Board Game Arena - User contributions [en]

Options and preferences: gameoptions.json, gamepreferences.json

2026-05-30T10:06:50Z

Evilpotatoe: /* Game Options */ Added tip to access from JS

{{Studio_Framework_Navigation}}

In <code>gameoptions.json</code>, you can define your game options (i.e. game variants).

In <code>gamepreferences.json</code>, you can define user preferences.

Note:
* If your game has no variants or preferences, you don't have to modify these files.
* you can use jsonc instead of json, to allow comments in the Json.
* If a change on this file doesn't reflect on the Studio, go to the control panel and press "Reload game options configuration" on Studio to force your changes to be detected (or have an error about the issue).

Make sure you understand difference between options and preferences:
* Game options - something usually in the rule book defined as "variant" (except for player count, which is automatically handled). For example, whether to include ''The River'' in Carcassonne.
* User preferences - personal choices of each player only visible to that specific player - i.e. layout, whether or not to prompt for action, whether or not auto-opt in in some actions, etc.

__TOC__

== Game Options ==

Game options are selected by the table creator and usually correspond to game variants, for example if the game includes expansions or certain special rules.

These variants are defined in <code>gameoptions.json</code> as an object:

{
"100": { "name": "Game Setup", ... },
"101": { "name": "Draft", ... }
}

Each key corresponds to the option id, and each value is that option definition, which is described below.

'''Note:''' the file must be valid [https://www.json.org/ JSON]. That is, trailing commas and comments are not allowed. However you can use still standard json hack to add a field like "$comment": "Here we go"

'''Note 2:''' the key in json file must be a string type, even its correspond to a number in other places (such as php, or other references in same json).

'''$this->bga->tableOptions->get(int $optionId): int'''

To get the value of a table option from the Game class, using the JSON key.

To access json data (the metadata only) can use
$game_options = $this->getTableOptions();

The options will be displayed in order they appear in JSON, not sorted by id or name!

''To access gameOptions from javascript, use the analog front method'' : '''this.bga.tableOptions.get(int optionId) : int'''

=== Details of game options format ===

The following are the values of the option definition object:
* '''name''' - '''mandatory'''. The name of the option visible for table creator. This is automatically marked for translation.
* '''values''' - '''mandatory'''. The map representing possible values of this option. The key of the map is possible value of this option, its a number but has to be string in json. The value is an object descring it.
** '''name''' - '''mandatory'''. String representation of the numeric value visible to table creator. This is automatically marked for translation.
** '''description''' - String description of this value to use when the name of the option is not self-explanatory. Displayed at the table under the option when this value is selected. Note: if there is no description, this should be omitted.
** '''tmdisplay''' - String representation of the option visible in the table description in the lobby. Usually if a variant values are On and Off (default), the tmdisplay would be same as description name when On, and nothing (empty string) when Off. ('''Warning''': due to some caching, a change in tmdisplay may not be effective immediately in the studio, even after forcing a reload of options.) '''Pro Tip:''' You can use this as a pre-game communication by adding fake options that just do nothing in the game but make it easier to find other player wanted the same game configuration (see the crew deep sea for example).
** '''nobeginner''' - Set to true if not recommended for beginners
** '''firstgameonly''' - Set to true if this option is recommended only for the first game (discovery option)
** '''beta''' - Set to true to indicate that this option is in "beta" development stage (there will be a warning for players starting the game)
** '''alpha''' - Set to true to indicate that this option is in "alpha" development stage (there will be a warning, and starting the game will be allowed only in training mode except for the developer)
** '''premium''' - Option can be only used by premium members
* '''default''' - indicates the default value to use for this option (optional, if not present the first value listed is the default)
* '''displaycondition''' - (array of conditions) - checks the conditions before displaying the option for selection. All (or any) conditions must be true for the option to be displayed. All or any depends on value of displayconditionoperand
Supported display condition types:
** ''minplayers'' condition ensures at least this many players (Note: if your game works with a disjoint interval of player counts, you can supply an array of valid counts instead of a single value)
** ''maxplayers'' condition ensures at most this many players
** ''otheroption'' condition ensures another option is set to given values.
** ''otheroptionisnot'' condition ensure another option is NOT set to this given values
* '''displayconditionoperand''' - can be 'and' (this is the default) or 'or'. Allows to change the behaviour to display the option if one of the conditions is true instead of all of them.
* '''startcondition''' - (map from value to conditions array) - checks the conditions (on options VALUES) before starting the game. All conditions must be true for the game to start, otherwise players will get a red error message when attempting to begin the game.
Supported start condition types:
** ''minplayers'' condition ensures at least this many players (an array of values is not supported here)
** ''maxplayers'' condition ensures at most this many players
** ''otheroption'' conditions ensure another option is set to this given values. That works the same as in '''displaycondition'''.
** ''otheroptionisnot'' conditions ensure another option is NOT set to this given value. That works the same as in '''displaycondition'''.
*: For all these condition types, a ''gamestartonly'' boolean option can be added, if you have options that are exclusive. Setting this boolean to ''true'' will defer the evaluation of the startcondition to the game creation, instead of preventing the player to select options that are exclusive at all. See [[#gamestartonly|below]] for an example. <span style="background: #FFCDD2; color: #B71C1C; padding: 2px;">But this should never be used -- see the warning below</span>
* '''notdisplayedmessage''' - if option is not suppose to be visible because of displaycondition but this is set, the text will be visible instead of combo drop down
* '''level''' - what kind of option it is: ''base'', ''major'', or ''additional''. See [[#level|below]] for more informations.

Common (reserved) options for all tables (reserved range 200-299):
*201 (const GAMESTATE_RATING_MODE) - ELO OFF (aka Training mode),
**0 = Normal
**1 = Training
**2 = Arena
*200 (const GAMESTATE_CLOCK_MODE) - game speed profile
**[0, 1, 2] - realtime (technically <10 realtime but you cannot define range in php)
**values >=10 - turn based (currently 10..21)
**Note there are two similar values, 9 = realtime "no time limit with friends only" vs. 20 = turn-based "no time limit with friends only"
GAMESTATE_RATING_MODE and GAMESTATE_CLOCK_MODE are PHP global constants usable in your PHP game code (ex: <code>$this->tableOptions->get(GAMESTATE_CLOCK_MODE)</code>) but not in json.

'''Example:'''
<pre>
{
"100": {
"name": "Game Variant",
"values": {
"1": {
"name": "Learning",
"firstgameonly": true,
"tmdisplay": "Learning"
},
"2": {
"name": "Base",
},
"3": {
"name": "Extended",
"nobeginner": true,
"beta": true,
"tmdisplay": "Extended"
}
},
"default": 2
},
"101": {
"name": "Draft variant",
"values": {
"1": {
"name": "No draft"
},
"2": {
"name": "Draft",
"tmdisplay": "Draft",
"premium": true,
"nobeginner": true
}
},
"displaycondition": [
{
"type": "otheroption",
"id": 100,
"value": [ 2, 3 ]
},
{
"type": "otheroption",
"id": 201,
"value": 1
}
],
"startcondition": {
"1": [],
"2": [
{
"type": "maxplayers",
"value": 3,
"message": "Draft option is available for 3 players maximum."
}
]
}
},
"102": {
"name": "Takeovers",
"values": {
"2": {
"name": "No takeover"
},
"1": {
"name": "Allow takeovers",
"tmdisplay": "Takeovers",
"premium": true,
"nobeginner": true
}
},
"displaycondition": [
{
"type": "otheroption",
"id": 100,
"value": [ 3 ]
}
],
"startcondition": {
"2": [],
"1": [
{
"type": "maxplayers",
"value": 2,
"message": "Rebel vs Imperium Takeover Scenario is available for 2 players only."
}
]
}
}
}
</pre>

