Winter Kingdom Rulebook

Table of Contents

Table of Contents

• Game Components
  • Common Components
  • Player Components (each in blue, yellow, green, and red)
• Object of the Game
• Setup
• Sequence of Play
• The 11 Terrain Types
  • 7 terrain types suitable for building
  • 4 terrain types not suitable for building
• A Turn in Detail
  • 1) Building houses
  • 2) Earning coins
  • 3) Acquiring or upgrading an ability card
  • 4) Clean up
• Building Rules
• Twist Card
• End of the Game and Final Scoring
  • Final Scoring
• Overview of Ability Cards & Tunnels
  • Build one additional house from your personal supply
  • Move one of your existing houses
• Overview of Winter Kingdom Cards
• Overview of Economy Cards
• Overview of Twist Cards

Game Components

Common Components

• 7 Terrain boards, double sided
• 30 Terrain cards (5x Forest, Grassland, Tundra, Fell field, Flower field, and Snowscape)
• 18 Winter Kingdom cards
• 25 Ability cards
• 4 Mandatory action cards
• 4 Tunnel cards
• 8 Economy cards
• 8 Twist cards
• 1 Score board
• 1 Start player token
• 1 Rules booklet

Player Components (each in blue, yellow, green, and red)

• 7 Ability tokens (front: active side, reverse: used side)
• 32 Houses
• 4 Forts
• 41 Coins (31x 1-coin, 10x 2-coin)
• 1 Score marker

Object of the Game

Players expand their Kingdoms by placing houses and forts across the board, which is covered with different types of terrain. Placing pieces on certain locations will earn the players coins to spend on special abilities, or simply expand their Kingdoms to earn points at the end of the game.

Each game, three Winter Kingdom cards will give the conditions for scoring victory points. The economy card will show how to earn more gold, which may be used to purchase special abilities, giving players more options on how to place their houses each turn.

Whoever has the most victory points at the end of the game is the winner!

Setup

1. The terrain boards will be arranged into a hexagonal playing board by first placing one board in the center, and then placing one board on each of the six sides. Each board may freely be rotated in any direction and flipped to either side.

2. Shuffle the Winter Kingdom cards, then randomly draw 3 cards and place them face up next to the game board.

3. Place the coins next to the game board.

4. Shuffle the ability cards, then deal each player 5 cards. These should be kept hidden in their hands.

5. Shuffle the terrain cards and place them face down next to the game board, forming the terrain deck.

6. Each player chooses a player color and takes:

   • All 32 houses and 4 forts in their color, placed in front of them as a personal supply.

   • 7 ability tokens in their color.

   • 1 terrain card from the terrain deck, kept hidden from other players.

   • 1 mandatory action card & 1 tunnel card. An ability token (active/colored side up) is placed on each of the cards.

   • The youngest player becomes the start player and takes the start player token.

   • Coins with the following value:

     	Start player	Player 2	Player 3	Player 4
     2-Player game	1	2
     3-Player game	1	1	2
     4-Player game	1	1	2	2

7. The score board and markers are only used at the end of the game, and may be placed aside for now. Put any game components not used in this game back in the game box.

8. Shuffle the economy and twist cards separately, then randomly draw one of each type and place them face-up next to the game board.

Note: In the first game it is recommended not to use a twist card.

Sequence of Play

Winter Kingdom is played over a variable number of rounds. Each round the start player will take their complete turn, then play will pass to the next player clockwise until all players have taken a turn.

On their turn, the player must do the mandatory action: Build 3 houses on the terrain depicted on their terrain card.

Additionally, before and/or after the mandatory action, the player may use their acquired ability cards to perform special actions.

After the player has performed all actions (both mandatory and any additional abilities), they may then use their coins to make one purchase. This may be to purchase the first special action of a new ability, or to upgrade an ability card purchased a previous round.

At the end of the turn, the player discards their terrain card and draws a new one. Play then passes to the next player.

The game ends at the end of a round in which at least one player has built all their houses and forts. Final scoring takes place, after which the player with the most victory points is declared the winner.

The 11 Terrain Types

7 terrain types suitable for building

Flower field, Grassland, Tundra, Fell field, Snowscape, Forest, Ice

The first six terrain types are shown on the terrain cards.

