My City Board Game Review
My City is a legacy board game designed by Reiner Knizia and published by Thames & Kosmos (KOSMOS) in 2020. It was nominated for the Spiel des Jahres that same year, losing out to Pictures. The game supports 2–4 players aged 10 and up, with each episode lasting around 30 minutes. Across 24 episodes split into 8 chapters, players build cities on personal boards using Tetris-shaped polyomino tiles. This review breaks down what My City does well, where it stumbles, and who will get the most out of it.
My City Overview
Each player starts with an identical set of 24 polyomino building tiles in three colours: yellow (residential), red (public), and blue (industrial). A shared deck of construction cards drives the game. One card flips each turn, and all players simultaneously place the matching tile on their personal board. The goal is to cover rocks and empty spaces while leaving trees visible for scoring.
As a legacy game, your decisions stick. You add stickers to your board between episodes, changing the landscape permanently. Each player’s board drifts further from the others as the campaign progresses. The game tracks overall performance through progress circles at the top of each board, and the player with the most filled circles at the end of episode 24 wins the whole campaign.
| Detail | Info |
|---|---|
| Designer | Reiner Knizia |
| Artist | Michael Menzel |
| Publisher | Thames & Kosmos / KOSMOS |
| Year Released | 2020 |
| Players | 2–4 |
| Age Range | 10+ |
| Playing Time | ~30 minutes per episode |
| Game Type | Legacy, Tile Placement, City Building |
| Complexity Rating | Light-Medium (~2.0 / 5) |
What’s in the My City Box
The box contains everything you need for the full 24-episode campaign and the standalone Eternal Game mode.
| Component | Quantity | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Double-sided game boards | 4 | Campaign on one side, Eternal Game on the other |
| Building tiles (polyominoes) | 96 | 24 per player in 8 shapes across 3 colours |
| Construction cards | 24 | Each card matches one building tile |
| Scoring tokens | 4 | Track points during each episode |
| Sealed envelopes | 8 | Contain new rules, stickers, and components for each chapter |
| Rulebook | 1 | Covers base rules and Eternal Game setup |
The tiles punch out cleanly and fit the board grid without overhang. Cardboard quality is decent but not premium. The sealed envelopes are the real draw here — each one introduces stickers, occasional wooden or cardboard pieces, and new rules that layer onto the base game. You will also need a fine-tip marker or pen for writing on your board, which is not included.
My City Pros and Cons
Pros
- Extremely quick to learn. The core rule is “flip a card, place a tile.” New players can start within five minutes of opening the box.
- Simultaneous play means zero downtime. Everyone places tiles at the same time, so nobody waits around for their turn.
- Short episodes make it easy to fit into a busy schedule. You can knock out one or two episodes in under an hour.
- The legacy elements introduce new scoring rules gradually, keeping the game fresh across all 24 episodes without overwhelming players.
- The double-sided board gives you the Eternal Game for replay once the campaign is done, so the game isn’t a one-and-done purchase.
- A solid gateway into legacy board games for families who find Pandemic Legacy or Gloomhaven too complex.
Cons
- Card draw luck can feel punishing. Late in an episode, you may need a specific tile but get junk you can’t place, costing you points.
- The tiles are not double-sided, so you cannot flip an L-shaped or S-shaped piece to mirror it. This trips up new players regularly.
- Narrative is thin. The story snippets in each envelope are forgettable compared to campaign-driven games with strong plots.
- Experienced gamers may find the strategic ceiling too low. The decision space stays limited even as new rules appear.
- The game really needs the same group of people for all 24 episodes. Mixing players mid-campaign doesn’t work well since boards become personalised.
How to Play My City
Setup
Give each player a game board (campaign side up), a scoring token placed on the 10-point mark, and their full set of 24 building tiles. Shuffle the 24 construction cards into a face-down deck in the centre of the table. Open the envelope for your current chapter and read the new rules aloud.
Turn Structure
Flip the top construction card. Every player picks up the matching tile and places it on their board. Your first tile must touch the river running down the centre of the board. After that, each new tile must be placed next to a tile you already put down. Tiles cannot cross the river, cover mountains, or cover dark green forest spaces. If you can’t or don’t want to place a tile, set it aside face down and move your scoring token back one space.