'''Example of option that condition on ELO off:'''
{
"100": {
"name": "Learning Game (No Research)",
"values": {
"1": {
"name": "Off",
"tmdisplay": ""
},
"2": {
"name": "On",
"tmdisplay": "Learning Game"
}
},
"startcondition": {
"2": {
"type": "otheroption",
"id": 201,
"value": 1,
"message": "Learning variant available only in friendly mode"
}
}
}
}
'''Example of condition that is only available for REALTIME game mode:'''
<pre>
"displaycondition": [
{ "type": "otheroption", "id": 200, "value": [0, 1, 2] }
],
</pre>

'''Example of using condition on your own option:'''
<pre>
{
"102": {
"name": "Scenarios",
"values": {
"1": {
"name": "Off",
"nobeginner": false
},
"2": {
"name": "On",
"tmdisplay": "Scenarios",
"nobeginner": true
}
},
"displaycondition": [
{
"type": "otheroptionisnot",
"id": 100,
"value": 1
}
],
"notdisplayedmessage": "Scenarios variant is not available if Learning variant is chosen"
}
}

</pre>

'''Example of handling solo vs multiplayer options:'''<pre>
{
"100": {
"name": "Board setup",
"values": {
"1": {
"name": "Mirror setup",
"description": "The starting player shuffles their 6 Farm Cards and randomly lays a card face up in each of the round spaces of their Fruit Island Board. The other players then lay their cards in exactly the same way, copying the order of the starting player.",
"tmdisplay": "Mirror setup"
},
"2": {
"name": "Random setup",
"description": "Instead of every player copying the same card configuration as the starting player, every player shuffles their Farm Cards and lays down the cards randomly on their Fruit Island Board.",
"tmdisplay": "Random setup"
}
},
"displaycondition": [
{
"type": "minplayers",
"value": [
2,
3,
4
]
}
]
},
"102": {
"name": "Solo difficulty",
"values": [
{
"name": "Banana-apprentice",
"description": "Do not remove any seed before starting the game.",
"tmdisplay": "Banana-apprentice"
},
{
"name": "Pear to the Throne",
"description": "Remove 1 seed before starting the game.",
"tmdisplay": "Pear to the Throne"
}
],
"displaycondition": [
{
"type": "maxplayers",
"value": 1
}
]
}
}

</pre>

==== displaycondition vs startcondition ====

<code>displaycondition</code> should be used when an option should not be present in the list under certain conditions.

For example, displaying the option which is consistent with the player count.

* 2 player maps: A B C D
* 3 player maps: E F G H
* 4 player maps: I J K L

<code>startcondition</code> should be used when a specific combination of option values is invalid, but the option itself still makes sense to show.

For example:

* Player 1 faction: A, B, C, D, E, F, G
* Player 2 faction: A, B, C, D, E, F, G
* startcondition: both players can't be the same faction

These options should both be displayed at all times, but there are some invalid configurations.

The other difference is displaycondition affect option itself, while startcondition affect specific values selected

==== gamestartonly ====

<div style="padding: 1em; background: #FFCDD2; color: #B71C1C">
<b>WARNING:</b> [https://studio.boardgamearena.com/bug?id=104 See studio bug #104]. You should <b>NEVER</b> use <code>gamestartonly</code>! Otherwise, you allow players to (unknowingly!) create a turn-based table with impossible options that can never start. Players receive no indication that the option combination they selected is invalid until the last player joins the table (hours or days later) and the game attempts to auto-start. The table won't start because of the <code>startcondition</code>, and the table options cannot be changed because it's a turn-based table, so the table must be abandoned. This is a horrible user experience. Please don't subject players to this.
</div>

On the table configuration page, it won't let you select a combination which is invalid according to <code>startcondition</code>. Doing so will show a red warning, and will revert the option to the previous value. This means you could end up in a situation where you can't easily change between certain options (requiring you to set or unset options in a specific order).

The consequence of the <code>gamestartonly</code> flag is that the player _can_ select an invalid combination. However, when clicking "Start", an invalid combination will produce an error.

Probably the easiest way to see what the difference is is with an example.

With a _Clans of Caledonia_ table:
* set to training mode
* set player count to 1
* try setting "Clan Auction" to one of the "On" options
* try starting the game, there's an error! Ie. <code>"gamestartonly" => true</code>

Then, with a _Sushi Go Party!_ table:
* set number of players to 7
* try setting "Sushi Go! / Sushi Go Party!" to "Sushi Go!"
* you can't set the option! Ie. <code>"gamestartonly" => false</code>

In code:

<pre>
{
"100": {
"name": "Option name",
"values": [],
"startcondition": {
"1": [
{
"type": "maxplayers",
"value": 2,
"message": "This option is available for 2 players only.",
"gamestartonly": true
}
]
}
}
}
</pre>

==== level ====
Note: At this moment this only has an impact in fancy lobby mode; The presentation of level or checkboxes is not available via normal table creation UI (such as in studio, or when you click Play button in control panel).<pre>
{
"100": {
"name": "Option name",
"values": [...],
"level": "major"
}
}
</pre>

* '''base''' is the default value (you don't need to specify it).
* '''major''' denotes a major option, which will always be displayed on top, and with a specific UI.
* '''additional''' means this option will not be displayed by default, to unclutter the option panel.

About major options:
* a game can only have '''1 major option''', and of course, it must be a important game changer.
* the pictures will default to the standard Game Box, and can be set independently for each value, from the [[Game metadata manager]] (in the "Major Variants" section). Note: this cannot be tested from Studio as there is not studio-only Game metadata manager, to see Major Variants option - the game has to be deployed at least as alpha.
* the major option can have more than 2 values (there will then be an arrow to slide to the other values, carousel-like)
* the naming of major variant values should be concise and the values should have descriptive text (not just "enabled" or "disabled")
** 👍 Option name "Expansion", option values "Base game", "Bigger is Better" => Displayed as ''"Expansion: Base game"'' or ''"Expansion: Bigger is Better"''
** 👎 Option name "Bigger is Better", option values "Enabled", "Disabled => Displayed as ''"Bigger is Better: Enabled"'' or ''"Bigger is Better: Disabled"''

About additional options:
* Please set each option that concerns small details in this category: Advanced players will find this option anyway, and it will simplify the interface of the page of your game.

[[File:Option-levels.png|800px|Option levels]]

==== option presentation ====

An option WILL be displayed as a '''Checkbox''' instead of a selector if certain conditions are met:

* option has only '''2 values'''
* values are either (case insensitive):
** ''yes'' and ''no''
** ''on'' and ''off''
** ''enabled'' and ''disabled''

The "default" value still has to be specified, and can be "on" or "off" (it's actually just a difference in display).

[[File:Option-display.png|800px|Example of checkbox display]]

== User Preferences ==

User preferences is something cosmetic about the game interface which however can create user wars, so you can satisfy all users
by giving them individual preferences. You should use this only if it significantly improves the interface for a large proportion of users.
These preferences appear in the three-line hamburger menu in the top corner of the bga menu (and also at the bottom on the page in the Options tab).
"Display game logs" and "Display tooltips" are baked-in by default, but you can extend this list as below.

The preference json slightly resembles options, but these are conceptually different. The numbers comes from a different space and do not correspond or conflict with options,
i.e. preference 100 has nothing to do with option 100. You can use range 100-199 with gaps.

