Wonderful Times in Architects of the West Kingdom
Contribute to various building projects around the kingdom with the help of apprentices in Architects of the West Kingdom.
Continuing with my current tradition of bringing some underplayed solo games to my table, I realized it was about time to explore a fantastic trilogy. Architects of the West Kingdom it was! I last enjoyed it a few years ago, before an updated solo mode was available. Well, that had me excited to dive into the whole system! Time to try out all of the expansions, at last.
Game Overview
Game Name: Architects of the West Kingdom
Publication Year: 2018
Designers: S J Macdonald & Shem Phillips
Artist: Mihajlo Dimitrievski
Publisher: Garphill Games
Solo Mode: Included in Works of Wonder
Workers head out to different areas of the city, tasked with collecting resources for buildings and even the cathedral. Yet suspicion is high, and large groups can attract unwanted attention! Figuring out the best strategies is crucial to leaving a mark on the city with buildings and wonders.
First Play
December 19, 2021
Complexity
3
Latest Play
November 26, 2025
Expansions
7
Setup Time
10 Minutes
Lifetime Plays
8
Play Time
1 Hour & 30 Minutes
High Score
82
Game Area
44" x 26"
Low Score
33
A New Solo Mode
The base game includes an integrated solo mode that seems to work well, yet I was excited about a brand new system introduced in an expansion I had never even opened up!
I loved how the different characters had their own unique and variable powers. Ada looked pretty excellent in her garments, and it was nice to be able to ignore some taxes.
Corrupt? No, no. That’s reserved for the solo opponent, for this turned into an exceptionally narrative session.
Not to get ahead of myself, though! I had to learn a few sets of rules for the expansions first, and then I was ready to roll.
Apprentices Galore
So much variety! Even though there are duplicate apprentice illustrations, their abilities are all different. With a maximum of 5 per play, the possibilities are pretty great.
It was neat to see this selection slowly move and shift over the course of play, although I often had limited choices.
However, it was neat to consider what it might mean to have a balanced group, or lean heavily into a single strategy. With Ada’s high starting virtue, the black market was right out!
I loved surveying the play area before I started to play. There were ideas swirling around… Maybe some were good. Ha!
Works of Wonder
Expansion content can feel like a lot with a new game, or one that hasn’t been to the table in awhile. Part of me felt I wanted to only play the base game… But I chose differently!
It still was a lot to wade through a few rulebooks to figure out how all of the parts were connected, yet it was worth it.
The profiteer and princess offered interesting new ways to choose locations, and the wonders were simply amazing!
My play time looked like it would increase from the original solo mode, although I didn’t mind. There was a lot to enjoy here and feel immersed in the act of building the kingdom.
Lady Renfry, Aristocrat
The solo opponent didn’t have a proper name, yet I looked at her and somehow knew she was Lady Renfry. As in free, not fry… She clearly would be one to correct any commoner!
It was a lot of fun to think of her as a sort of nemesis, and there was a moment when I wondered why I didn’t simply refer to her as Lady Gladstone, transported from Obsession.
Ha ha! Her special ability made it cheaper for her to create wonders, and she was far too focused on the princess.
Was she a distant relation? A loyal subject? A social climber? Many questions arose as my disdain for her grew.
The Pros and Cons of Self-Styled Trilogy Games
One of the main reasons why I took so long to play again was a general sense of intimidation, for I know I haven’t dug into the West Kingdom trilogy. Maybe the most well-known game is still unplayed… Yikes! While I love how this trio of games is connected in a few ways, I’ve found myself considering them as a set, which is a lot to think about playing at once.
That’s likely not fair to the series, though, since they aren’t designed to be played solo right after one another. It’s just an interesting part of my experience with the hobby, though, and how I sometimes feel overwhelmed by things that aren’t. That distortion happens for many reasons, though, and I think I know the number one way to actually help ease it…
Just play the games! Rarely have I learned a game and felt like it would be overwhelming after I played. That’s part of the lead up to actually getting it to the table for the first time, or the first time in many years. In this case, separating the pieces of the trilogy, at least mentally, is important. Not all of these games may be right for me, but I’ll have to play to find out!
