Kingdom Death: Monster

2015

Kingdom Death: Monster is a thrilling cooperative tabletop game where players build settlements, craft gear, and battle fearsome monsters in a unique, resource-scarce world.

180
minutes

1 - 4
player(s)

17+

Heavy

About the game

Kingdom Death: Monster is a highly thematic and immersive board game that takes players into a surreal and nightmarish world unlike any other. It revolves around a group of survivors striving to thrive in a desolate world filled with unspeakable horrors.

The setting of the game is a unique blend of fantasy and horror, with an aesthetic that draws heavily from gothic and dark surrealism. The world is mysterious and often cruel, filled with monstrous creatures and constant threats. Players start as survivors of a disaster, with no memory of their past, and must navigate this terrifying world.

Game components Unboxing the fun!

Kingdom Death: Monster is a cooperative board game that involves elements of strategy, planning, and survival. The game comes with a plethora of components, each with its own purpose and interaction with the game. Here are the components:

1. Rule Book: The rule book contains all the information on how to play the game, explaining the rules, setup, and gameplay mechanics. It is the guide to understanding and playing Kingdom Death: Monster.

2. Game Board: The game board is where all the action takes place. It represents the world of Kingdom Death: Monster and is used to track the movement of the players and monsters.

3. Miniatures: Kingdom Death: Monster includes a large number of highly detailed miniatures. These represent the players and the monsters they encounter. The miniatures add a physical dimension to the game, helping players visualize the world and its inhabitants.

4. Gear Cards: Gear cards represent the various equipment that players can collect and use during the game. These can provide various benefits, such as increased combat effectiveness, defensive capabilities, or special abilities.

5. AI Cards: AI cards govern the behavior of the monsters in the game. These cards determine how a monster will react in certain situations, adding an element of unpredictability to the game.

6. Hit Location Cards: When players attack a monster, hit location cards determine where the attack lands. Different locations can have different effects, adding a strategic element to combat.

7. Survivor Record Sheets: These sheets are used to keep track of each player’s survivor. They record information such as the survivor’s stats, gear, abilities, and injuries.

8. Hunt and Settlement Event Cards: These cards represent various events that can occur during the hunt phase or while in the settlement. They can bring unexpected challenges or benefits to the players.

9. Settlement Location Cards: These cards represent the different locations within the settlement. They determine what resources and options are available to players during the settlement phase.

10. Terrain Tiles: Terrain tiles are used to change the layout of the game board, adding obstacles or features that can affect movement and combat.

11. Dice: Dice are used throughout the game to resolve actions and events. The outcome of many situations in Kingdom Death: Monster is determined by dice rolls.

12. Tokens: A variety of tokens are used to track various game states, such as player health, monster health, and resource availability.

Each of these components interacts in different ways to create a rich and immersive gameplay experience in Kingdom Death: Monster.

Game setup Lay it out, line it up, let’s go

Kingdom Death: Monster is a cooperative board game that throws players into a dark and foreboding world filled with monsters and peril. Setting up the game can be a bit complex, but with the following step-by-step guide, you’ll be ready to start your journey in no time.

Before starting, make sure you have all the necessary components for the game: survivor miniatures, monster miniatures, gear cards, hit location cards, AI cards, terrain tiles, token, dice, and the game board.

Step 1: Setting up the Game Board

Place the game board in the center of the playing area. Make sure the hunt track is clearly visible and that all players can reach the board easily.

Step 2: Setting up the Miniatures

Each player should choose a survivor miniature and place it in the center of the game board, on the “showdown” space. The monster miniature should be placed on the starting space of the hunt track.

Step 3: Preparing the Decks

Shuffle the AI cards and place them in a deck next to the game board. Do the same for hit location cards. Then, sort the gear cards by type and place them in piles next to the game board.

Step 4: Determining Player Roles

Each player takes on the role of a survivor. These survivors will work together to hunt monsters and gather resources. The player who last had a nightmare will be the first player.

Step 5: Setting up Initial Resources

Each player starts with a founding stone and a cloth gear card. These should be placed in front of the players.

Step 6: Random Elements

The game has several random elements. The monster’s AI and hit location decks are shuffled, meaning each game will have the monster behave in different ways. Similarly, the hunt events that occur as players track the monster are also randomized by rolling dice and consulting the hunt event table.

Step 7: Beginning the Game

Once all the pieces are in place, the game can begin. The first player will take their turn, followed by the player to their left, and so on. Each turn consists of a player moving their survivor on the hunt track, resolving any events, and then either fighting the monster or returning to the settlement with their resources.

Remember, Kingdom Death: Monster is a game about survival and strategy. Work together with your fellow survivors, plan your moves carefully, and you might just survive the horrors that await you.

Game flow Round and round we go

Kingdom Death: Monster is a cooperative board game where players take on the role of survivors in a post-apocalyptic setting. The game is divided into three main phases: the Hunt Phase, the Showdown Phase, and the Settlement Phase.