[[File:century_preferences_menu.PNG|400px|The user preferences menu for the game Century]]

<blockquote>
''These preferences are a good place to put accessibility options - as Century did for its Colorblind Support.''
</blockquote>

<pre>
{
"100": {
"name": "Colorblind Support",
"needReload": true,
"values": {
"1": {
"name": "None",
"cssPref": "colorblind_off"
},
"2": {
"name": "Numbers",
"cssPref": "colorblind_on"
},
"3": {
"name": "Shapes",
"cssPref": "colorblind_shapes"
}
},
"default": 1
}
}
</pre>

There is two ways to check/apply this. In javascript

if (this.bga.userPreferences.get(100) == 2) ...

This checks if preferences 100 has selected value 2.

Second, if cssPref is specified, it will be applied to the '''<html>''' tag. So you can use different css styling for the preference. Note: you also need to set needReload to true for that class change to be effective.

As user you have to select them from the Gear menu when game is started. On studio only dev0 account will have it actually working (bug?).

The following are the parameters of preferences description array:
* '''name''' - '''mandatory'''. The name of the preference. This string is marked for translation.
* '''needReload''' - If set to true, the game interface will auto-reload after a change of the preference.
* '''values''' - '''mandatory'''. The map of values with additional parameters per value.
** '''name''' - '''mandatory'''. String representation of the numeric value. This string is marked for translation.
** '''cssPref''' - CSS class to add to the '''<html>''' tag. Currently it is added or removed only after a reload (see needReload).
* '''default''' - Indicates the default value to use for this preference (optional, if not present the first value listed is the default).

=== Listening for preference changes and updating preference from code ===
The BGA framework offers read/write and callback for user preference changes. See [[Game interface logic: yourgamename.js#User preferences]]

=== Accessing User Preferences on the server ===
PHP has an object called '''$this->userPreferences''', and you simply have to use its method get ('''get($playerId, $prefId): ?$int''') to know the preference value of a specific player :
<pre>
if ($this->userPreferences->get($playerId, $prefId) == $prefValue) {
....
}
</pre>
Note: it is stored in database table bga_user_preferences

See also: [[Main game logic: Game.php#User preferences]]

== Translations ==
Note that any name or description values in these JSON files are automatically added to the translation system.

== Migration ==
Previously, options and preferences were specified in a single <code>gameoptions.inc.php</code> file.

BGA has switched to a JSON format to make parsing easier on the server-side, and to avoid a reliance on PHP for static config.

The PHP format will continue to work for ''existing'' games, and although preferred, there is no need to migrate unless you want to. However, newly created games must use the new format.

'''Note''': once a game has been committed with a <code>gameoptions.json</code> file, however, it is not possible to go back without admin intervention.

If you want to migrate:

Simple method:
* Go to studio and press Reload game options configuration
* It will dump json on the log window - you can take this, format it and save into 2 files (if you have both). For gamepreference.json remove option "200" - this is default common option, it should not be in your file.

Manual method:
* Remove all calls to <code>totranslate()</code>, and replace with the plain string
* Remove any references to BGA's PHP constants, such as GAMESTATE_RATING_MODE, and replace with the plain value (in this case, 201)
* You can populate <code>gameoptions.json</code> with the result of <code>json_encode($game_options, JSON_PRETTY_PRINT)</code>
* You can populate <code>gamepreferences.json</code> with the result of <code>json_encode($game_preferences, JSON_PRETTY_PRINT)</code>
* If you include gameoptions.inc.php directly, to read the values, then replace those calls with <code>$this->getTableOptions()</code> or <code>$this->getTablePreferences()</code> as appropriate which return arrays parsed from the JSON files
This message was posted to the developer Discord channel:<blockquote>'''Game options change (Optional!)'''

<code>gameoptions.inc.php</code> is now considered legacy, and <code>gameoptions.json</code> and <code>gamepreferences.json</code> are recommended for new projects:

* The wiki and the template project have been updated: [[Options and preferences: gameoptions.json, gamepreferences.json#User Preferences|https://en.doc.boardgamearena.com/Options_and_preferences:_gameoptions.json,_gamepreferences.json]]
* Any questions/problems can come to me, or can be asked here.
* The format of the json files matches the format of the old php files

We realise there are some drawbacks (sorry!):

* No comments in the JSON file, meaning you have to check the wiki for examples
* No PHP constants in the JSON file, meaning magic numbers

However, we hope it's good for BGA because:

* Simpler to parse (for robots and humans)
* Easier to check for errors (we could perhaps use an XSLT one day)
* No need to run game-specific PHP code on the metasite

'''NOTE''': Switching is totally optional, and the legacy files will still work for existing projects, and for those who know about them. </blockquote>
[[Category:Studio]]

Options and preferences: gameoptions.json, gamepreferences.json

2026-05-25T17:18:25Z

Evilpotatoe: this.userPreferences.get(int) doesn't seem to exist in js. Replaced with this.bga.userPreferences

{{Studio_Framework_Navigation}}

In <code>gameoptions.json</code>, you can define your game options (i.e. game variants).

In <code>gamepreferences.json</code>, you can define user preferences.

Note:
* If your game has no variants or preferences, you don't have to modify these files.
* you can use jsonc instead of json, to allow comments in the Json.
* If a change on this file doesn't reflect on the Studio, go to the control panel and press "Reload game options configuration" on Studio to force your changes to be detected (or have an error about the issue).

Make sure you understand difference between options and preferences:
* Game options - something usually in the rule book defined as "variant" (except for player count, which is automatically handled). For example, whether to include ''The River'' in Carcassonne.
* User preferences - personal choices of each player only visible to that specific player - i.e. layout, whether or not to prompt for action, whether or not auto-opt in in some actions, etc.

__TOC__

== Game Options ==

Game options are selected by the table creator and usually correspond to game variants, for example if the game includes expansions or certain special rules.

These variants are defined in <code>gameoptions.json</code> as an object:

{
"100": { "name": "Game Setup", ... },
"101": { "name": "Draft", ... }
}

Each key corresponds to the option id, and each value is that option definition, which is described below.

'''Note:''' the file must be valid [https://www.json.org/ JSON]. That is, trailing commas and comments are not allowed. However you can use still standard json hack to add a field like "$comment": "Here we go"

'''Note 2:''' the key in json file must be a string type, even its correspond to a number in other places (such as php, or other references in same json).

'''$this->bga->tableOptions->get(int $optionId): int'''

To get the value of a table option from the Game class, using the JSON key.

To access json data (the metadata only) can use
$game_options = $this->getTableOptions();

The options will be displayed in order they appear in JSON, not sorted by id or name!

