kings
When one of your Checkers ends its movement on one of the two spaces a Crown is on, you may claim that Crown. Place that Crown on your Checker and take the matching King Tile. When a Checker claims a Crown, it immediately becomes a King.
- A King counts as two Checkers in any of the three territories it rules.
- A King breaks ties, even in territories it doesn't rule.
- A King may be moved twice in one turn, including the second move of the turn in which it became a King.
You may also claim a Crown by capturing an enemy King. Set the captured Checker aside for scoring, place the Crown on the Checker used to capture it, and take the matching King Tile.
If a King claims another Crown — or if a Checker captures multiple Kings in the same move — the claiming/capturing player may choose which of the Crowns to keep. Place the other Crown back on the matching Crown icon on the board and place the King Tile next to the board.
King Crowns and the Territories They Rule
| King Crown | Territories It Rules |
|---|---|
| Beast King | The Boneyard; Desert Pyramids; Red Pine Forest |
| Extreme King | Frozen Sea; Volcano Ridge; Mountains |
| Dream King | Crystal Caverns; Spooky Swamp; Ruins |
| Hidden King | Mushroom Canopy; Star Dunes; Lotus Pond |
Ending the Game
The game ends when the last card in the deck is triggered. Both players add up their points for the Territory Cards they've collected, the Kings they currently control, and the Checkers they've captured.
- Territory Cards score points listed on the card according to your color.
- Kings score 10 points each.
- Captured Checkers score 5 points each.
The player with the most points wins. In the case of a tie, the player with the most Territory Cards wins. Then the player with the most Kings wins, and then the player who captured the most Checkers wins.
Example: The Crimson player has 30 points from Territory Cards, 20 points from the Extreme King and Beast King (2 Kings), and 15 points from captured Checkers (3 Checkers). The Crimson player's total score is 65 points.
The Onyx player has 35 points from Territory Cards, 10 points from the Dream King (1 King), and 10 points from captured Checkers (2 Checkers). The Onyx player's total score is 55 points.
The Crimson player wins!