Ending an Episode
An episode ends when all cards have been flipped or every player has opted out. Then you score. In the first episode, you gain one point per visible tree and lose one point per visible rock and per empty green space. Later episodes add colour bonuses, special buildings, and other scoring conditions from the chapter envelopes.
Winning the Campaign
The player with the most points in an episode fills in progress circles on their board. The player with the fewest points receives a tree sticker as a catch-up bonus. After all 24 episodes, the player with the most progress circles wins the overall campaign.
Where to Buy My City in India
Availability in India can be inconsistent, especially for the standard legacy edition. Prices fluctuate depending on stock and import costs.
| Edition | Price Range (INR) | Platform |
|---|---|---|
| My City (Standard Legacy) | ₹4,000 – ₹6,500 | Board Games India, Amazon.in |
| My City (International Import) | Up to ₹11,581 | Desertcart India |
| My City: Roll & Build | ~₹3,814 | Amazon.in |
| My City: Family Edition | ~₹3,750 | Bigfriendly Games |
The standard legacy edition at Board Games India is the best value if you can catch it in stock. Desertcart charges a significant premium for importing. If you want a lighter, portable alternative, the Roll & Build edition works for 1–6 players but has noticeably cheaper components.
My City Game Mechanics
At its core, My City is a tile placement game. The polyomino tiles work like Tetris pieces — you rotate them to fit, but you can’t flip them. If you’ve played Patchwork or Blokus, you’ll recognise the spatial puzzle immediately, though My City feels more constrained because the card deck dictates which piece you place each turn rather than letting you choose freely.
The simultaneous card reveal creates a bingo-style mechanic. Everyone gets the same tile in the same order, which means the real competition comes from how efficiently you use your board space. Planning ahead matters because you know which 24 tiles will appear — you just don’t know the sequence.
The legacy layer adds grid coverage and catch-the-leader mechanics. Stickers permanently alter your board, creating advantages and constraints that carry forward. The catch-up system gives the lowest-scoring player a bonus sticker, which keeps the campaign competitive even if one player falls behind early. Scoring conditions shift every few episodes, forcing you to reconsider where and how you build.
Who Should Play My City
My City fits families and casual gaming groups best. If you’ve never tried a legacy game before, this is one of the gentlest entry points available. The rules never get complicated, and even younger players around age 8 can handle the tile placement without much trouble.
Groups who enjoy spatial puzzle games like Tiny Towns, Blokus, or the Isle of Cats will find familiar ground here. The 30-minute episode length also makes My City a good fit for couples or small groups who want a gateway game they can play on a weeknight.
Skip My City if you want deep strategy. The decision space is narrow — you’re choosing where to put one tile, not managing resources or building engines. Players who crave the narrative punch of Pandemic Legacy will find the story here paper-thin. And if the idea of putting permanent stickers on a board makes you uncomfortable, My City probably isn’t for you (though some players have used removable adhesive like Blu-Tack as a workaround).
FAQ
Is My City good for beginners?
Yes. My City is one of the easiest legacy games to learn. The base rules take about five minutes to explain, and new mechanics are introduced slowly across the 24 episodes. It works well as a first legacy experience for families and casual gamers who find heavier campaign games intimidating.
How long does My City take to complete?
Each of the 24 episodes runs about 30 minutes. Most groups play two or three episodes per sitting, meaning the full campaign takes roughly 8–12 sessions. You can spread that over weeks or play several sessions back to back if the group is available.
What is the best player count for My City?
My City works at all counts from 2 to 4, but 3–4 players is the sweet spot. With more players, the catch-up sticker mechanic and progress circle competition feel more engaging. Two-player games are still enjoyable but slightly less tense during scoring.
Can you replay My City after the campaign?
Yes. The reverse side of each board has the Eternal Game, a standalone non-legacy version that uses rules from the first ten episodes. It’s a decent replay option, though it lacks the variety and surprises of the campaign. Think of it as a pleasant bonus rather than a full second game.
What games are similar to My City?
Tiny Towns shares the polyomino placement and spatial puzzle feel. Dorfromantik has a similar relaxed tile-laying campaign structure. For a two-player polyomino experience, Patchwork is a strong pick. If you want a heavier legacy experience after finishing My City, Pandemic Legacy is the natural next step.