=== Details of game options format ===

The following are the values of the option definition object:
* '''name''' - '''mandatory'''. The name of the option visible for table creator. This is automatically marked for translation.
* '''values''' - '''mandatory'''. The map representing possible values of this option. The key of the map is possible value of this option, its a number but has to be string in json. The value is an object descring it.
** '''name''' - '''mandatory'''. String representation of the numeric value visible to table creator. This is automatically marked for translation.
** '''description''' - String description of this value to use when the name of the option is not self-explanatory. Displayed at the table under the option when this value is selected. Note: if there is no description, this should be omitted.
** '''tmdisplay''' - String representation of the option visible in the table description in the lobby. Usually if a variant values are On and Off (default), the tmdisplay would be same as description name when On, and nothing (empty string) when Off. ('''Warning''': due to some caching, a change in tmdisplay may not be effective immediately in the studio, even after forcing a reload of options.) '''Pro Tip:''' You can use this as a pre-game communication by adding fake options that just do nothing in the game but make it easier to find other player wanted the same game configuration (see the crew deep sea for example).
** '''nobeginner''' - Set to true if not recommended for beginners
** '''firstgameonly''' - Set to true if this option is recommended only for the first game (discovery option)
** '''beta''' - Set to true to indicate that this option is in "beta" development stage (there will be a warning for players starting the game)
** '''alpha''' - Set to true to indicate that this option is in "alpha" development stage (there will be a warning, and starting the game will be allowed only in training mode except for the developer)
** '''premium''' - Option can be only used by premium members
* '''default''' - indicates the default value to use for this option (optional, if not present the first value listed is the default)
* '''displaycondition''' - (array of conditions) - checks the conditions before displaying the option for selection. All (or any) conditions must be true for the option to be displayed. All or any depends on value of displayconditionoperand
Supported display condition types:
** ''minplayers'' condition ensures at least this many players (Note: if your game works with a disjoint interval of player counts, you can supply an array of valid counts instead of a single value)
** ''maxplayers'' condition ensures at most this many players
** ''otheroption'' condition ensures another option is set to given values.
** ''otheroptionisnot'' condition ensure another option is NOT set to this given values
* '''displayconditionoperand''' - can be 'and' (this is the default) or 'or'. Allows to change the behaviour to display the option if one of the conditions is true instead of all of them.
* '''startcondition''' - (map from value to conditions array) - checks the conditions (on options VALUES) before starting the game. All conditions must be true for the game to start, otherwise players will get a red error message when attempting to begin the game.
Supported start condition types:
** ''minplayers'' condition ensures at least this many players (an array of values is not supported here)
** ''maxplayers'' condition ensures at most this many players
** ''otheroption'' conditions ensure another option is set to this given values. That works the same as in '''displaycondition'''.
** ''otheroptionisnot'' conditions ensure another option is NOT set to this given value. That works the same as in '''displaycondition'''.
*: For all these condition types, a ''gamestartonly'' boolean option can be added, if you have options that are exclusive. Setting this boolean to ''true'' will defer the evaluation of the startcondition to the game creation, instead of preventing the player to select options that are exclusive at all. See [[#gamestartonly|below]] for an example. <span style="background: #FFCDD2; color: #B71C1C; padding: 2px;">But this should never be used -- see the warning below</span>
* '''notdisplayedmessage''' - if option is not suppose to be visible because of displaycondition but this is set, the text will be visible instead of combo drop down
* '''level''' - what kind of option it is: ''base'', ''major'', or ''additional''. See [[#level|below]] for more informations.

Common (reserved) options for all tables (reserved range 200-299):
*201 (const GAMESTATE_RATING_MODE) - ELO OFF (aka Training mode),
**0 = Normal
**1 = Training
**2 = Arena
*200 (const GAMESTATE_CLOCK_MODE) - game speed profile
**[0, 1, 2] - realtime (technically <10 realtime but you cannot define range in php)
**values >=10 - turn based (currently 10..21)
**Note there are two similar values, 9 = realtime "no time limit with friends only" vs. 20 = turn-based "no time limit with friends only"
GAMESTATE_RATING_MODE and GAMESTATE_CLOCK_MODE are PHP global constants usable in your PHP game code (ex: <code>$this->tableOptions->get(GAMESTATE_CLOCK_MODE)</code>) but not in json.

'''Example:'''
<pre>
{
"100": {
"name": "Game Variant",
"values": {
"1": {
"name": "Learning",
"firstgameonly": true,
"tmdisplay": "Learning"
},
"2": {
"name": "Base",
},
"3": {
"name": "Extended",
"nobeginner": true,
"beta": true,
"tmdisplay": "Extended"
}
},
"default": 2
},
"101": {
"name": "Draft variant",
"values": {
"1": {
"name": "No draft"
},
"2": {
"name": "Draft",
"tmdisplay": "Draft",
"premium": true,
"nobeginner": true
}
},
"displaycondition": [
{
"type": "otheroption",
"id": 100,
"value": [ 2, 3 ]
},
{
"type": "otheroption",
"id": 201,
"value": 1
}
],
"startcondition": {
"1": [],
"2": [
{
"type": "maxplayers",
"value": 3,
"message": "Draft option is available for 3 players maximum."
}
]
}
},
"102": {
"name": "Takeovers",
"values": {
"2": {
"name": "No takeover"
},
"1": {
"name": "Allow takeovers",
"tmdisplay": "Takeovers",
"premium": true,
"nobeginner": true
}
},
"displaycondition": [
{
"type": "otheroption",
"id": 100,
"value": [ 3 ]
}
],
"startcondition": {
"2": [],
"1": [
{
"type": "maxplayers",
"value": 2,
"message": "Rebel vs Imperium Takeover Scenario is available for 2 players only."
}
]
}
}
}
</pre>

'''Example of option that condition on ELO off:'''
{
"100": {
"name": "Learning Game (No Research)",
"values": {
"1": {
"name": "Off",
"tmdisplay": ""
},
"2": {
"name": "On",
"tmdisplay": "Learning Game"
}
},
"startcondition": {
"2": {
"type": "otheroption",
"id": 201,
"value": 1,
"message": "Learning variant available only in friendly mode"
}
}
}
}
'''Example of condition that is only available for REALTIME game mode:'''
<pre>
"displaycondition": [
{ "type": "otheroption", "id": 200, "value": [0, 1, 2] }
],
</pre>

'''Example of using condition on your own option:'''
<pre>
{
"102": {
"name": "Scenarios",
"values": {
"1": {
"name": "Off",
"nobeginner": false
},
"2": {
"name": "On",
"tmdisplay": "Scenarios",
"nobeginner": true
}
},
"displaycondition": [
{
"type": "otheroptionisnot",
"id": 100,
"value": 1
}
],
"notdisplayedmessage": "Scenarios variant is not available if Learning variant is chosen"
}
}

</pre>

'''Example of handling solo vs multiplayer options:'''<pre>
{
"100": {
"name": "Board setup",
"values": {
"1": {
"name": "Mirror setup",
"description": "The starting player shuffles their 6 Farm Cards and randomly lays a card face up in each of the round spaces of their Fruit Island Board. The other players then lay their cards in exactly the same way, copying the order of the starting player.",
"tmdisplay": "Mirror setup"
},
"2": {
"name": "Random setup",
"description": "Instead of every player copying the same card configuration as the starting player, every player shuffles their Farm Cards and lays down the cards randomly on their Fruit Island Board.",
"tmdisplay": "Random setup"
}
},
"displaycondition": [
{
"type": "minplayers",
"value": [
2,
3,
4
]
}
]
},
"102": {
"name": "Solo difficulty",
"values": [
{
"name": "Banana-apprentice",
"description": "Do not remove any seed before starting the game.",
"tmdisplay": "Banana-apprentice"
},
{
"name": "Pear to the Throne",
"description": "Remove 1 seed before starting the game.",
"tmdisplay": "Pear to the Throne"
}
],
"displaycondition": [
{
"type": "maxplayers",
"value": 1
}
]
}
}

</pre>

==== displaycondition vs startcondition ====

<code>displaycondition</code> should be used when an option should not be present in the list under certain conditions.

For example, displaying the option which is consistent with the player count.

* 2 player maps: A B C D
* 3 player maps: E F G H
* 4 player maps: I J K L

<code>startcondition</code> should be used when a specific combination of option values is invalid, but the option itself still makes sense to show.

For example:

* Player 1 faction: A, B, C, D, E, F, G
* Player 2 faction: A, B, C, D, E, F, G
* startcondition: both players can't be the same faction

These options should both be displayed at all times, but there are some invalid configurations.

