Machi Koro Review, FAQ and Thoughts on Harbor Expansion

Play Time: 30 Min / Players: 2-4 / Complexity: Low / Age: 10+ we think 7+ / Publisher: Pandasaurus Games / Designer: Masao Suganuma

Big thanks to BoardGameRentals.co.nz for providing a copy of this game for review. As always, we provide our own unbiased perspectives on games we review.

What You Will Find in Our Machi Koro Review

• Overview and How to Play
• Gameplay Experience
• Components
• Theme
• Final Thoughts
• Other Games to Consider
• Frequently Asked Questions

If you come across Machi Koro for the first time you are confronted with a blue box covered in quirky cartoon style illustrations. What lies inside is a light-hearted, dice chucking city builder first published in Japan. You can expect a casual family friendly game that’s easy to learn and a lot of fun.

Sound good? Well, it is…for the most part. Pandasaurus Games and designer Masao Suganuma have the foundations of a fantastic family game here. We have noticed over time though the game can feel a little repetitive due to the market remaining the same each game. Thankfully we also tried the Harbor expansion which improves replay value a lot. We’ll run you through why in our in-depth review.

Sponsored Links:

How To Play Machi Koro

Welcome to Machi Koro, congrats you’re the new Mayor. Don’t get too comfy though, your citizens are a demanding bunch and want you to get to work right away expanding the city. By the way when we say city…all you have to work with is a wheat field and bakery, so you are basically working with a blank canvas. 

Objective

As the Mayor of Machi Koro you will be purchasing establishments, chucking dice, and earning money with the aim of building four crucial landmarks. Whoever can build these first wins.

Set Up 

Machi Koro comes with 15 unique establishments that are arranged in the centre of the table to form a market. These are the cards available for purchase that will earn you cash. Each player will get two starting cards, four landmark cards and three coins to begin with. The landmarks start face down and must be purchased to flip them over and gain their associated benefit. That’s it, you’re all set and ready to build your city.

Turns

Machi Koro is very simple. Chuck dice, earn money, purchase establishments, rinse and repeat until someone wins. Players will earn money based on the dice roll and the cards they have in their personal tableau. If the dice roll matches the number that activates the card on the appropriate turn you get coins. Your income varies according to the card that’s activated.

There are four types of establishments available for purchase in the market:

• Blue: Primary Industry Establishments – Earn income from the bank on anyone’s turn. These are the cards our kids seem to target each game
• Green: Secondary Industry Establishments – Earn income from the bank on your turn only
• Red: Restaurants Establishments – Earn coins from other players who rolled the dice. These cards can be a bit rough for younger or more sensitive kids when they must pay out
• Purple: Major Establishments – Earn income from all other players but during your turn only.

As players build out their city and they buy buildings from the market, they will find certain cards may run out and become unavailable. For us these tend to be the Mine and Orchard which are highly sought after. Our kids will each try to hoard as many of these as possible as they can provide a good pay-out!

Over time your city will start to generate more and more income allowing you to purchase more expensive cards and landmarks once your income generating engine gets going.

We find that at a certain point the game really accelerates with multiple players buying landmarks. Often the fourth landmark that ends the game could have been built by multiple players on a turn leading to close finishes.

Affiliate Link:

Machi Koro Gameplay Experience

Machi Koro is a light-hearted, accessible, and simple game. You could probably just set it up and start playing without explaining the rules, people will get it very quickly. Younger kids will have no trouble with it if they can roll dice and read the cards. Our family has had a blast with this game.

The thing that makes it instantly likeable is that downtime is kept to a minimum even at four players. Regardless of who’s turn it is, the dice roll can still activate one of your cards. Even our youngest daughter (7) stays engaged throughout the 30 odd minute games because of this.

Although the dice introduce a lot of luck there is still some nice strategy here and decisions to be made. During the game you will weigh up whether to buy cards across a wide range of numbers for a better chance of a small pay-out or put all your eggs in fewer baskets for a big pay day. There are also some nice synergies between cards on offer.

I personally try to set up for the big play, I either win big or fall behind and cop a ribbing from my family, who love to point out when it doesn’t work. When I do manage to get the dice roll I was waiting for I take great pleasure in grabbing large quantities of coins while everyone looks on a little miffed.

The other important decision is when to transition from one dice to two. The higher numbers offer the bigger pay-out but mean investing in a train station to start rolling two dice. This aspect of the game is a little nuanced and can be lost on younger players. My 7-year-old struggled initially deciding when it was better to roll two dice instead of one, but it presents a great opportunity to teach basic probability.

The turns in Machi Koro just fly by and have that nice thrill of rolling the dice and hoping for that pay-out you have been setting up for the last few turns. My son will often point out when one of his recently purchased cards just got activated, ‘I only just bought that card and it’s paid out already!’. For some reason we tend to have very close games that could have gone to several players, my oldest daughter is getting a bit of a reputation for winning the close ones!

We have had a lot of fun with Machi Koro but over time the game can suffer a little from a lack of variety in the market cards as they are the same each game. As players get familiar with the cards, they will gravitate towards their preferred strategy each game. My kids will hammer the Mines and Orchards and be disappointed when they run out. Although this is starting to become an issue for my son and I, my wife and daughters don’t seem to be bothered by it at all yet.

The other downside is that turns can sometimes lead to no income on an unlucky dice roll. A wasted turn is ok for older kids but for my youngest she gets frustrated at being able to do nothing at all on a turn. However, there is a silver lining here that helps address both these issues, we’ll explain why below.

What we think of the Harbor expansion

I promised you a silver lining and here it is…the Harbor expansion takes the great foundation provided by Machi Koro and elevates it to improve replay value a lot. It also includes cards for a fifth player which is great for a family of our size.

