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About Machi Koro
Machi Koro is Masao Suganuma's dice-driven city builder. Each establishment you buy pays out when a particular number is rolled, and the card colour decides whose roll counts: some pay on anyone's roll, some only on yours, and restaurants take money from the player who rolled. You win by building all your landmarks first. It is a light, luck-heavy engine builder that teaches the idea of investing for later returns.
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Is Machi Koro Right for You?
Best for
Machi Koro is for families and new players who want a light game about building a town. The central idea, buying buildings that pay out when their number is rolled, is intuitive to almost anyone, and turns are quick. Three and four players is best, since more buildings in play means more rolls pay somebody. It is a good way to introduce the idea of investing now for returns later.
Maybe skip it if…
It is luck-heavy, and a player whose numbers never come up can do very little about it. Experienced players will find the base game repetitive; the expansions help, but only so much.
How to Play Machi Koro
Setup
Each player takes a wheat field, a bakery, their set of face-down landmarks and three coins. Lay out the supply of establishments.
On Your Turn
- Roll one die, or two once you have built the train station.
- Every player with establishments matching the roll collects or pays according to card colour.
- Buy one establishment or build one landmark, or pass.
How to Win
The first player to build all of their landmarks wins immediately.
💡 Strategy Tips
Spread your buildings across numbers early. A town that only pays on one roll stalls whenever that number does not come up.
Common Mistakes to Avoid
- Buying several copies of one building on one number. It feels efficient until that number goes cold for five turns.
- Delaying the train station. Rolling two dice opens the higher numbers, where the stronger buildings are.
- Forgetting red buildings. Rolling an opponent's café number pays them out of your pocket before you collect anything.
- Hoarding coins instead of building landmarks. Landmarks are the only way to win, and they also make your turns stronger.
Advanced Strategy
- Cover as many numbers as you can early. Steady small income beats one big payout you rarely see.
- Blue buildings pay on anyone's roll. They are the most reliable way to earn money between your own turns.
- Once you roll two dice, sevens and eights come up far more often than twos and twelves. Buy accordingly.
- Count what each opponent needs to finish. Racing to your last landmark matters less than knowing when someone else will get there.
Variants & House Rules
Machi Koro: 5th Anniversary Edition
The current Pandasaurus edition, with larger cards, chunky dice, plastic coins and a rewritten rulebook. A matching expansions box is available.
Harbor and Millionaire's Row
The original expansions. Harbor adds new buildings, landmarks and a variable market, which fixes much of the base game's sameness.
Machi Koro 2
A separate game rather than an expansion, with a shared market and a different route to victory.
Video Guides
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Our Verdict
Machi Koro is a light, dice-driven city builder that works best as a family game or as a first taste of engine building. It is quick to teach and pleasant to look at, but the luck will frustrate anyone looking for control. We recommend it for families and casual groups, ideally with the expansions added once the base game feels familiar.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which version of Machi Koro should I buy?
The 5th Anniversary Edition is the easiest to find and has the best components. Machi Koro 2 is a different game, not a new edition.
Is Machi Koro good with two players?
It works, but three or four is better. More towns means more buildings paying out on every roll.
How long does a game take?
Around thirty minutes, occasionally longer if the dice refuse to cooperate.