The other difference is displaycondition affect option itself, while startcondition affect specific values selected

==== gamestartonly ====

<div style="padding: 1em; background: #FFCDD2; color: #B71C1C">
<b>WARNING:</b> [https://studio.boardgamearena.com/bug?id=104 See studio bug #104]. You should <b>NEVER</b> use <code>gamestartonly</code>! Otherwise, you allow players to (unknowingly!) create a turn-based table with impossible options that can never start. Players receive no indication that the option combination they selected is invalid until the last player joins the table (hours or days later) and the game attempts to auto-start. The table won't start because of the <code>startcondition</code>, and the table options cannot be changed because it's a turn-based table, so the table must be abandoned. This is a horrible user experience. Please don't subject players to this.
</div>

On the table configuration page, it won't let you select a combination which is invalid according to <code>startcondition</code>. Doing so will show a red warning, and will revert the option to the previous value. This means you could end up in a situation where you can't easily change between certain options (requiring you to set or unset options in a specific order).

The consequence of the <code>gamestartonly</code> flag is that the player _can_ select an invalid combination. However, when clicking "Start", an invalid combination will produce an error.

Probably the easiest way to see what the difference is is with an example.

With a _Clans of Caledonia_ table:
* set to training mode
* set player count to 1
* try setting "Clan Auction" to one of the "On" options
* try starting the game, there's an error! Ie. <code>"gamestartonly" => true</code>

Then, with a _Sushi Go Party!_ table:
* set number of players to 7
* try setting "Sushi Go! / Sushi Go Party!" to "Sushi Go!"
* you can't set the option! Ie. <code>"gamestartonly" => false</code>

In code:

<pre>
{
"100": {
"name": "Option name",
"values": [],
"startcondition": {
"1": [
{
"type": "maxplayers",
"value": 2,
"message": "This option is available for 2 players only.",
"gamestartonly": true
}
]
}
}
}
</pre>

==== level ====
Note: At this moment this only has an impact in fancy lobby mode; The presentation of level or checkboxes is not available via normal table creation UI (such as in studio, or when you click Play button in control panel).<pre>
{
"100": {
"name": "Option name",
"values": [...],
"level": "major"
}
}
</pre>

* '''base''' is the default value (you don't need to specify it).
* '''major''' denotes a major option, which will always be displayed on top, and with a specific UI.
* '''additional''' means this option will not be displayed by default, to unclutter the option panel.

About major options:
* a game can only have '''1 major option''', and of course, it must be a important game changer.
* the pictures will default to the standard Game Box, and can be set independently for each value, from the [[Game metadata manager]] (in the "Major Variants" section). Note: this cannot be tested from Studio as there is not studio-only Game metadata manager, to see Major Variants option - the game has to be deployed at least as alpha.
* the major option can have more than 2 values (there will then be an arrow to slide to the other values, carousel-like)
* the naming of major variant values should be concise and the values should have descriptive text (not just "enabled" or "disabled")
** 👍 Option name "Expansion", option values "Base game", "Bigger is Better" => Displayed as ''"Expansion: Base game"'' or ''"Expansion: Bigger is Better"''
** 👎 Option name "Bigger is Better", option values "Enabled", "Disabled => Displayed as ''"Bigger is Better: Enabled"'' or ''"Bigger is Better: Disabled"''

About additional options:
* Please set each option that concerns small details in this category: Advanced players will find this option anyway, and it will simplify the interface of the page of your game.

[[File:Option-levels.png|800px|Option levels]]

==== option presentation ====

An option WILL be displayed as a '''Checkbox''' instead of a selector if certain conditions are met:

* option has only '''2 values'''
* values are either (case insensitive):
** ''yes'' and ''no''
** ''on'' and ''off''
** ''enabled'' and ''disabled''

The "default" value still has to be specified, and can be "on" or "off" (it's actually just a difference in display).

[[File:Option-display.png|800px|Example of checkbox display]]

== User Preferences ==

User preferences is something cosmetic about the game interface which however can create user wars, so you can satisfy all users
by giving them individual preferences. You should use this only if it significantly improves the interface for a large proportion of users.
These preferences appear in the three-line hamburger menu in the top corner of the bga menu (and also at the bottom on the page in the Options tab).
"Display game logs" and "Display tooltips" are baked-in by default, but you can extend this list as below.

The preference json slightly resembles options, but these are conceptually different. The numbers comes from a different space and do not correspond or conflict with options,
i.e. preference 100 has nothing to do with option 100. You can use range 100-199 with gaps.

[[File:century_preferences_menu.PNG|400px|The user preferences menu for the game Century]]

<blockquote>
''These preferences are a good place to put accessibility options - as Century did for its Colorblind Support.''
</blockquote>

<pre>
{
"100": {
"name": "Colorblind Support",
"needReload": true,
"values": {
"1": {
"name": "None",
"cssPref": "colorblind_off"
},
"2": {
"name": "Numbers",
"cssPref": "colorblind_on"
},
"3": {
"name": "Shapes",
"cssPref": "colorblind_shapes"
}
},
"default": 1
}
}
</pre>

There is two ways to check/apply this. In javascript

if (this.bga.userPreferences.get(100) == 2) ...

This checks if preferences 100 has selected value 2.

Second, if cssPref is specified, it will be applied to the '''<html>''' tag. So you can use different css styling for the preference. Note: you also need to set needReload to true for that class change to be effective.

As user you have to select them from the Gear menu when game is started. On studio only dev0 account will have it actually working (bug?).

The following are the parameters of preferences description array:
* '''name''' - '''mandatory'''. The name of the preference. This string is marked for translation.
* '''needReload''' - If set to true, the game interface will auto-reload after a change of the preference.
* '''values''' - '''mandatory'''. The map of values with additional parameters per value.
** '''name''' - '''mandatory'''. String representation of the numeric value. This string is marked for translation.
** '''cssPref''' - CSS class to add to the '''<html>''' tag. Currently it is added or removed only after a reload (see needReload).
* '''default''' - Indicates the default value to use for this preference (optional, if not present the first value listed is the default).

=== Listening for preference changes and updating preference from code ===
The BGA framework offers read/write and callback for user preference changes. See [[Game interface logic: yourgamename.js#User preferences]]

=== Accessing User Preferences on the server ===
PHP has an object called '''$this->userPreferences''', and you simply have to use its method get ('''get($playerId, $prefId): ?$int''') to know the preference value of a specific player :
<pre>
if ($this->userPreferences->get($playerId, $prefId) == $prefValue) {
....
}
</pre>
Note: it is stored in database table bga_user_preferences

See also: [[Main game logic: Game.php#User preferences]]

== Translations ==
Note that any name or description values in these JSON files are automatically added to the translation system.

== Migration ==
Previously, options and preferences were specified in a single <code>gameoptions.inc.php</code> file.

BGA has switched to a JSON format to make parsing easier on the server-side, and to avoid a reliance on PHP for static config.

The PHP format will continue to work for ''existing'' games, and although preferred, there is no need to migrate unless you want to. However, newly created games must use the new format.

'''Note''': once a game has been committed with a <code>gameoptions.json</code> file, however, it is not possible to go back without admin intervention.

If you want to migrate:

Simple method:
* Go to studio and press Reload game options configuration
* It will dump json on the log window - you can take this, format it and save into 2 files (if you have both). For gamepreference.json remove option "200" - this is default common option, it should not be in your file.

Manual method:
* Remove all calls to <code>totranslate()</code>, and replace with the plain string
* Remove any references to BGA's PHP constants, such as GAMESTATE_RATING_MODE, and replace with the plain value (in this case, 201)
* You can populate <code>gameoptions.json</code> with the result of <code>json_encode($game_options, JSON_PRETTY_PRINT)</code>
* You can populate <code>gamepreferences.json</code> with the result of <code>json_encode($game_preferences, JSON_PRETTY_PRINT)</code>
* If you include gameoptions.inc.php directly, to read the values, then replace those calls with <code>$this->getTableOptions()</code> or <code>$this->getTablePreferences()</code> as appropriate which return arrays parsed from the JSON files
This message was posted to the developer Discord channel:<blockquote>'''Game options change (Optional!)'''

