Founders Collector Box
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FroGames — Moments You'll Remember
You don't know who is building on your side. You don't know who you're truly helping. And by the time you figure out who to trust, it's too late to change your plans.
WHAT IT'S ABOUT
The City is born in ice. Alliances remain invisible.
In a snowy, wind-beaten landscape, a group of explorers discovers a gigantic cavern with an immense structure at its center: the Hearth. Around it, the Master Founders lay the foundations of what will become The City, home of the powerful I C E Guilds. Set as a prequel in the I C E universe, Founders is a strategic tile-placement game designed by Hugo F. and Samson F.P. and illustrated by Léonard Dupond.
At the start, you receive two objective cards from two different Guilds. Each has a twin in the hands of another player: that's your secret alliance, but no one truly knows the entire network. At the end of the game, for each family of objectives, only the lowest score between the two twins counts. It's not enough for you to do well: your unknown ally must also do well. And in the end, only one player claims the title of Master CryoArchitect.
This is the Collector Box (Deluxe), the all-in-one edition: base game, the two expansions Beyond The Hearth and Rise of the Guilds, and a flood of deluxe components, all in a single box. Available for pre-order only and in English.
FroGames' take
A city builder where you don't know who is building with you or against you — until it's too late to fix it.
The secret of Founders in one line
Your score depends on someone you didn't choose. To win, you must help an ally you must first guess.
From the game experience
Founders Collector Box
FrogScore · FroGames editorial rating · based on rules, publisher's materials, and game sessionsElements of the city
What you place, what you hide, what you reveal
District tiles
In turn, you place a tile to expand The City around the Hearth. Each one brings closer (or further away) your objectives and those, unknown, of your secret allies.
Objective cards
You receive two cards from two different Guilds. Each has a twin in the hands of another player: that's your secret alliance. You must deduce who they are by watching what they build.
"Weak link" scoring
For each family of objectives, only the card with the lowest score counts. It's not enough for you to do well: your twin must also do well. Only one Master CryoArchitect wins.
The Hearth
The heart of the city from which everything radiates. Tiles closer to the Hearth are worth more, but are also the most contested. Controlling the center means controlling the score.
What the Collector Box (Deluxe) contains All-in-one · base + 2 expansions + deluxe components ▼
The Collector's Edition gathers the entire Founders experience in one box, with premium materials. Available for pre-order, English language only.
- FOUNDERS base game — the complete experience of tile placement and hidden alliances.
- Expansion: Beyond The Hearth — additional content that expands The City beyond the central Hearth.
- Expansion: Rise of the Guilds — new material dedicated to the Guilds and their objectives.
- Deluxe components — custom screen-printed Monolith pawns, metal Renown point tokens, screen-printed Guild pawns, 5 yak pawns, metal First Player marker, and velvet bag.
When it counts, you find out who kept you afloat — and who you helped win without realizing it.
A game in five moments
What happens at the table
Not the rules. The experience.
Discovering the Hearth
Everyone places the first tiles around the central Hearth. The city is still empty, but the first patterns are already forming. Someone builds north, someone else east. You watch their choices and wonder: ally or adversary?
First deductions
You start to notice repetitions. A player places tiles that always satisfy the same type of objective. Could they share one of your card families? Or are they just following their own path? Every placement is a clue, but also a risk: revealing too much means letting yourself be read.
The city takes shape
The City now has clear districts: dense areas, empty areas, strategic connections. The Guilds demand precise structures. You have to choose: complete an objective that also helps your secret twin, or one that only benefits you?
Partial revelation
Someone places a tile that unequivocally reveals their objective. Now you understand if you share a card family. You change strategy: you start building to keep them afloat (or to sink them). But did you arrive in time?
Final scoring
End of game. For each objective family, only the lower score between the two twins is counted. You discover if your unknown ally kept pace — or if they dragged you down through no fault of their own. Only one player becomes Master CryoArchitect. Rarely is it who you expect.
How to play
The flow of each turn
Each turn follows a simple structure: place, resolve, deduce. The complexity is not in the rules, but in the implications of each choice.
Each tile has unique characteristics: shape, icons, connections. Some bring you closer to Guild Demands, others to your secret objectives — and to those, unknown, of your twins.
Add the tile to the City respecting adjacency rules. Each placement affects the final score of multiple players. The question is always the same: who am I helping?
When you complete a Guild Demand or approach an objective, you keep track. Remember: for each family, only the lowest score between you and your secret twin will count.