The Hunt Phase

In the Hunt Phase, players set out from their settlement to hunt a monster. This phase is structured as follows:

Players choose a quarry to hunt.
Players then place their survivors on the hunt board and advance along the track, encountering various events along the way.
Each event is resolved by following the instructions on the corresponding event card.
The Hunt Phase ends when the survivors reach the end of the track and encounter the monster they are hunting.

The Showdown Phase

The Showdown Phase is where players battle the monster. This phase is structured as follows:

The monster and survivors are placed on the showdown board according to the setup instructions for the specific monster.
Players take turns performing actions in an order determined by the monster controller (a role that rotates amongst the players).
On their turn, a survivor can perform up to two actions (e.g., move, attack, encourage a fellow survivor, etc.).
The monster acts according to AI cards that dictate its behavior, with survivors reacting to the monster’s actions based on their stats and equipment.
The Showdown Phase ends when either all the survivors are defeated, or the monster is defeated.

The Settlement Phase

The Settlement Phase is where players improve their settlement and gear up for the next hunt. This phase is structured as follows:

Returning survivors gain endeavors that can be spent on various activities in the settlement.
The settlement draws a settlement event card and resolves it.
Players can spend resources to build new locations in the settlement, which can provide new gear options for future hunts.
Survivors can heal their wounds, gain new abilities, and craft new gear with the resources collected from the defeated monster.
The Settlement Phase ends when players decide to go on the next hunt, starting the cycle over again.

Through these three phases, players will experience the harsh reality of survival in a world dominated by monsters, building up their settlement and their survivors’ capabilities over time.

Players'turn One turn to rule them all

In the board game ‘Kingdom Death: Monster’, each player’s turn is a vital part of the game’s intricate narrative and design. The player’s turn in this game is defined by the phase of gameplay: The Settlement Phase, The Hunt Phase, and The Showdown Phase.

The Settlement Phase:

This phase is where survivors return from the hunt and gather in the central settlement. Here is what happens:

Survivors Return: Survivors who lived through the showdown come back to the settlement.
Gain Endeavors: For each returning survivor, the settlement gains an endeavor that can be used for various activities.
Update Death Count: If any survivors died during the showdown, the death count is updated.
Update Timeline: The settlement’s timeline is updated to reflect the passage of time.
Develop: Players can spend resources to build and innovate, which can be crucial for future hunts and showdowns.

The Hunt Phase:

This phase represents the survivors venturing out into the darkness to hunt monsters. Here is what can occur:

Choose Quarry: Players decide which monster they will be hunting.
Prepare Departing Survivors: Players equip their survivors based on the chosen quarry.
Travel and Event: Players move their survivors along the hunt track, triggering events as they go.

The Showdown Phase:

This is the combat phase where the survivors confront the monster they’ve been hunting. Here’s how it works:

Setup: The monster, survivors, and terrain are placed on the board.
Monster Turn: The monster attacks based on AI cards drawn at random.
Survivor’s Turn: Survivors can move and take one action (attack, encourage, surge, or dash).
End of Round: The monster controller token moves to the next player and a new round begins.

The strategic choices during a player’s turn can greatly affect gameplay. For instance, the choice of quarry during the Hunt Phase can determine the difficulty and risk of the Showdown Phase. The decisions made during the Settlement Phase, such as what to build or innovate, can provide crucial advantages for future hunts and showdowns. Similarly, the actions taken during a survivor’s turn in the Showdown Phase can turn the tide of the battle, making the difference between victory and defeat.

End of the game All good games must come to an end

Kingdom Death: Monster is a cooperative board game that does not follow a typical win/lose format. The game ends when all survivors in the settlement are dead, or the players have completed the final showdown of the campaign.

1. End Through Player Elimination:

The first endgame condition is if all survivors in the settlement are killed. This can occur during a hunt, a showdown, or due to events in the settlement phase. If no survivors are left to continue the campaign, the game ends immediately, and the players lose.

2. End Through Final Showdown:

The second endgame condition is when the players reach the final showdown of the campaign, which usually involves facing off against the most powerful monster, the ‘Watcher’. Surviving this battle and defeating the Watcher is considered a victory in the game. However, the game does not end immediately after this showdown. Players must then perform the final settlement phase and scoring.

Actions Before Final Scoring:

After the final showdown, the remaining survivors return to the settlement for the last time. During this phase, players perform the following actions:

Update Death Count: The players update the death count in the settlement record sheet.
Update Timeline: The players move the lantern year marker on the timeline.
Check Milestones: The players check if they have reached any milestones.
Update Settlement Storage: The players update their settlement storage with resources gathered during the final showdown.

Final Scoring:

The final scoring is performed after all actions in the final settlement phase have been completed. The score is calculated based on the following components:

Survivor Population: The players score points for each survivor left in the population.
Defeated Monsters: The players score points for each type of monster they have defeated.
Completed Milestones: The players score points for each milestone reached.
Resources in Storage: The players score points for each type of resource in the settlement storage.

The player who has accumulated the most points after final scoring is declared the winner of ‘Kingdom Death: Monster’.

