Kutná Hora: The City of Silver – New FAQ!

After the announcement of our new game, we would now like to give you some FAQs and information about our next big upcoming Heavy-Euro-Game, Kutná Hora: The City of Silver.

Q: Errr…a Kutná-whatna now? What’s that?

Kutná Hora (phonetically pronounced as “koot-nah-hor-ah”) is a real historic city in the Czech Republic that you can visit even today. It’s home to St. Barbara’s Cathedral, lots of beautiful views and European architecture, and even the super cool Sedlec Ossuary (The Church of Bones), among other things.

Our euro game follows the discovery of silver in the mines in the region, and the establishment and economic prosperity of Kutná Hora, which quickly became one of the most important cities in central Europe — due to its thriving silver economy that fueled massive growth in the region throughout the 14th century.

Here are some photos of present day Kutná Hora:

Q: Another historical city building euro? What makes this one special?

The dynamic economy mechanics in Kutná Hora are based on real-world economic systems that shift and change in response to each player’s actions turn-to-turn. The choices that each player makes will affect other players, too, depending on which guilds you’re playing with. The heart of this game is not about simply trying to outdo your opponents. Instead it’s about making calculated decisions that may help more than one player in the moment, but gradually nudge you ahead in the end game. It’s a highly interactive, always evolving experience that can also change dramatically game-to-game.

Every game of Kutná Hora tells a different story depending on how players engage with the economic systems. Some resources may suddenly become less or more valuable, depending on what types of guild structures are created, or how much mining and smelting has been done in relation to building. It’s all about balance, but also seeking to find creative ways to gain an edge over your opponents. With each game playing out very differently, depending on the choices players make, you’ll find a lot of replayability in Kutná Hora.

Kutná Hora also features asymmetrical gameplay, as every player starts with three different configurations of guilds that each affect vital aspects of the game and economy.

Q: This economic system sounds complicated…how do you track everything?

Very easily, actually — actions and events in the game will trigger corresponding shifts in the economy, which are handled and tracked via two “cardboard computers” we’ve designed. By swapping out cards slotted into the cardboard stands, or by moving one of several sliders over a notch (depending on the result of the action), you’ll see the immediate result of how the economy was impacted.

Once you understand the systems a little better, it becomes easy to anticipate how any player’s actions will potentially impact the current in-game economy at any moment in the game.

Q: What kind of game can we expect?

Kutná Hora is a fairly heavyweight historical city building euro for 2-4 players. Core game mechanics include a dynamic economy and income system that shifts based on player choices, tile placement on a shared board, area influence, and action selection.

It’s a highly interactive game, where players take turns selecting actions from a hand of double-sided cards to engage strategic plans like mining, purchasing plots of land to build on, gaining permits, raising buildings for their affiliated guilds, gaining profit from their production, and of course working towards the construction of Saint Barbara’s Cathedral.

Q: When will the game be released and how much will it cost?

We’re aiming for an Essen Spiel 2023 launch in Europe and hope to have copies for sale in the US at PAX Unplugged, with a retail launch following shortly after. It’ll be priced at €59.95 EUR / $59.95 USD.

Q: Will there be any chance to try the game before the release?

 Of course! We’ll be demoing the game this year at UKGE, Origins, Gen Con, SPIEL, and PAX Unplugged.

Q: Where can I find out more info?

1) Be sure to subscribe to the game page on BGG! You’ll be notified of updates, as we plan to release a number of detailed articles that explore the game’s key mechanics.

2) Check out the live-stream replay of our interview with the designers over on our new VODs channel! 

3) Join our Kutna Hora mailing list to receive updates about the game’s availability.

Q: Can you tell us more about the designers?

The game is co-designed by Ondřej Bystroň (Bistro-nyo), Petr Čáslava (Chaa-sla-va), Pavel Jarosch (Ya-rosh).

Some of you may recognize Petr, as he previously worked with CGE and is one of the biggest content creators in the Czech Republic. He also lives close to the actual city of Kutná Hora.