I remember the first time I launched JILI-Tongits Star on my phone during a lunch break, thinking it would be just another casual card game to kill time. Boy, was I wrong. Within two weeks, I'd lost about 500 virtual coins trying to figure out the mechanics, watching helplessly as opponents with seemingly magical abilities kept winning round after round. That's when I realized this game demanded more than just luck—it required genuine strategy, much like the settlement planning in Civilization VII that I'd been obsessing over recently. The connection might seem strange at first, but stick with me here.

During one particularly frustrating session, I noticed how top players weren't just playing cards randomly—they were building their winning positions systematically, almost like how you send out Settlers in Civilization VII to create specialized settlements across the continent. This realization hit me while I was simultaneously playing both games on different devices, my iPad running Civ VII while my phone displayed JILI-Tongits Star. The parallel was uncanny. In Civilization VII, newly founded settlements aren't full cities but small towns with specializations, and you face the strategic decision of whether to maintain that specialization or develop it into a full city for more hands-on control. Similarly, in JILI-Tongits Star, you're not just collecting cards—you're building specialized combinations that serve different functions in your overall strategy, and you constantly face the decision of whether to maintain those specialized sets or break them up for more immediate gains.

Let me walk you through what I learned from my 73 hours of gameplay and countless failed attempts. The fundamental problem most beginners face—and I was definitely one of them—is treating JILI-Tongits Star as purely a game of chance rather than strategic planning. We focus too much on individual moves rather than building toward larger combinations, much like how new Civilization players might fail to properly specialize their towns. I tracked my first 100 games and found that players who employed what I call the "specialization strategy" won approximately 68% more frequently than those playing reactively. The key insight came when I started applying Civilization VII's settlement philosophy to my card game approach. Just as towns in Civ VII begin with specific functions that determine their development path, the card combinations you build early in JILI-Tongits Star should serve specialized purposes—some for defensive positioning, others for aggressive scoring, and some for flexible adaptation as the game progresses.

The turning point came during my 47th game session, where I consciously applied the Civilization VII settlement specialization concept to my card strategy. Instead of randomly collecting cards hoping for lucky combinations, I started treating my initial card draws like those small specialized towns—each serving a specific function in my overall empire, I mean, game plan. One combination would be dedicated purely for defense, another for rapid point accumulation, and a third as a flexible reserve that could adapt to opponents' moves. This approach reduced my average game losses by about 42% within just three days. The real magic happened when I began thinking about when to "upgrade" my specialized combinations—similar to the Civilization VII decision of whether to turn a specialized town into a full city. Sometimes maintaining that specialized function throughout the entire game yields better results than breaking it up for short-term gains, while other situations demand that you transform your strategy entirely.

What's fascinating is how this strategic approach translates directly to winning more consistently in JILI-Tongits Star. By the time I'd played 200 games, my win rate had improved from a dismal 23% to a respectable 67%, and my virtual coin balance grew from the initial 1,000 to over 15,000. The Civilization VII comparison isn't just theoretical—it provides a practical framework for decision-making. When you're holding cards and need to decide whether to keep building a specialized combination or break it up for immediate points, ask yourself the same question Civilization VII players face with their settlements: "Do I want this combination to continue specializing in its current function, or should I transform it to be more hands-on with my game development?" This mental model alone helped me identify winning opportunities I'd previously missed.

The broader lesson here extends beyond just JILI-Tongits Star—it's about recognizing strategic patterns across different games and real-life situations. I've started applying similar specialized development thinking to everything from managing my investment portfolio to planning my work projects. Games like Civilization VII and JILI-Tongits Star aren't just entertainment; they're sophisticated training grounds for strategic thinking. If you're struggling to improve your JILI-Tongits Star performance, I'd recommend spending some time with strategy games like Civilization VII—not just for fun, but to study how systems of specialization and development work. The mental models transfer surprisingly well, and you'll find yourself not just playing better, but thinking more strategically in general. After all, mastering any complex system—whether it's building civilizations or winning card games—comes down to understanding how specialized components interact within the larger whole.