Scoring Did you outsmart your rivals?

Kingdom Death: Monster is a cooperative board game that doesn’t use a traditional point scoring system. Instead, players focus on survival and developing their settlement. The game measures success in terms of surviving showdowns, developing a prosperous settlement, and advancing in the game’s narrative.

Surviving Showdowns:

Each time players survive a showdown, they gain endeavors which can be used to innovate and develop the settlement.
Surviving a showdown also grants survivors a “Hunt XP,” which can lead to Age milestones and potential stat upgrades or abilities.
Defeating monsters in showdowns can also yield resources used to craft gear which improves the survivors’ abilities in future showdowns.

Settlement Development:

Players can spend endeavors and resources to innovate, which is essentially the process of developing new technologies or social practices in the settlement.
Successful innovation can lead to a variety of benefits, including new crafting recipes, survival skill improvements, and even population growth.

Story Progression:

The game includes a variety of story events that are triggered by different conditions.
Progressing through these events can lead to rewards such as unique items, population growth, and advancements in the settlement’s development.

In the case of a tie, where multiple players manage to survive until the end, the game does not have a set tie-breaker rule. The victory is generally considered shared among the survivors. However, players can create their own house rules for tie-breakers if they wish, such as the player with the most resources or the player who landed the final blow on the last monster.

Particular Cases and Exceptions Wait… is that legal?

‘Kingdom Death: Monster’ is a highly complex and unique board game that features a multitude of special rules and exceptions. Here are some of the most important:

1. Showdown Phase: Unlike many other board games, Kingdom Death: Monster features a Showdown phase. During this phase, players do not simply take turns one after another. Instead, the monster and survivors alternate activations, with the monster going first.

If there are more survivors than monsters, the survivors decide the order of their turns.
If the monster is knocked down during a survivor’s attack, it does not stand until the next monster’s turn. This means other survivors can take advantage of the monster’s vulnerability.

2. Damage and Injuries: The damage system in Kingdom Death: Monster is quite in-depth and brutal. Survivors can suffer severe injuries, which can lead to permanent negative effects or even death.

When a survivor’s hit location is reduced to 0, they suffer a severe injury. The effects of the severe injury are determined by rolling on the Severe Injury table.
If a survivor ever has two heavy injuries in the same hit location, they are knocked down.
When a survivor is reduced to 0 survival, they are not automatically killed. Instead, they are knocked down and will stand up at the start of the next monster turn unless attacked while down.

3. Monster Controller: Each round, a different player takes on the role of the Monster Controller. This player is responsible for controlling the monster’s actions during the Showdown phase.

The Monster Controller also draws an AI card at the beginning of each Monster turn and decides the target of the monster’s actions based on the card drawn.
The Monster Controller role rotates clockwise after each Monster turn.
The player who is the Monster Controller gets +1 Insanity.

4. Settlement Phase and Death: The Settlement phase is another unique aspect of Kingdom Death: Monster. During this phase, players can build and upgrade their settlement using resources gathered from defeating monsters.

If a survivor dies during the Hunt or Showdown phase, they are permanently removed from the game. However, new survivors can be born during the Settlement phase to replace them.
Survivors can also gain and lose various traits during the Settlement phase, which can affect their performance in future Hunt or Showdown phases.

Tips and tricks Play smarter, not harder!

Advanced Strategies:

Early in the game, focus on resource gathering and surviving lantern years. As you progress in the game, you can shift your focus to crafting gear and developing your settlement.
Don’t forget to use survival actions. They can turn a likely defeat into a victory. Tactics like dodging, dashing, encouraging, and even surging can give you a significant advantage during showdowns.
Try to diversify the roles of your survivors. Having a well-balanced team with a tank, a healer, a damage dealer, and a support character can make your group more effective in battles.

Beginner Tips:

Learn the basics of the game by playing it multiple times. Kingdom Death: Monster is a complex game, and it will take a few tries to understand its mechanics and develop effective strategies.
Don’t be afraid of losing. This game is designed to be difficult, and losing is part of the learning process. Every defeat is a chance to improve your strategies and tactics.
Pay attention to the AI deck. Understanding the monster’s possible moves can help you anticipate its actions and plan your strategies accordingly.

Common Mistakes to Avoid:

Not diversifying your gear. While it might be tempting to focus on crafting powerful weapons, remember that defensive and utility items are equally important.
Ignoring the importance of survival actions. These actions can give you an edge in difficult battles, so make sure to use them strategically.
Forgetting to develop your settlement. It’s not all about battles in Kingdom Death: Monster. Your settlement is your base of operations, and developing it will provide you with valuable resources and options.

Ways to Optimize Gameplay:

Plan your moves in advance. This will allow you to make the most of your actions during your turn.
Always have a backup plan. The game is unpredictable, and even the best-laid plans can go awry. Having a contingency plan can save you from disastrous situations.
Use your resources wisely. Whether it’s lantern years, survival actions, or gear, everything in Kingdom Death: Monster is a resource. Make sure to use them efficiently to maximize your chances of survival.