Ice: There are no terrain cards for ice, but houses may be moved or built on ice hexes via ability cards.

4 terrain types not suitable for building

Mountain, Tunnel, Village, Castle

Mountain: Houses may not be built or moved on mountain hexes through ability cards, except for the "Mine" and "Guide" ability card.

Tunnel: You may use the tunnel with the tunnel card to affect game play.

Village: May be important for some Winter Kingdom and ability cards.

Castle: Worth 3 victory points at the end of the game for the player with the most houses adjacent to it.

A Turn in Detail

First, the player reveals their terrain card and then builds houses.

1) Building houses

a) Mandatory action

The player must build 3 houses from their personal supply on unoccupied hexes of the same terrain type shown on the terrain card. While placing, the player must strictly obey the building rules (see Building Rules below) as well as any restrictions introduced by the twist card.

Please note: The mandatory action must be performed and the 3 houses must be built successively one after the other.

Forts: When building, the player may decide to build either a house or a fort. A fort functions exactly as a house, except that it counts as 2 houses on the same hex and can never be moved by a special action. Forts are valuable assets to gain more victory points or coins if placed in the correct hexes.

b) Special actions of ability cards

The player may use any ability card that has already been purchased and is active to gain a special action, either before or after their mandatory action. When a special action is used, the ability token on the appropriate card is flipped to its used side.

Ability cards with 2 special actions: The first action (top half of the card) may be used as soon as the ability card is purchased. The second action (bottom half of the card) may be used once the ability card has been upgraded. An ability token is placed on the appropriate half of the card to indicate which special action may be used. Once upgraded, a player may decide to use the first or second action that turn, but not both.

Exception: Some ability cards have an orange highlighted action. These may be used on their own or in addition to the first action on that card. An arrow indicates that the second action extends the first action on the card. Each ability card can only be used once per turn.

Tunnel ability card: Each player begins the game with the tunnel ability card. It has only one special action and cannot be upgraded. The special action may be used from the first turn onward.

The special actions have a wide variety of effects, such as placing additional houses or moving existing ones. A detailed description can be found under "Overview of Ability Cards & Tunnels" below.

2) Earning coins

The economy card shows the requirement that must be met to earn coins during the game. Players should check to see if they meet this requirement every time they place a house or fort. If they do, they take the appropriate number of coins from the supply.

The economy card applies to all players and stays in play till the end of the game.

Note: A detailed description of all economy cards can be found under "Overview of Economy Cards" below.

3) Acquiring or upgrading an ability card

Once the player has performed their mandatory action and all special actions they can and want to use, they may choose to perform one of the following three actions:

a) Acquire a new ability card from hand. The player pays the number of coins depicted on the top half of one of their ability cards in hand and places the ability card in play in front of them. An ability token is placed with the active side up on the top half of the ability card. From the next turn on the player may use the first special action. An acquired ability card stays in play till the end of the game.

b) Upgrade an ability card in play. The player pays the number of coins depicted on the bottom half of one of their ability cards already in play (in front of them) and moves the ability token on that card to the bottom half of the card. It does not matter if the ability was used this turn or not. From the next turn on, the player may, depending on the card, use either or both special actions on the card. The ability token always stays at the bottom half to indicate that the ability card has been upgraded.

c) Extra actions. Instead of acquiring or upgrading an ability card, the player may choose to pay 5 coins to perform any one of their acquired abilities three times in a row. It does not matter if the ability was used this turn or not.

If a player cannot or does not want to spend coins, they simply skip this step.

4) Clean up

The active player discards their terrain card and draws a new card from the draw pile, keeping it hidden from the other players. They then set every ability token on an ability card to its active side so they may be used again the next turn.

Note: If the draw pile is exhausted, shuffle the discard pile and use it as new draw pile.

It is now the next player's turn.

Building Rules

These rules apply to each single house or fort built as part of a mandatory or special action.

1. Exactly one house or one fort may be built on any eligible terrain hex. (Note: A terrain hex is indicated by exactly one hexagonal shape on the terrain board.)

2. Houses or forts may only be built on or moved onto hexes of these terrain types: Forest, Grassland, Tundra, Fell field, Flower field, Snowscape, and Ice.

   Note: In the rare case that a terrain type is completely covered with houses and forts, every terrain card drawn of that type is immediately discarded and the player draws a new card.

