Overview

Gipsy King is a fast family strategy game for 2-5 players designed by Corné van Moorsel and published by Cwali. Players are caravan leaders competing to place their caravans in the free lands near wonderful lakes. The game uses area majority and route-building mechanics on a modular board of landscape tiles. Players place caravans to control lake areas with gold coins and form connected caravan groups. After two rounds of play, the player with the most points is crowned the Gipsy King. The game can be explained in 2 minutes but offers strategic depth through flexible planning and tough choices for opponents.

Components

• 15 landscape tiles (forming a modular board)
• 90 caravans (18 per player in 5 colors)
• 1 scoreboard
• 5 score markers
• Rules (in English, German, French, and Dutch)

Setup

1. Arrange the 15 landscape tiles to form the game board. Tiles show lakes and land areas.
2. Place gold coins on designated lake positions.
3. Each player takes 18 caravans of their color and a score marker.
4. Place score markers at 0 on the scoreboard.
5. Determine first player randomly.

Turn Structure

The game is played over 2 rounds. Each round:

1. Tile Placement / Board Setup

The modular board is arranged for the round (in Round 2, the arrangement may change slightly).

2. Place Caravans

In turn order, players take turns placing one caravan at a time on available land spaces adjacent to lakes. Players continue placing caravans in turn order until all land spaces are filled or players run out of caravans.

3. Score

After all caravans are placed:

• Lake control: For each lake, the player with the most caravans adjacent to it scores the gold coin value. Ties may split points or award to no one.
• Connected groups: Score bonus points for large connected groups of your caravans.

4. Round 2

After scoring Round 1, play a second round with minor rule changes (setup adjustments). Score again.

Actions

Caravan Placement

On your turn, place one caravan on any available land space on the board. Strategic placement targets:

• Spaces adjacent to high-value lakes
• Extending connected groups for bonus points
• Blocking opponents from key positions

Area Control

The primary mechanic is area majority around lakes. Having the most caravans adjacent to a lake scores that lake’s gold coin value.

Route Building

Connected groups of your caravans score bonus points. Building long chains across the board maximizes this bonus.

Scoring / Victory Conditions

Lake Scoring: Control lakes by having the most adjacent caravans. Score the lake’s gold coin value.

Group Scoring: Score bonus points for connected caravan groups.

After 2 Rounds: Total scores from both rounds.

Winner: The player with the highest total score after 2 rounds is the Gipsy King.

Special Rules & Edge Cases

Round 2 Variations

The second round includes minor changes to keep the game fresh (specific changes depend on the edition).

Timing Strategy

Timing is the key to becoming the Gipsy King. Knowing when to commit to a lake area and when to pivot is critical.

Flexible Planning

Hold different options open and plan with flexibility. Giving opponents tough choices by threatening multiple areas simultaneously is a strong strategy.

Modular Board

The 15 landscape tiles can be rearranged for different games, ensuring varied board configurations.

Player Reference

Round Structure:

1. Arrange board tiles
2. Place caravans in turn order (1 per turn)
3. Score lakes (area majority) and connected groups
4. Repeat for Round 2

Scoring:

• Lake control: most adjacent caravans = gold coin value
• Connected groups: bonus points for size

Key Numbers: | Item | Value | |——|——-| | Players | 2-5 | | Caravans per player | 18 | | Landscape tiles | 15 | | Rounds | 2 | | Game length | ~30 min |