Introduction to Automatic Kingdom

Automatic Kingdom is an innovative turn-based strategy game developed by 1.5 Eyed Studio, blending elements of automation, board games, and city-building into a unique experience. Players are tasked with leading a fledgling realm to a thriving empire by strategically managing citizens, constructions, and resources. The game emphasizes thoughtful planning and adaptation, as most resources reset every turn, making each decision crucial for your kingdom's survival and growth.

Core Gameplay Mechanics

The fundamental gameplay of Automatic Kingdom revolves around a card-based system where you manage various Citizens and Constructions. Each turn, players draw new cards and can play a limited number to expand their kingdom. The goal is to create efficient resource generation and protect your realm from a variety of threats.

Building Your Kingdom: Citizens and Constructions

Citizens and Constructions are the backbone of your kingdom's economy and defense. These are managed through a card-based system. Citizens require food every turn, making food production a critical early consideration. The game features various citizen types, such as farmers, lumberjacks, cobblers, and miners, each with specific roles. Constructions can be built to aid in resource generation or defense.

One of the most important aspects is the strategic placement of these cards to create powerful synergies. For example, placing a Cobbler at the front of your citizen lineup can boost the output of the six citizens that follow. You can freely rearrange citizens and constructions to optimize these synergies as your city grows. Buildings are categorized into civic (recruiting/training soldiers), production (generating resources like stone, lumber, food), and defense (fortifying the kingdom).

Resource Management and Synergies

Effective resource management is key, as most of your resources reset every turn. This means you cannot simply accumulate resources indefinitely; instead, you must optimize your production each turn to meet your needs and build desired constructions. Synergies between Citizens and Constructions are vital for achieving high levels of production. Carefully arranging your cards to activate these abilities will be crucial for success. Animals can also be placed in animal slots on some citizens or constructions, offering temporary effects for a few turns before being harvested.

Happiness and Challenges

Maintaining your kingdom's happiness is an ongoing task. Each citizen generates one unhappiness per turn. If your turn ends with 25 or more unhappiness, a riot event with negative effects will occur. Conversely, if you end your turn with 25 or more happiness, a festival event with positive effects will be triggered.

Your kingdom will face various challenges from nature, hostile nations, and even magic. These challenges cause negative effects over time and must be addressed by meeting specific conditions to complete them. New challenges emerge every few turns, growing stronger as your kingdom develops. To protect your kingdom, you'll need to defend against disease, criminals, and invaders. Combat involves deploying soldiers strategically in battle slots when bandits attack. Constructions can also take damage and be destroyed if they reach maximum damage, so look for sources of repair.

Kingdom Progression and Unlocks

Prosperity acts as your kingdom's progression meter. Reaching specific prosperity thresholds will unlock new tiers of cards with stronger abilities, creating a satisfying feedback loop where good resource management leads to better tools and more sophisticated strategies. This dynamic development with unlockable cards and tiers is a core feature of the game.

Beginner Tips for Success

Prioritize Synergies: Always consider how placing Citizens and Constructions near each other can activate abilities and boost resource output. Experiment with rearrangements to find optimal setups.

Balance Your Economy: Citizens require food every turn, so ensure you have a stable food supply. Balance your production of various resources like food, lumber, stone, and gold. Since most resources reset, efficient turn-by-turn production is crucial.

Manage Happiness Actively: Keep an eye on your happiness meter to avoid riots and aim for festivals. Some cards may specifically generate happiness or consume less food, aiding in this balance.

Understand Challenges: Pay attention to incoming challenges and their conditions. Develop strategies to complete them before they devastate your kingdom.

Recruit Soldiers for Defense: Build an army of soldiers to defend against invasions. Recruit a few before the first invasion, as they are recruited with gold and don't consume food or cause unhappiness.

Plan Long-Term, Act Turn-by-Turn: The turn-based nature allows for careful planning, but the resource reset means your immediate actions each turn are highly impactful. Cultivate long-term strategies while adapting your card plays to the current turn's needs.

Don't Fear Discarding: If you draw expensive cards you can't use yet, discarding them is often a good strategy, as cards never go away forever and every three discards can draw you a new card.

FAQ

What kind of game is Automatic Kingdom?

Automatic Kingdom is a turn-based strategy game that combines elements of city-building, automation, and board games.

How do I get new cards?

You draw new cards until you have eight in your hand each turn, and reaching certain prosperity thresholds unlocks new tiers of stronger cards.

Do my resources carry over between turns?

Most of your resources reset every turn, requiring careful planning for each new turn.

How do I keep my citizens happy?

Each citizen generates unhappiness, so you need to manage this by having sources of happiness to avoid negative riot events and trigger positive festival events.

What happens if my constructions get damaged?

Constructions can be damaged and destroyed if they reach maximum damage. You need to find sources of repair to prevent losing valuable constructions.

Automatic Kingdom: A Comprehensive Beginner's Guide

Quick Summary