Firstly, the Harbor Expansion improves replay value by introducing 10 new establishments and 3 new landmarks. But the most important difference is that the market is now made up of 10 unique randomised cards that change as the game progresses. As they are purchased, they are replaced by a random card. This makes a massive difference and really elevates the game.

There is also a new Landmark, City Hall which you get for free at the beginning of the game. This grants any player a coin on their turn if they don’t have any money available to purchase establishments. No more wasted turns!

The price for these improvements is a slightly longer play time as you now have an extra two Landmarks to build for victory. We think this is a must have expansion if you buy Machi Koro it is that good. If you don’t want to buy the expansion there are some rule tweaks you can make to squeeze a little more out of the base game, you can find these in our Frequently Asked Questions section below.

Components

You don’t get much in the box in Machi Koro, basically a deck of cards and some cardboard coins. The artwork is cute and quirky, likely to appeal to younger audiences. My kids seem to really enjoy the cartoony look.

You are going to have far more space in the box than you need, but it seems like this was deliberately done to allow room for expansion content.

Theme

A cute cartoony city building theme is a safe bet for most audiences. It’s something people can easily understand and relate to. It’s not an immersive experience but a great choice for families and younger kids.

It does feel nice to watch your tableau expand with more establishments as your city grows. My kids get very excited if they can hoard one of their favourite establishments. It also feels like your city is humming as your cash generating engine gets going.

Final Thoughts on Machi Koro 

Machi Koro is a fun, accessible city builder with all the right foundations to be a fantastic family game. Our family has had a lot of fun with it. Over time, it can feel a little repetitive due to the market being the same from game to game. The Harbor expansion is a fantastic addition and really elevates the game, we think it improves replay value a lot. Our ratings above are based on the base game but would be a lot higher if we included the Harbor expansion.

Is Machi Koro easy to learn?  Incredibly easy to learn.

What will Machi Koro teach my kids? Machi Koro provides a great opportunity to teach your kids about probability. The central aspect of the game hinges around properties being triggered by certain dice rolls and each has a different probability of occurring. 

What age is appropriate for Machi Koro?  We think 7+ is fine for Machi Koro given how easy it is to learn. Our 7-year-old enjoys it but initially struggled with the strategy around when to transition between one dice to two.

Does Machi Koro have good replay value?  The core game is a lot of fun but, over time it suffers from a lack of variety in the market. The Harbor expansion improves this a lot.

Since writing this review we have published our Machi Koro vs Machi Koro 2 vs Space Base article given these games have similar core gameplay. Check it out if you want to see how they compare.

We hope you enjoyed our Machi Koro review. If you have any more questions or just want to share your thoughts on this game please leave a comment below, or get in touch through our contact page.

About the Authors

We are parents who love board gaming. We have three children and have been enjoying board games as a family ever since we had our first child. We share our real unbiased experiences and opinions on board games so you can decide if they are right for your family. We also write guides and articles to help you get the most out of your family game time. If you enjoy our content and want to support us you can do that through our Ko-fi page by clicking on the button below.

Sponsored Links:

Other Games to Consider

Here are some other games to consider if you like economic games with engine building like Machi Koro:

• Machi Koro 2 (Review): This is the successor to Machi Koro and we think it’s improves on it’s predecessor a lot. Just like Machi Koro in this game you will expand your city with establishments that will generate the money you need to build prestigious landmarks. Unlike Machi Koro, there is a variable market to keep things fresh each game and each land mark is unique. The first player to construct three landmarks in their city wins, which leads to a faster playing game.
• Splendor (Review): Unlike Machi Koro in this game gems are the currency not coins and there aren’t any dice involved so there is a lot less luck involved. To win Splendor you must be the first merchant to gain 15 points. Points can be gained by acquiring development cards or securing visits from nobles who are suitably impressed by your exploits. The more cards you acquire the more your gem discounts will grow improving your engine and allowing you to purchase better development cards. Lots of fun and very easy to learn. This is a great game.
• Century Spice Road (Review): This is another great game with a simple rule set. The Engine Building here involves expanding your starting deck of merchant cards which are used to convert, upgrade or generate four different types of spice. The spice is then used to purchase points cards which are needed to secure victory. Unlike Machi Koro this game includes some basic deck building which improves your spice generating ability over time.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can Machi Koro be played with 5 people?

Not with the base game, but the Harbor Expansion adds cards to allow for five players.

What expansions are available for Machi Koro?

As at the time of writing Machi Koro expansions include:

• Machi Koro Harbor Expansion: This adds rule changes for a variable market, 3 new landmarks, extra establishments, and cards for a fifth player
• Millionaires Row: Contains thirteen new establishment cards to add variety.

What is the best player count for Machi Koro?

Given there isn’t much down time we think Machi Koro plays well at any player count but best at 4.

Can I get more replay value out of Machi Koro without expansions?

The short answer is yes. Some rule tweaks to incorporate rules from the Harbor expansion will squeeze a bit more life out of the base game.

You can for example shuffle the establishment cards and randomise the market just like the Harbor Expansion. You place 10 unique cards face up in the market and any double ups are placed on top of existing versions of those cards.

Another rule you can easily implement is allowing players to collect one coin from the bank whenever they have no money to spend in a turn. This resolves the issue around wasted turns.

What type of game is Machi Koro?

Machi Koro is a city building game with dice rolling, random production, and tableau building. As you build your city you are effectively building an engine to gain income from dice rolls as every establishment activates on different dice rolls.

Can you buy more than 1 card per turn in Machi Koro?

No, you can only buy 1 establishment per turn on Machi Koro.