Watch what others have done: who placed what, where, why. Mentally update the alliance map. At the end of the game, who did you really help?
Why it's different from others
Six mechanics that make a difference
Asymmetrical hidden alliances
It's not a classic hidden role: each of your two objective cards has a twin in the hands of another player. You have to figure out who they are by watching their moves, while they do the same. The network of alliances slowly unfolds.
"Weakest link" scoring
For each objective family, only the card with the lowest score between the two twins counts. It's not enough for you to play well: your unknown ally must keep pace. Yet, in the end, only one Master CryoArchitect.
Tile placement that shapes The City
Every tile you place remains in the City and affects everyone. You build a shared world, where your choices open and close opportunities for others — allies or adversaries alike.
Deduction through placement
No direct questions or voting. You deduce alliances by observing what others build: repeated patterns, preferred areas, fulfilled objectives. Each tile is a clue, but also a possible red herring.
Legacy touch in the I C E universe
Founders is the prequel to I C E, with a light legacy layer: The City grows and carries the traces of games. Not a throwaway, but a world that evolves with those who build it.
Collector all-in-one
This edition includes the base game, the Beyond The Hearth and Rise of the Guilds expansions, and deluxe components (screen-printed pawns, metal Renown tokens, velvet bag). All content, in one box.
How it ends
How to win and how to lose
The game ends when The City reaches the planned size. Then alliances are revealed and scored — but not as you expect.
Victory
- You achieve the highest total score and earn the title of Master CryoArchitect: the sole winner
- Both your families score high because your secret twins also did well
- You read the table and help those you suspect are your allies without revealing yourself too early
Defeat
- You build for the wrong players, helping adversaries instead of your twins
- One of your families collapses because your secret twin fell behind: the lowest score always counts
- You reveal your objectives too early and are systematically blocked
Founders is the city builder where you don't just build districts: you build trust in allies you haven't chosen. And you only find out at the end if it was reciprocated.
Frequently asked questions
Founders Collector Box FAQ
Is the Collector Box worth it, or is the base game enough?
The Collector is the all-in-one version: base game, the Beyond The Hearth and Rise of the Guilds expansions, and deluxe components (screen-printed Monolith and Guild pawns, metal Renown tokens, 5 yak pawns, metallic First Player token, velvet bag). If you already know you're interested in the game and want all the content in one box with premium materials, this is the definitive choice. Available only for pre-order and in English.
It's a legacy game: do I play it once and then discard it?
No. Founders has a touch of legacy — The City grows and carries the traces of games — but it remains a replayable game, not a throwaway experience. With the two expansions in the Collector, variety and content further increase.
How do hidden alliances and scoring work?
At the beginning, you receive two objective cards from two different Guilds. Each has a twin from the same family in another player's hand, without you knowing who it is. At the end of the game, for each family, only the lowest score between the two twins is kept, and your total is the sum of your two families. This is why you must help allies you don't know: their success is also yours.
Is it a bluffing game or a deduction game?
More deduction than bluffing. You can try to mask your objectives by placing ambiguous tiles, but every move leaves traces. It's not pure bluff: it's about reading others' patterns while trying to obscure your own.
With how many players does it perform best?
It works for 2 to 5 players. At 2, alliances are easier to deduce (fewer variables), but the tactical doubt remains intact. At 5, the network of alliances becomes complex and unpredictable. The balance point between deduction and chaos is generally 3-4 players.
Is it available in Italian?
No: this Collector's edition is in English and available only for pre-order. The game has text on the cards (objectives, Guild Demands), so a basic knowledge of English is necessary. There is currently no official Italian edition.
Founders Collector Box (Deluxe) is the all-in-one edition of the strategic tile-placement board game by This Way!, for 2-5 players, duration about 45 minutes, ages 10+. Designed by Hugo F. and Samson F.P., illustrated by Léonard Dupond, it is set in the I C E universe as a prequel. Each player receives two objective cards from different Guilds, each secretly shared with another player: for each family, only the lowest score counts, so you must help allies you don't know. Only one Master CryoArchitect wins. The Collector includes the base game, the Beyond The Hearth and Rise of the Guilds expansions, and deluxe components: screen-printed Monolith and Guild pawns, metal Renown tokens, 5 yak pawns, metallic First Player token, and velvet bag. Mechanics: tile placement, hidden roles, secret objectives, deduction, legacy touch, city building. English edition, pre-order only. Available on FroGames.it.
Founders Collector Box
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