3. Whenever possible, new houses and forts must be built adjacent to a previously placed house or fort belonging to the same player. If this is not possible, the player must choose a new unoccupied hex where they can build their house or fort.

   • During the mandatory action, the hex must match the terrain type shown on the active terrain card.
   • While using a special action, the hex must match the terrain type, if specified, that is appropriate for that special action.

   Note: When using an ability card to move a house, the destination hex does not need to be adjacent to a previously placed house or fort belonging to the same player.

Twist Card

The Twist card drastically alters the rules of Winter Kingdom, and players must take extra notice of the twist card while playing to obey the rule change introduced with the card.

Players are forced to change their strategy and tactics in different ways for each card, which creates a new experience each time you play Winter Kingdom.

For an introductory game we recommend playing without the twist card.

Note: A detailed description of all twist cards can be found under "Overview of Twist Cards" below.

End of the Game and Final Scoring

The game ends at the end of the round when at least one player has built all their houses and forts from their personal supply. All players will take an equal number of turns.

Final Scoring

The scoring board is placed next to the game board and the scoring marker of each player is placed on the starting hex. Players keep track of their victory points with their markers.

Victory Points are awarded for the following:

1. The 3 Winter Kingdom cards are evaluated one after the other for each player.

   Note: A detailed description of all Winter Kingdom cards can be found under "Overview of Winter Kingdom Cards" below.

2. Each castle hex awards 3 victory points to the player who has the most houses (forts count as two houses) adjacent to the castle hex. In case of a tie for most, all players involved in the tie earn 3 victory points. If there are no houses or forts adjacent to a castle hex, no player gains the 3 victory points.

The player who now has the most victory points is the winner. In case of a tie, the tied players share the victory.

© Copyright 2020 Queen Games, 53842 Troisdorf, Germany. All rights reserved.

Overview of Ability Cards & Tunnels

Ability cards broaden your tactical choices by allowing you to build additional houses or move already built ones to different hexes.

Important: Forts cannot be moved once built.

Each ability card shows two actions: First (top) and Second (bottom). The arrow next to the second action means that this action extends the first action. The player carries out the first action and then may choose to also do the second action.

The background color of the box indicates what type of action it is: a white background means "Build one additional house from your personal supply" and a shaded background means "Move one of your existing houses." Some cards allow the player to use both abilities of the card on their turn.

Build one additional house from your personal supply

• Crossroads — Build one house on a suitable hex adjacent to the terrain type shown on the card that is next in the list after the type on the terrain card the player drew (e.g. if the drawn terrain card shows flower field, the player builds on grassland, the next terrain in the list). Must be built adjacent if possible.
• Port — Build one house on a suitable hex of the same terrain type as your played terrain card. Must be built adjacent if possible.
• Pasture, Sawmill, Hot springs, Garden, Monastery, Hunting Lodge, Mine, Port — Build one house on the shown terrain type. Must be built adjacent if possible.
• Market, Farm, Barracks, Mine — Build one house upon a suitable hex adjacent to the shown terrain type or own fort. Must be built adjacent if possible.
• Tavern — Build one house at one end of a line of at least 3 of your own houses. The orientation of the line does not matter (horizontally or diagonally). The chosen hex must be suitable for building.
• Tavern — Build one house at one end of a line of at least 3 of one opponent's houses. The orientation of the line does not matter (horizontally or diagonally). The chosen hex must be suitable for building but does not have to be adjacent to one of your own houses.
• Outpost — Build one house on an empty hex eligible for building that is adjacent to exactly one of your houses (max. 1).
• Outpost — Build one house on an empty hex eligible for building that is adjacent to at most 3 of your houses (max. 3).
• Market, Farm, Barracks — Build one house adjacent to a group of your own houses that is adjacent to a castle, village, or the player's own fort. The chosen hex must be suitable for building.
• Tower — Build one house at the edge of the game board. Choose any of the 6 suitable terrain type hexes. Must be built adjacent if possible.
• Homestead — Build one house on the center terrain board. The chosen hex must be suitable for building. Must be built adjacent if possible.
• Caravan — Build one house on the hex you just moved the house away from.

