“Viscounts of the West Kingdom,” the popular continuation of “Architects of the West Kingdom,” now has two expansions up for grabs. Both “Keeper of Keys” and “Gates of Gold” are available for pre-order for $35 each. The games are designed by the highly-successful designer duet S J Macdonalds and Shem Phillips and will add to the base game which was released in 2020.
Preorder Two Gameplay-Enhancing “Viscounts” Expansions
In “Viscounts of the West Kingdom,” players take the role of self-serving viscounts who begin a power-struggle and seek to gain favor in the kingdom whose ruler has seen his power decline. The plot is set in 980 AD with each player working to acquire deeds for new land but also send messengers far and wide to increase their influence throughout the kingdom and seek to establish themselves as the preeminent figure in each stratum of society.
The new games promise to continue adding and improving on this experience, too. While “Architects” began simple, and the gameplay evolved in “Paladins of the West Kingdom,” “Viscounts” is touted as the most accomplished game in the series so far, offering a fresh dynamic and even play board.
In “Keeper of Keys,” players will find a hearty plunder of new game components, including 12 starting townfolk cards, 10 hero townfolk cards, and 20 basic townfolk cards. Five player cards are also available along with 18 chest tiles, five manuscripts, three public building cards and building tokens.
This expansion will have some viscounts forging secret alliances while others will seek deep into the recesses of the kingdom in the hopes of retrieving forgotten treasures. As to “Gates of Gold,” the expansion puts the king in the hot seat with the king having regained some of its power and looking to potentially evict members of the nobility who have worked to undermine his rule. Who stays and who goes will be decided in the course of the game.
This expansion too comes with tons of new components, including 28 townsfolk cards, 24 outside cards, 24 king’s order cards, 12 builder bonus cards, six castle leader cards, and so much more.
More Games and Designs Coming by the Duo
Macdonalds and Phillips have always been able to create complex worlds with the base gameplay already looking like a final-cut but still benefiting from the addons that they have released throughout the years.
Each game launched by the pair has been remarkably well-crafted and the expansions have felt like adding a distinct benefit to the gameplay. Earlier in July, Renegade Studios announced preorders for “Wayfarers of the South Tigris,” a yet another unique world imagined by Phillips and Macdonalds.
The game already has two expansions announced by the name of “Scholars of the South Tigris” and “Inventors of the South Tigris” releasing in 2024 and 2025 respectively.