There are many different game mechanics within the magnificent world of Board Games. One that stands out is Tile Placement. It can be incorporated into many themes, from city-building to more abstract games. Seeing tiles come together to form something greater is always very satisfying.
Some Tile Placement games are great for beginners, while others offer a more complex experience, where you must think hard about your strategy. Many games out there have tile placement involved in some form or another, but which games are worth checking out first? Here is a wonderful selection of games you'll love playing with your friends.
Updated October 18, 2022: We've updated this article to include links to Amazon so you can choose your favorites and start planning your next gaming party.
10 My City
My City is an incredible city-building game you can enjoy with up to four friends. Everyone has their own plot of land, and with each turn, you reveal a building tile that needs to be placed within it. Everyone's area will begin to look completely different as you determine where would be best to put each building to earn the most points.
Two versions of the game are provided in the box: the replayable version and a legacy campaign. The replayable version is excellent for introducing people to the hobby. It is quick to learn and satisfying to play. But, if you want to experience everything that My City has to offer, start a campaign. Each time you play, you'll be adding more features to your lands. By the end of the campaign, everyone's colorful cities will be incredibly unique.
9 The Isle Of Cats
If you love cats, you have to play this fantastic game. The aim is to save as many cats as possible from pirates. The game is full of cat tiles that you must fit into your boat. Your cat passengers like to sprawl out into all sorts of shapes, making it quite a puzzle to slot them all in perfectly.
The game is a lot of fun, and it is always pleasing to see how many cats you've managed to save by the end of the five rounds. The game has a family mode to keep things simple for younger players. Yet, for those hooked on this beautiful tile placement game, there are also expansions to try. These expansions add kittens and beasts to enhance your strategies.
8 Akropolis
Akropolis is all about architects designing the best cities they can. The game's core is easy to grasp but difficult to master. You take a tile full of districts each turn and place it into your city. You do not only need to consider their arrangement but also what level they will be constructed on. You can place each tile on top of the others. The higher level a district is on, the more valuable it becomes.
Akropolis makes for a fantastic two-player game but can be played with up to four. Games of Akropolis are quick, allowing you to play it repeatedly, attempting new strategies to best your opponents. Akropolis will make you feel like a talented architect.
7 Kingdomino
Kingdomino is a casual, kingdom-building game. You place down tiles with different landscapes depicted upon them around your castle. Kingdomino is easy to teach, fast-paced, and so much fun. It makes for a great filler game between more lengthy board game sessions.
There is also a standalone sequel called Queendomino that adds a little more depth to the game, with unique tiles you can add to your kingdom. But, more often than not, it is more enjoyable to play the original Kingdomino. Its simplicity makes it a chill, easygoing game to which you can keep returning. You could also play Kingdomino online over at Board Game Arena for when you can't get a group together in person to play.
6 Cascadia
Cascadia is a game jam-packed with tiles. You'll be putting down tiles to create natural habitats and then placing animal tiles to inhabit these environments. The game is a bit of a puzzle, as you need to put your animals in certain formations to earn yourself more points. You'll also be getting extra points for the largest environments you build.
A lot is going on in these tiles. The gameplay is simplistic, but a lot of strategy is involved too. The game also provides instructions for a wonderful solo mode, where you can strive to achieve your best score.
5 Suburbia
If you enjoy games like Sim City, you'll have fun with Suburbia. It is always fulfilling to see the final state after a fun few rounds of a game like Suburbia. The main aim is to have the city with the greatest population, but achieving this is up to you and the tiles you place down.
There is much to consider when playing Suburbia. Placing certain tiles down will influence how well your city expands and develops. The more income you have, the more valuable buildings you'll be able to construct. You'll also have unique goals to strive for that will help determine your strategy throughout.
4 Azul
For a more abstract experience, be sure to try Azul. Instead of building cities or placing animals, you'll collect matching tiles to help construct a beautiful tiled wall for a palace. The game involves you trying to grab the tiles you need first before your friends. With this competitive nature, the game works just as wonderfully with two players as it does with four.
A game of Azul can go quite quickly, as the round ends after someone has completed an entire row on their board. It adds excitement to the game as everyone is wary of the game ending abruptly. Since Azul's original release, multiple new editions have added their unique spins on the core gameplay, but you can't go wrong with the original.
3 Carcassonne
Carcassonne involves everyone using tiles to construct a giant, sprawling land filled with cities, roads, and more. The game is straightforward to learn. You just have to place down a tile onto the ever-growing map and attempt to claim points by completing structures. Carcassonne can be as carefree or as competitive as you and your friends wish it to be. It is a modern classic that everyone should play at least once.
There is an app version of this game you can play, but it is far more satisfying to create a sprawling world on a table with your friends. The series has countless expansions that add fun new aspects to the core game. The standalone versions are worth checking out, such as the Hunters and Gatherers variant, which sets the tile-laying game in prehistoric times. No matter what version you get, you're in for a fun experience.
2 Isle Of Skye
Isle Of Skye feels like the next step from Carcassonne. While Carcassonne feels more like a gateway game for newcomers, Isle Of Sky builds upon the concept of crafting a landscape and adds a few more elements to it. The main addition included is trading mechanics. You'll be putting up your tiles for auction, and the other players will be buying your land off you.
Isle of Skye has multiple rounds where different parts of your landscape will be rewarded points. It often means that you adapt your strategy each round to try and get the most out of the land you have crafted. No matter how well you do in Isle Of Sky, it is always lovely to see how different everyone's tiled kingdoms have turned out.
1 Barenpark
This game is great for animal lovers - it is all about building a zoo filled with bears. You will be filling up your land with enclosures that come in different shapes. Once someone has filled out every space on their grid, the game ends, and everyone's points are tallied.
Barenpark is a quick, lighthearted game, but one with a lot of depth. This is especially true when you add its Bad News Bears expansion, which introduces larger enclosures and monorails to add an extra layer to the intricate puzzle. You have to be careful where you place your tiles. Each game will race by, making your group eager to play again and lay even more tiles down.
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