Move one of your existing houses

• Tunnels — Move one of your existing houses adjacent to a tunnel to a hex eligible for building adjacent to another tunnel. The target hex does not need to be adjacent to one of your own houses.
• Mule, Toboggan — Move any one of your existing houses one hex in any direction (horizontally or diagonally) to a suitable unoccupied hex. The target hex does not need to be adjacent to one of your own houses.
• Horse, Toboggan, Caravan — Move any one of your existing houses exactly two hexes in a straight line in any direction (horizontally or diagonally) to a suitable unoccupied hex. You may cross over any terrain type (including ice, mountains, tunnels, villages, and castles) and any houses. The target hex does not need to be adjacent to one of your own houses.
• Horse — Move any one of your existing houses exactly two hexes in any direction (horizontally or diagonally) to a suitable unoccupied hex. Moving does not have to be in a straight line. You may cross over any terrain type (including ice, mountains, tunnels, villages, and castles) and any houses. The target hex does not need to be adjacent to one of your own houses.
• Guide, Dog sled — Move an existing house from a space that is on or adjacent to an ice or mountain hex. It may be moved any distance across an area of connected ice or mountain hexes onto a spot that is eligible for building. The target hex does not need to be adjacent to one of your own houses. Note: The house may only be moved along unoccupied hexes.
• Dog sled — Move an existing house from a space that is on or adjacent to an ice hex. It may be moved any distance across an area of connected ice hexes, and must be built on an ice hex. The target hex does not need to be adjacent to one of your own houses. Note: The house may only be moved along unoccupied hexes.
• Wagon — Move a house to a suitable hex connected to the same area of your connected houses.
• Wagon — Move a house to a suitable hex connected to the same area of anyone's connected houses (yours and other players').
• Sleigh — Move one of your existing houses in a straight line, either horizontally or diagonally, until it is blocked by an obstacle. An obstacle is any hex occupied by a house or fort, or any terrain on which you cannot place a house directly: ice, mountains, tunnels, villages, or castles. Place the house on the last hex before the obstacle.
• Sleigh — Move one of your existing houses in a straight line, either horizontally or diagonally, any number of hexes up to a hex blocked by an obstacle. An obstacle is any hex occupied by a house or fort, or any terrain on which you cannot place a house directly: ice, mountains, tunnels, villages, or castles. Place the piece in the eligible hex.
• Carriage — Note: The house may only be moved along unoccupied hexes of the specific terrain.
• Sawmill, Hot springs, Hunting Lodge, Garden, Monastery, Pasture, Tower, Carriage, Mule — After building a house on the indicated hex, you may move that same house one hex in any direction to a suitable unoccupied hex. The target hex does not need to be adjacent to one of your own houses.
• Homestead — After building a house on the center terrain board, you may move that same house any distance to a suitable unoccupied hex while keeping it on the center board. The target hex does not need to be adjacent to one of your own houses. Note: The house can only be moved along unoccupied hexes of the center terrain board.

Overview of Winter Kingdom Cards

The Winter Kingdom cards award victory points at the end of the game based on how many times the requirement of the card has been met by the player. In all cases the player has to build houses on certain hexes or in specific formations. Forts that the player has built count as two houses on the same hex and every house is eligible to award victory points.

Only 3 of the 18 Winter Kingdom cards below are used in any given game (randomly drawn during setup).

• Bureaucrats — Each terrain board: 4 VP awarded to the player who has the longest contiguous straight line of own houses on that board.
• Knights — Choose a line across the game board, in any of the three directions. 2 VP for each of your houses on it.
• Climbers — 2 VP for each mountain hex linked contiguously by your own houses to a castle.
• Loners — 1 VP for each of your own houses that is part of an area of size no greater than three houses.
• Followers — 1 VP for each of your own houses in a contiguous line of at least two of your own houses.
• Masses — 1 VP for each of your own houses built in your own second-largest contiguous area.
• Travellers — 2 VP for each different edge of an outer terrain board on which at least one of your own houses sits.
• Wanderers — Players choose at the start of the game which of the three board directions will count for all players at the end of the game. 2 VP for each line through the game board, in the chosen direction, on which at least one of your own houses sits.
• Miners — 3 VP for each encircled mountain area, awarded to the player who has the most houses adjacent to it.
• Scouts — 3 VP for each village linked contiguously by your own houses to an edge of the terrain board it is on.
• Nature Lovers — 1 VP for each of your own houses adjacent to at least one mountain and/or ice hex.
• Socialites — 1 VP for each of your own houses adjacent to at least one house of a different color belonging to another player.
• Peasants — 1 VP for each of your own houses on each terrain board, to a maximum of 5 VP per board.
• Spelunkers — 1 VP per house built adjacent to, or at most two hexes away from, a tunnel.
• Pioneers — Players choose together at the start of the game which board is the "bottom board" for all players. 1 VP for each of your own houses built on the bottom board.
• Royalty — 3 VP for each castle, awarded to the player who has the most houses adjacent to it. (Only 3 VP per castle regardless of how many houses.)
• Ice Fishermen — 2 VP for each of your own houses built on ice.
• Merchants — 5 VP for each village linked contiguously by your own houses to a tunnel.