<code>gameoptions.inc.php</code> is now considered legacy, and <code>gameoptions.json</code> and <code>gamepreferences.json</code> are recommended for new projects:

* The wiki and the template project have been updated: [[Options and preferences: gameoptions.json, gamepreferences.json#User Preferences|https://en.doc.boardgamearena.com/Options_and_preferences:_gameoptions.json,_gamepreferences.json]]
* Any questions/problems can come to me, or can be asked here.
* The format of the json files matches the format of the old php files

We realise there are some drawbacks (sorry!):

* No comments in the JSON file, meaning you have to check the wiki for examples
* No PHP constants in the JSON file, meaning magic numbers

However, we hope it's good for BGA because:

* Simpler to parse (for robots and humans)
* Easier to check for errors (we could perhaps use an XSLT one day)
* No need to run game-specific PHP code on the metasite

'''NOTE''': Switching is totally optional, and the legacy files will still work for existing projects, and for those who know about them. </blockquote>
[[Category:Studio]]

Tips circleoflife

2019-10-30T14:19:59Z

Evilpotatoe: Added an explaination to make the coordinates system readable

==Coordinates system==
- The upper line ranges from hex A0 to A4
- The middle line, from E0 to E8
- The bottom one, from I4 to I8

Gamehelpcircleoflife

2019-10-16T20:11:00Z

Evilpotatoe: Translated my (French) basic explaination of the game

Players alternatively place one token of their color on the board

The tokens you place will form "species", which can devour each other following the order of the food chain displayed around the board

When a token you place completes a shape, if it forms a species touching an opponent species directly following it in the food chain, the tokens of this "prey" species are devoured, and removed from the board.

The first player having devoured 20 of his opponent's tokens wins the game.

''Another victory condition is to be unable to place a token (which means you managed to occupy the ecosystem with species of your color)''.

Remarks :

* You may devour several instances of a same species at once, if the opportunity occurs

* A species may arise near one of its predators without risks. Prédation action '''only''' occurs when a token is placed

* You can '''NOT''' create a species with a group of more than 4 tokens. ''Consequently, managing to own territoiry will limit your possible moves''

Gamehelpcircleoflife

2019-10-16T19:28:07Z

Evilpotatoe: Ajout d'une explication de base des règles

Chaque joueur pose, tour à tour, un pion de sa couleur sur le plateau.

Les pions que vous posez vont former des "espèces", qui peuvent se dévorer selon l'ordre de la chaîne alimentaire affichée sur le tour du plateau.

Lorsqu'un pion que vous posez complète un motif, s'il forme une espèce en contact avec une espèce de votre adversaire qui la suit immédiatement dans la chaîne alimentaire, tous les pions de cette autre espèce sont immédiatement dévorés et retirés du plateau.

Remarques :

* Vous pouvez dévorer plusieurs exemplaires d'une même espèce d'un coup si l'occasion se présente

* Une espèce peut parfaitement se développer à côté d'un prédateur adverse. L'action de prédation ne s'effectue '''que''' lors de la pose d'un pion

* Vous ne pouvez pas constituer une espèce de plus de 4 pions (''par conséquent, réussir à posséder du territoir limite vos possibilités de placements'')

Le premier joueur à avoir dévoré 20 pions adverses remporte la partie.
''Une autre condition de victoire est de ne plus pouvoir jouer (ce qui signifie que vous avez réussi à saturer l'écosystème d'espèces de votre couleur)''.

Tips kingdomino

2019-09-20T12:32:02Z

Evilpotatoe: Added the suggestion to bully your oponnent when possible

Kingdomino rewards people for focusing on a few sets of tiles with multiple crowns, as opposed to multiple sets of tiles with few crowns, so aim to stock up!

Each turn, there are three primary things I think about:
*'''1. Will this move score me points or benefit me down the line?'''
Taking a tile with a crown is usually more beneficial than taking a tile without a crown. If you don't have the option of getting a crown, can you find a tile color that matches your cluster so when a crown does appear, it'll be more beneficial to you?

*'''2. What position will this move put me in for the next turn?'''
A big part of the ebb and flow of the game is choosing a tile for next round. If you choose the very top tile, you get to pick first next round. This can be a useful strategy if there are no crowns/no useful tiles on the board. Alternatively, when the last round comes, if you picked last, you may be stuck with a tile that you cannot play (and forfeit points potentially). For these reasons, it's important to be mindful of the risk/reward ratio when selecting a tile towards the bottom.

*'''3. What can/will my opponents do if I take this tile?'''
This is something to think about especially if one or more players are focusing on a certain color. While taking a mine tile might not be the most optimal strategy for yourself, it might sometimes be better to take one and stop an opponent from getting all six.
This aspect is very important in 2 player games.

== Tips for duel games ==
Speaking of 1v1 games, and if you aim to be competitive, some aspects become more important :

* • Be sure to have a decent knowledge of the '''[http://evilpotatoe.free.fr/Kingdomino_tiles_8x6_With_Frequency.png the tiles pool]'''.
Some minimum things are : Half of the tiles have fields, 4 of the sawmills tiles have a field as 2nd square, and 4 of the fishermen's huts have a forest as 2nd terrain.

It is therefore important to try having your fields as "hub" among most of your terrains, your forests next to your fields and your lakes in contact with your forests.

* • Know the '''"price"''' (''currency is choice priority for next turn'') and the '''yield''' of the terrains.
Values (read: cost) of dominoes go, from the highest to the lowest, in that order : mines > swamps > pastures > lakes > forests > fields -- but most expensive terrains are not necessarly the best (''in fact, it's the opposite'').

While fields only have 5 crowns and mines have 10, all the other do have 6, but the number of squares between them drastically reduces, as costs goes up.

''There is 22 squares of forest, 18 of lakes, and 14 pastures for and '''only''' 10 swamps.''

In other words, the more expensive terrains are, the less potential they have. Mines are a bit particular, but only a bit.

* • Don't focus '''only''' on a few kinds of tiles
** ○ Say you're filling your kingdom with forests, think of what will happen if your opponent manages to takes 3 (or more !) of the sawmills.
** ○ Another issue could be many crowns you expect to appear at once. If you focused on forests & windmills, a turn with 4 of the wind/sawmills at once will probably cost you a lot.
** ○ In case you play duels with only 5x5 kingdoms, it is even '''more''' important to exploit the crowns you get correctly, since you never know which tiles will be drawn, and which ones won't
** ○ Anyway, do your best to avoid wasting what you get.

         If you aim for forests/lakes but get several unwanted swamps or pastures, try to keep those tiles usable (i.e. avoid closing them in a place where you won't be able to put more, if any come).

         This will make a big difference if you end-up getting some other tiles of that kind, and more importantly, will force your opponent to reconsider his strategy.

         ''I won't care giving you those two crown on a pasture if your 7-pastures domain is closed already, but will probably act differently if it still has room to welcome more crowns.''

* • Your goal is not to score as many points as you can, but to score '''more than your opponent'''.
If you can take a forest for 18 points, but doing so leaves a windmill worth 16 points to your opponent, you're only scoring +2 points over him, and let him the next priority. Taking the only-9-points windmill and leaving him with a 4 points forest would probably be a better option.

* • Remain as '''flexible''' as possible.
You should always try to plan and forsee as far as you can, but thing is : a lot of unpredictable things will happen.