Apprentice Questions
Some of the best moments arose when the solo opponent took exactly the wrong action. My plans went awry several times, but in a way that felt challenging and logical!
My lookout was clearly under Lady Renfry’s employ… While his ability helped me out, without fail, she visited the guardhouse right after I did. Every time. Rather funny!
I enjoyed building up these unique abilities, although such a disjointed strategy didn’t help me out in the end.
The traveler was a neat apprentice, though, and I leaned heavily into adding adornments and tools to most cards.
Small Wonders
Not surprisingly, I didn’t have a good handle on the cadence of contributing to the wonders. The princess was definitely in cahoots with the aristocrat. But Ada had all the coins!
Actually, leftover coins are worth very few victory points, so this enormous pile was basically another adornment. Ha!
My final score wasn’t too terrible, though, and I expected to need a little practice before I could defeat Lady Renfry.
I imagined Ada settling down in this fancy mansion, which must have had a room-sized safe for all of her coins. At least she could admire the single wonder she constructed!
More Than a Building
This was my first time playing with the wonders, and I loved what they added! These felt like collective goals to race towards completing, and they looked really neat.
It was great to have a more nuanced strategy around the buildings, too, as not all of them make sense to construct.
Managing my virtue was another neat part of the puzzle. Since Ada started off so high, I never touched the black market. Lots more to explore with other options!
Even with a fair number of rules, the solo opponent wasn’t too much to handle. And I clearly created a nemesis!
Hurling Insults
An interesting part of this play came down to my solo opponent… She wasn’t just the aristocrat, but she seemed to call for a little backstory as she thwarted my plans.
I often insult a solo opponent when I’m having a great time, and Lady Renfry was no exception! Mockeries over her filthy fur coat, bad fashion sense, and hair style flew.
This is why I often like to have a solo opponent that’s more than just a few numbers or cards. I need an enemy. Ha ha!
She wasn’t amused, but naturally, Lady Renfry had the last laugh when I was soundly defeated. Next time… I’ll be back!
Session Overview
Play Number: 5
Main Expansion 1: Age of Artisans
Main Expansion 2: Works of Wonder
Solo Mode: Included in Works of Wonder
Outcome: 57-62 (Loss)
Not too shabby for my first play with all of the expansion content! The profiteer and princess added a lot of clever choices, and everything flowed together really nicely. I now have a nemesis to battle, although it may not be too long before I win… Hopefully! Overall, this was a lot of fun, particularly with the way the mechanics worked together!
%
1 Play
Affordability
Price & Value
9
Functionality
Challenges & Mechanics
9
Originality
Design & Theme
8
Quality
Components & Rules
8
Reusability
Achievement & Enjoyment
7
Variability
Distinctness & Randomness
7
+ Pros (Positives)
- Every action space offers a unique benefit, sometimes with more when the profiteer or princess is present.
- Gameplay ramps up from early game resource production to late game races to construct buildings or the cathedral.
- The virtue track is clever in the way it needs to be managed, particularly for access to the black market.
- Not a lot of overhead is needed to manage the solo opponent after the flow and general concepts are understood.
- Each play offers a different sort of puzzle with a large variety of apprentices, buildings, and multi-use cards.
- Many paths to victory points exist, and it can be very fun to experiment with different strategies and decisions.
– Cons (Negatives)
- Although most of the icons are clear, there are still multiple rulebooks to page through to fully understand the rules.
- The play space isn’t necessarily enormous, yet it stretches out and feels pretty large for what the game has to offer.
- Some gameplay sequences involve many steps that are easy to lose track of with counting or comparing values.
- All scoring happens at game end, so it can be hard to understand how well one is doing against the solo opponent.
Victory Conditions
Score the Most Points
- Overall Goal Progress 100%
Goals and Milestones
Win at least 1 game against the Aristocrat solo opponent.
Win at least 1 game against the Enforcer solo opponent.
Win at least 1 game against the Illusionist solo opponent.
Continue the Conversation
What is your favorite element of Architects of the West Kingdom? Do you prefer to play with any of the expansions? I had a great time returning to play after a few years, and I’m excited to take on a few more plays to see how I might fare against Lady Renfry. There is a lot to enjoy here, and I hope I can do well enough to label my next play wonderful… Literally. Ha ha!
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