Keydom is a bidding game where you can select various areas to perform various actions and then a certain number of winners get the items or perform the actions.

Each player has eight numbered discs (which represent various workers you control) and a color screen. There are wood cubes which represent goods of 5 different types (Fish, wood, wheat, coal, beer)

The board is divided up into some 16 different areas:

• 5 areas are productive areas where the players can acquire cubes, a different color cube in each area.
• 6 are town "establishments" where you can have actions performed. Soldier can arrest other players workers, Merchant allows trading of one color cube for another, Priest can demand a tithe from the other players, Midwife can be used to producer a ninth worker, Wizard sells spells, Thief can steal another players goods or treasures.
• 5 are in the castle. 4 areas produce treasures: Chest, key, crown, book of knowledge. The fifth is the Throne room and you may only enter if you have earned all 4 treasures. If you can successfully sit on the throne, you win the game.

Each turn the player play their available disks face down. The disks are numbered and when all of them are placed, they are flipped face up on an area by area basis and the highest numbered disks in the area get first choice of the available slots (ties broken in turn order which rotates each turn):

• The production areas wach have 9 spots: 4 columns of 2 spaces each and 9th tie breaker spot. If the same player occupies both slots in a column he receives 2 cubes (or 4 if his color matches the color of the item) If two different players occupy the same column, the player who chose the tie breakerspot decides how the two cubes to be awarded are awarded--he can give both to the same player or award each player one each. If only one disk ends in a column, no award is made for that column.
• The other areas have a limited number of spots available (usually only one) which grants the winner the right to perform the action. Most areas have a cost: If you want to soldier to "arrest" a disk, you have to pay him 4 cubes each a different color or 8 cubes 2 of each of 4 different colors to arrest in the castle. To use the midwife, you must commit two discs to that area and one (presumably the woman) must remain there for 3 full turns before the baby is born. The costs and requirement are shown on the board. (On midwife rules, I guessed the time scale must be 3 months per turn.)

Overall, I liked the game. The first few turns allow the players to get familiar with the mechanics without putting themselves in a hopeless position. The rules for the distribution of goods provide a lot of choices: Do I go for the tie breaker spot and then try to split pairs with my opponents (and cut him out of the deal) or do I ensure I take a full column for myself? Do I try to emphasize my area or try to gain a variety of goods?

The other choices become difficult as well: Do I challenge someone else for a treasure or wait until I get a chance with no opposition? Do I try to arrest or tithe my opponents so they can't do what they want? Etc.

The bits were maybe a not quite up to "German" game (though Keydom is from England) standards--the familiar small wood blocks and disks are used, but the board artwork was more cartoony and the shields were simply colored card stock. A nice touch however is the inclusion of both German and English Spell cards, good for the international market.

Given the limited print run, hopefully anyone who this wants this game can get it. Hopefully the fast popularity (apparently the entire supply was snapped up at Essen within hours) will encourage a reprinting. Soon!