You can't decide things like "I'll take all the mines", which means you have to prepare yourself for situations where things don't turn out the way you expected them to.

Personally, I try to keep "holes" in my build for as long as I can, so that I can use some of the squares for different kind of crowns. e.g. either for a windmill or sawmill, or a mine/swamp/pasture, etc.

Also, keeping places to put any domino (and remain "harmony-safe") in the last turns is a good habit. Crownless dominoes 13 to 18 are perfect for that.

* • Impede your opponent !
Leave him the dominoes he wouldn't want when you can. If he wasted his fields, allowing him to get one more windmill won't harm you too much. If he only has one or two empty spots next to his pastures or swamps and a lot of crowns are still available on it, leaving him with all those tiles will force him to waste some (and maybe this will be double crowns). Be ruthless !

* • Remember victory isn't before last turn
Counting points too early without taking in account the remaining dominoes/crowns can be a costly mistake. What matters is to ''end-up''' with more points than your opponent. Not to 'lead' during most of the game.

This means you have to do your best to maximize the efficiency of all your dominoes (''and/or deny the opponent's best picks''), including the last ones.
If several crowns are to come on one terrain type in the last turn(s), weight their importance. Do you or your opponent '''need''' them ?

Try to plan this : a good last turn can make the difference.

Tips kingdomino

2019-09-17T19:45:20Z

Evilpotatoe: Reworked style so that it displays well in BGA's embedded tips section when playing the game.

Kingdomino rewards people for focusing on a few sets of tiles with multiple crowns, as opposed to multiple sets of tiles with few crowns, so aim to stock up!

Each turn, there are three primary things I think about:
*'''1. Will this move score me points or benefit me down the line?'''
Taking a tile with a crown is usually more beneficial than taking a tile without a crown. If you don't have the option of getting a crown, can you find a tile color that matches your cluster so when a crown does appear, it'll be more beneficial to you?

*'''2. What position will this move put me in for the next turn?'''
A big part of the ebb and flow of the game is choosing a tile for next round. If you choose the very top tile, you get to pick first next round. This can be a useful strategy if there are no crowns/no useful tiles on the board. Alternatively, when the last round comes, if you picked last, you may be stuck with a tile that you cannot play (and forfeit points potentially). For these reasons, it's important to be mindful of the risk/reward ratio when selecting a tile towards the bottom.

*'''3. What can/will my opponents do if I take this tile?'''
This is something to think about especially if one or more players are focusing on a certain color. While taking a mine tile might not be the most optimal strategy for yourself, it might sometimes be better to take one and stop an opponent from getting all six.
This aspect is very important in 2 player games.

== Tips for duel games ==
Speaking of 1v1 games, and if you aim to be competitive, some aspects become more important :

* • Be sure to have a decent knowledge of the '''[http://evilpotatoe.free.fr/Kingdomino_tiles_8x6_With_Frequency.png the tiles pool]'''.
Some minimum things are : Half of the tiles have fields, 4 of the sawmills tiles have a field as 2nd square, and 4 of the fishermen's huts have a forest as 2nd terrain.

It is therefore important to try having your fields as "hub" among most of your terrains, your forests next to your fields and your lakes in contact with your forests.

* • Know the '''"price"''' (''currency is choice priority for next turn'') and the '''yield''' of the terrains.
Values (read: cost) of dominoes go, from the highest to the lowest, in that order : mines > swamps > pastures > lakes > forests > fields -- but most expensive terrains are not necessarly the best (''in fact, it's the opposite'').

While fields only have 5 crowns and mines have 10, all the other do have 6, but the number of squares between them drastically reduces, as costs goes up.

''There is 22 squares of forest, 18 of lakes, and 14 pastures for and '''only''' 10 swamps.''

In other words, the more expensive terrains are, the less potential they have. Mines are a bit particular, but only a bit.

* • Don't focus '''only''' on a few kinds of tiles
** ○ Say you're filling your kingdom with forests, think of what will happen if your opponent manages to takes 3 (or more !) of the sawmills.
** ○ In case you play duels with only 5x5 kingdoms, it is even '''more''' important to exploit the crowns you get correctly, since you never know which tiles will be drawn, and which ones won't
** ○ Anyway, do your best to avoid wasting what you get.

         If you aim for forests/lakes but get several unwanted swamps or pastures, try to keep those tiles usable (i.e. avoid closing them in a place where you won't be able to put more, if any come).

         This will make a big difference if you end-up getting some other tiles of that kind, and more importantly, will force your opponent to reconsider his strategy.

         ''I won't care giving you those two crown on a pasture if your 7-pastures domain is closed already, but will probably act differently if it still has room to welcome more crowns.''

* • Your goal is not to score as many points as you can, but to score '''more than your opponent'''.
If you can take a forest for 18 points, but doing so leaves a windmill worth 16 points to your opponent, you're only scoring +2 points over him, and let him the next priority. Taking the only-9-points windmill and leaving him with a 4 points forest would probably be a better option.

* • Remain as '''flexible''' as possible.
You should always try to plan and forsee as far as you can, but thing is : a lot of unpredictable things will happen.

You can't decide things like "I'll take all the mines", which means you have to prepare yourself for situations where things don't turn out the way you expected them to.

Personally, I try to keep "holes" in my build for as long as I can, so that I can use some of the squares for different kind of crowns. e.g. either for a windmill or sawmill, or a mine/swamp/pasture, etc.

Also, keeping places to put any domino (and remain "harmony-safe") in the last turns is a good habit. Crownless dominoes 13 to 18 are perfect for that.

* • Remember victory isn't before last turn
Counting points too early without taking in account the remaining dominoes/crowns can be a costly mistake. What matters is to ''end-up''' with more points than your opponent. Not to 'lead' during most of the game.

This means you have to do your best to maximize the efficiency of all your dominoes (''and/or deny the opponent's best picks''), including the last ones.
If several crowns are to come on one terrain type in the last turn(s), weight their importance. Do you or your opponent '''need''' them ?

Try to plan this : a good last turn can make the difference.

Tips kingdomino

2019-09-17T19:36:18Z

Evilpotatoe:

Kingdomino rewards people for focusing on a few sets of tiles with multiple crowns, as opposed to multiple sets of tiles with few crowns, so aim to stock up!

Each turn, there are three primary things I think about:
*'''1. Will this move score me points or benefit me down the line?'''
Taking a tile with a crown is usually more beneficial than taking a tile without a crown. If you don't have the option of getting a crown, can you find a tile color that matches your cluster so when a crown does appear, it'll be more beneficial to you?

*'''2. What position will this move put me in for the next turn?'''
A big part of the ebb and flow of the game is choosing a tile for next round. If you choose the very top tile, you get to pick first next round. This can be a useful strategy if there are no crowns/no useful tiles on the board. Alternatively, when the last round comes, if you picked last, you may be stuck with a tile that you cannot play (and forfeit points potentially). For these reasons, it's important to be mindful of the risk/reward ratio when selecting a tile towards the bottom.

*'''3. What can/will my opponents do if I take this tile?'''
This is something to think about especially if one or more players are focusing on a certain color. While taking a mine tile might not be the most optimal strategy for yourself, it might sometimes be better to take one and stop an opponent from getting all six.
This aspect is very important in 2 player games.

== Tips for duel games ==
Speaking of 1v1 games, and if you aim to be competitive, some aspects become more important :

* • Be sure to have a decent knowledge of the '''[http://evilpotatoe.free.fr/Kingdomino_tiles_8x6_With_Frequency.png the tiles pool]'''.
Some minimum things are : Half of the tiles have fields, 4 of the sawmills tiles have a field as 2nd square, and 4 of the fishermen's huts have a forest as 2nd terrain.

