The Kingdomino Draft: Better Tile or Earlier Pick?

The Kingdomino draft is the heart of the game, and it fits in one sentence: the domino you choose now is the one you place next round, and its number decides when you choose again. Beginners pick the best-looking tile. Better players pick the best trade between tile and timing.

What the numbers tell you

Every domino has a number from 1 to 48 on its back, and the line is always laid out in number order. The numbers are not random. They roughly rank the dominoes from plainest to richest, and the pattern is worth learning. Here is the full set, counted from the tiles:

So 30 of the 48 dominoes carry at least one crown, and all of them are numbered 19 or higher. The bigger the number, the rarer and richer the crown, as a rule.

The trade

The line is sorted, and turn order follows it: the king on the lowest number goes first next round. So every pick sits somewhere on a seesaw.

• Take the highest number, and you usually get the best tile, but you pick last next round.
• Take the lowest number, and you usually get a plain tile, but you pick first next round.

In a four-player game, picking last next round means no choice at all: you take the one domino left. In a two-player game, with two kings each, the trade shows up in which two of the four spots you end up with.

When the low number is worth it

There is a catch that makes this interesting. When you pick, the line you will choose from next round is not out yet: a new line is laid out only after every king has moved. So going first buys you the best pick of four dominoes nobody has seen. That is worth more at some moments than others.

Take the low number when:

• You need something specific. Late in the game, with one gap to fill or one territory to finish, first choice is the best chance that the domino you need is yours.
• The rich tiles are still in the box. If the two-crown and three-crown dominoes (41 to 48) have not shown up yet, a few of them are likely to arrive soon. Lesson 6 shows how to keep track.
• The low domino still helps you. A plain double that adds two squares to a territory with three crowns is worth 6 points. That is no sacrifice.

When the high number is worth it

Take the richer domino when:

• The crowns land in your best territory. Lesson 4’s math applies: a crown in a 10-square territory adds more than 10 points. That beats most turn-order edges.
• Your kingdom is flexible. Early on, almost any domino fits somewhere useful, so picking last costs you little.
• The rich tiles are mostly gone. If most of 41 to 48 are already placed, the next lines are likely to be plain, and first choice of plain tiles is a small prize.
• It denies a rival. Sometimes the best pick for you is the one that keeps a rival’s 8-square swamp from gaining two crowns. Lesson 8 covers reading the table.

A worked choice

You have a 6-square forest with 2 crowns and a 2-square mine with 2 crowns. The line offers domino 13 (wheat and forest, no crowns) and domino 26 (a crowned forest with a wheat field). Dominoes 46 and 47, each a swamp with a two-crown mine, have not come out yet.

• Domino 26: its crowned forest square joins your forest: 6 + 2 + 1 = 9 points. But you will pick late next round.
• Domino 13: its forest square adds 2 points. But you pick first next round, and if 46 or 47 shows up, its mine square adds 2 × 2 + 2 + 2 = 8 to your mine.

The 26 is a sure 9. The 13 is a sure 2 plus a chance at 8 that depends on the next line. Early in a four-player game, most strong players would take the 26. In the last few rounds, if you know 46 and 47 are both still to come, the 13 gets much closer. Counting what is left is what turns this from a guess into a decision, and that is the next level of the game.

Placing kings in round one

The first line is different: kings go on in a random draw, not by number. The first king drawn picks anything. Treat that pick like any other: weigh the domino against your position in round two, which follows the same lowest-first rule.

Three draft habits

1. Remember the next line is unseen. Going first buys first choice of four unknown dominoes.
2. Price the tile in points with lesson 4’s shortcut, then ask what going first is worth.
3. Expect the low numbers to be plain. They are your ticket to the front, not a gift.

For more on how a small decision like this keeps light games interesting, see our list of quick board games under 30 minutes.