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Samurai
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King's Gate
2002
Rules assistance for King's Gate
Plain-language explanations of turns, card effects and disputed situations, with official source references and saved question history.
- 20–40 min
- 9+
- Complexity 2.0/5
Rules assistant for King's Gate
What would you like to know?
Answers come from the official rulebook, with the page to check.
King's Gate is a board game released in 2002 for 2–4 players, 20–40 minutes per game, and ages 9 and up. It was designed by Reiner Knizia and its main mechanics are Tile Placement.
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About the game
The old king is dying without an heir, and the country is in turmoil. Four lords have come to the capital city, each claiming to be the king's rightful successor. Now the lords are vying for control of the city, for they know that who ever wins the city will win the throne. You and your opponents are playing the feudal lords, trying to secure your claims by surrounding the most important locations in the capital (such as the palace, the royal library, and the wizard's tower) with shops, barracks, and other city districts under your control. Watch where you place your districts, however, because your opponents may build their neighborhoods over yours, or worse - send the dragon to burn your territory down. King's Gate is a tense game about tile-laying and destruction.
Editions
- King's GateenFantasy Flight Games2002
- Королевские вратаruSmart Ltd2007
Categories
Mechanics
Designers
Publishers
- Smart Ltd
- Fantasiapelit
- Fantasy Flight Games
Questions and answers
King's Gate supports 2–4 players according to the catalogue. This range comes from the publisher’s listed player count, so the game can be set up for any group size within it. Some setups, rules and scoring details may still vary by player count, so check your edition’s rulebook for the exact configuration.
The listed playing time for King's Gate is 20–40 minutes. This is the publisher’s estimate for a full game. The actual duration depends on the group, the player count and familiarity with the rules: first sessions usually run longer, while experienced groups often finish faster. Setup and teaching time are not included in this estimate.
The catalogue lists King's Gate for ages 9 and up. This is the publisher’s recommendation and reflects reading demands, rule complexity and small components rather than theme alone. Younger players can often join with help from an adult, so check the age guidance on your edition and consider your group’s experience with board games.
King's Gate has a complexity rating of 2.0 out of 5 from BoardGameGeek players, which makes it a medium-light game. The rating reflects how much rules knowledge, planning and decision-making a typical game demands. Expect a longer first teach for heavier games, and use a preparation guide before game night.
King's Gate belongs to these categories: Medieval. Its main mechanics are Tile Placement. Categories describe the theme and setting of a game, while mechanics describe what players actually do on their turns. Each mechanic links to a catalogue hub with similar games, which helps when you want something comparable.
The credited designers of King's Gate are: Reiner Knizia. These credits come from the published game data and name the people responsible for the game’s design, not its illustrators or publishers. Designer pages on MeepleRules collect other titles by the same designers, which helps when you enjoy a game and want to find similar ones.
The catalogue lists King's Gate as a base game. It can be played on its own with the components in the box and does not require any other title. Expansions, if any exist, add new content or rules on top of it and are listed separately in the catalogue with a link back to this base game.