It is therefore important to try having your fields as "hub" among most of your terrains, your forests next to your fields and your lakes in contact with your forests.

* • Know the '''"price"''' (''currency is choice priority for next turn'') and of the '''yield''' of the terrains.
Values of dominoes go, from the highest to the lowest, in that order : mines > swamps > pastures > lakes > forests > fields -- but most expensive terrains are not necessarly the best (''in fact, it's the opposite'').

While fields only have 5 crowns and mines have 10, all the other do have 6, but the number of squares between them drastically reduces, as costs goes up.

''There is 22 squares of forest, 18 of lakes, and 14 pastures for and '''only''' 10 swamps.''

In other words, the more expensive terrains are, the less potential they have. Mines are a bit particular, but only a bit.

* • Don't focus '''only''' on a few kinds of tiles
** ○ Say you're filling your kingdom with forests, think of what will happen if your opponent manages to takes 3 (or more !) of the sawmills.
** ○ In case you play duels with only 5x5 kingdoms, it is even '''more''' important to exploit the crowns you get correctly, since you never know which tiles will be drawn, and which ones won't
** ○ Anyway, do your best to avoid wasting what you get.

         If you aim for forests/lakes but get several unwanted swamps or pastures, try to keep those tiles usable (i.e. avoid closing them in a place where you won't be able to put more, if any come).

         This will make a big difference if you end-up getting some other tiles of that kind, and more importantly, will force your opponent to reconsider his strategy.

         ''I won't care giving you those two crown on a pasture if your 7-pastures domain is closed already, but will probably act differently if it still has room to welcome more crowns.''

* • Your goal is not to score as many points as you can, but to score '''more than your opponent'''.
If you can take a forest for 18 points, but doing so leaves a windmill worth 16 points to your opponent, you're only scoring +2 points over him, and let him the next priority. Taking the only-9-points windmill and leaving him with a 4 points forest would probably be a better option.

* • Remain as '''flexible''' as possible.
You should always try to plan and forsee as far as you can, but thing is : a lot of unpredictable things will happen.

You can't decide things like "I'll take all the mines", which means you have to prepare yourself for situations where things don't turn out the way you expected them to.

Personally, I try to keep "holes" in my build for as long as I can, so that I can use some of the squares for different kind of crowns. e.g. either for a windmill or sawmill, or a mine/swamp/pasture, etc.

Also, keeping places to put any domino (and remain "harmony-safe") in the last turns is a good habit. Crownless dominoes 13 to 18 are perfect for that.

* • Remember victory isn't before last turn
Counting points too early without taking in account the remaining dominoes/crowns can be a costly mistake. What matters is to ''end-up''' with more points than your opponent. Not to 'lead' during most of the game.

This means you have to do your best to maximize the efficiency of all your dominoes (''and/or deny the opponent's best picks''), including the last ones.
If several crowns are to come on one terrain type in the last turn(s), weight their importance. Do you or your opponent '''need''' them ?

Tips kingdomino

2019-09-17T19:16:17Z

Evilpotatoe: Added a competitive/duel strategy section, with more in-depth talk about "advanced" aspects of the game.

Kingdomino rewards people for focusing on a few sets of tiles with multiple crowns, as opposed to multiple sets of tiles with few crowns, so aim to stock up!

Each turn, there are three primary things I think about:
*'''1. Will this move score me points or benefit me down the line?'''
Taking a tile with a crown is usually more beneficial than taking a tile without a crown. If you don't have the option of getting a crown, can you find a tile color that matches your cluster so when a crown does appear, it'll be more beneficial to you?

*'''2. What position will this move put me in for the next turn?'''
A big part of the ebb and flow of the game is choosing a tile for next round. If you choose the very top tile, you get to pick first next round. This can be a useful strategy if there are no crowns/no useful tiles on the board. Alternatively, when the last round comes, if you picked last, you may be stuck with a tile that you cannot play (and forfeit points potentially). For these reasons, it's important to be mindful of the risk/reward ratio when selecting a tile towards the bottom.

*'''3. What can/will my opponents do if I take this tile?'''
This is something to think about especially if one or more players are focusing on a certain color. While taking a mine tile might not be the most optimal strategy for yourself, it might sometimes be better to take one and stop an opponent from getting all six.
This aspect is very important in 2 player games.

== Tips for duel games ==
Speaking of 1v1 games, and if you aim to be competitive, some aspects become more important :

* Be sure to have a decent knowledge of the '''[http://evilpotatoe.free.fr/Kingdomino_tiles_8x6_With_Frequency.png the tiles pool]'''.
Some minimum things are : Half of the tiles have fields, 4 of the sawmills tiles have a field as 2nd square, and 4 of the fishermen's huts have a forest as 2nd terrain.

It is therefore important to try having your fields as "hub" among most of your terrains, your forests next to your fields and your lakes in contact with your forests.

* Know the '''"price"''' (''currency is choice priority for next turn'') and of the '''yield''' of the terrains.
Values of dominoes go, from the highest to the lowest, in that order : mines > swamps > pastures > lakes > forests > fields -- but most expensive terrains are not necessarly the best (''in fact, it's the opposite'').

While fields only have 5 crowns and mines have 10, all the other do have 6, but the number of squares between them drastically reduces, as costs goes up.

''There is 22 squares of forest, 18 of lakes, and 14 pastures for and '''only''' 10 swamps.''

In other words, the more expensive terrains are, the less potential they have. Mines are a bit particular, but only a bit.

* Don't focus '''only''' on a few kinds of tiles
** Say you're filling your kingdom with forests, think of what will happen if your opponent manages to takes 3 (or more !) of the sawmills.
** In case you play duels with only 5x5 kingdoms, it is even '''more''' important to exploit the crowns you get correctly, since you never know which tiles will be drawn, and which ones won't
** Anyway, do your best to avoid wasting what you get.

         If you aim for forests/lakes but get several unwanted swamps or pastures, try to keep those tiles usable (i.e. avoid closing them in a place where you won't be able to put more, if any come).

         This will make a big difference if you end-up getting some other tiles of that kind, and more importantly, will force your opponent to reconsider his strategy.

         ''I won't care giving you those two crown on a pasture if your 7-pastures domain is closed already, but will probably act differently if it still has room to welcome more crowns.''

* Your goal is not to score as many points as you can, but to score '''more than your opponent'''.
If you can take a forest for 18 points, but doing so leaves a windmill worth 16 points to your opponent, you're only scoring +2 points over him, and let him the next priority. Taking the only-9-points windmill and leaving him with a 4 points forest would probably be a better option.

* Remain as '''flexible''' as possible.
You should always try to plan and forsee as far as you can, but thing is : a lot of unpredictable things will happen.

You can't decide things like "I'll take all the mines", which means you have to prepare yourself for situations where things don't turn out the way you expected them to.

Personally, I try to keep "holes" in my build for as long as I can, so that I can use some of the squares for different kind of crowns. e.g. either for a windmill or sawmill, or a mine/swamp/pasture, etc.

Also, keeping places to put any domino (and remain "harmony-safe") in the last turns is a good habit. Crownless dominoes 13 to 18 are perfect for that.

* Remember victory isn't before last turn
Counting points too early without taking in account the remaining dominoes/crowns can be a costly mistake. What matters is to ''end-up''' with more points than your opponent. Not to 'lead' during most of the game.

This means you have to do your best to maximize the efficiency of all your dominoes (''and/or deny the opponent's best picks''), including the last ones.
If several crowns are to come on one terrain type in the last turn(s), weight their importance. Do you or your opponent '''need''' them ?