Overview of Economy Cards

The Economy cards each show a building requirement that must be met by the player in order to gain coins. The player may earn multiple coins if they manage to fulfil the requirement of certain economy cards more than once during their turn. The coins are earned immediately and may be spent later that same turn or a subsequent one to unlock or upgrade an ability card. Forts count as two houses on the same hex for the purposes of earning coins as well. Coins can only be earned with the mandatory action or with the ability of building an additional house, on an ability card (the white background).

Only one economy card is used in any given game (randomly drawn during setup).

• Agriculture — Example: The player places 3 houses on tundra, one adjacent to a village, earning 1 coin. They then use an ability card to place a house from their supply on a mountain hex adjacent to a village and earn a second coin.
• Arms — Example: The player builds 2 houses adjacent to one of their own forts and gains 1 coin for each house.
• Furs — Example: The player builds 2 houses on the top board and gains 1 coin for each house. Note: To more easily remember which terrain board was declared the top board, place the furs card adjacent to the chosen board.
• Exports — Example: The player manages to build three houses on the outside board edge, gaining one coin for each house.
• Livestock — Example: The first house built is adjacent to a grassland hex that is unoccupied, therefore the player does not gain a coin. But the second house is now only adjacent to occupied hexes of the grassland terrain and thus the player gains a coin.
• Hunting — Example: The first house the player builds completes the tundra area, and therefore they do not earn a coin. For the second house they choose to place a fort on a new tundra area, which earns them 2 coins. The third house is placed adjacent to the fort and earns no coins.
• Marble — Example: The player builds three houses for their mandatory action in a straight contiguous line and gains 2 coins.
• Salvage — Example: The player decides to remove 3 of their own houses from the game board to gain 3 coins. These coins may be spent immediately afterwards to acquire or upgrade an ability card.

Overview of Twist Cards

The Twist cards alter rules of the game and therefore offer unique challenges for the players. The rule of the card has to be obeyed through the entire game and cannot be circumvented by ability cards or other means. It is recommended to only use one twist card each game.

• Wolves — Example: The player has built more than 4 houses on their turn and therefore has to remove one of their existing houses. They choose the house on the snowscape terrain to be removed.
• Boom — Example: The player builds 3 houses for their mandatory action on forests, and the third house is the only one placed adjacent to a village. They may then build another house (4th) adjacent to any of their existing houses.
• Impasse — Example: The player builds their first house of the mandatory action adjacent to their own houses. Due to the Impasse card no more snowscape hexes are adjacent any more, so the player can build on a different snowscape area.
• Longer Tunnels — Example: The player moves their house adjacent to the tunnel to another tunnel and then moves it one hex so that they end up adjacent to the castle. Note: The hex the house is moved to has to be suitable for building.
• Mobility — Example: The hexes marked in green show all possible building locations for the player when performing their mandatory action on the snowscape terrain.
• Archipelago — Example: Since the terrain boards are no longer connected, the snowscape hex marked with an X is no longer adjacent to the red house on the other terrain board.
• Innovation — Example: The player acquires the Mine ability by paying 3 coins. They then use the ability immediately and build one house adjacent to a mountain hex.
• Roads — Example: The player first acquires the Dog Sled ability at 0 cost and then upgrades the Caravan ability by paying 2 instead of 3 coins.

© Copyright 2020 Queen Games, 53842 Troisdorf, Germany. All rights reserved.