7.9
rating
Ludopedia
7.0
rating
BGG
Our Verdict
RECOMMENDED
If you enjoy games with auctions and city building, like Keyflower, you'll love Key to the City – London! It's a game that challenges you to plan and optimize your bids and resources.
Highlights
- Dynamic and engaging auctions
- Satisfying city building
- Clever resource management
- High replayability with varied tiles
Keep in mind
- Steep initial learning curve
- Can be slow with 6 players
Rules manual not indexed yet
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About the game
What you do in a play session
Come on over to build your own London in Key to the City – London! In this game, each of you will take a piece of the city to call your own, starting with your personal tile. The idea is to expand your borough with giant hexagonal tiles that, check this out, give victory points and can also generate precious resources: these are the famous 'skill tiles' or 'connectors', used to link one tile to another. And it doesn't stop there: with these resources, you can supercharge your tiles, guaranteeing more points and even better production. The game is divided into four eras, and with each new era, a new batch of tiles appears for us to bid on. In the first two eras, you'll get tiles that generate resources and some building tiles. In the third, there are only building tiles, but they come already upgraded! And in the fourth era, the iconic 'Routemaster' tiles show up. On your turn, the fun is choosing one of five actions: use your 'keyples' (the wooden workers) to bid on a tile, activate a tile to get resources, or upgrade it. If you want, you can pass your turn and still play again in that era, or else, say goodbye and set sail on your barge down the Thames, ending your participation in the era. The game ends when the last barge sails away at the end of era 4. Whoever has the most victory points takes the city home! If you like something similar to Keyflower, you'll feel right at home here, as the structure is quite similar.
Gallery
Box and component photos
Tap any photo to open fullscreen. Photos submitted by the community or publisher.
Rules videos
Learn by watching before you open the box
Best player count
BGG community vote
2
REC
3
BEST
4
REC
5
REC
6
REC
Soundtrack
Ambience suggested by Melodice
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Mechanics, categories, families and credits
Mechanics
Categories
Families
Publisher
R&D Games, Game Salute, HUCH!, Hutter Trade GmbH + Co KG, Quined Games
Designer
Richard Breese, Sebastian Bleasdale
Artist
Katherine Baxter, Konstantin Vohwinkel, Richard Breese
Community
Data from BoardGameGeek
Frequently Asked Questions
Quick answers before you buy
What is the average playtime for 2 players?
For 2 players, the average playtime is around 90 minutes, though it can vary slightly depending on familiarity with the rules.
Is the game very complex?
Key to the City – London has a medium weight (2.89/5 on BGG). The basic rules are easy to grasp, but mastering the strategies and optimizing bids might take a few plays.
How many players does the game support?
The game is for 2 to 6 players. With more players, the competition for tiles in the auction becomes fiercer, but the playtime might increase.
Do I need to know Keyflower to play this?
It's not mandatory, but if you know Keyflower, you'll notice many similarities and get the hang of it faster. The structure is quite similar.
Are the components good quality?
Yes, the components are generally well-regarded, with highlights being the hexagonal tiles and the wooden meeples ('keyples').
Is it more of a strategy or luck-based game?
It's predominantly strategic. Luck plays a small role in the order tiles appear, but success heavily depends on your bid planning and resource management.
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