Pyramid Review
A Game of Thrones Board Game
Developed by Christian T. Petersen
Board Game Boxed Set; $49.95
While fans of George R.R. Martin wait for the next book in the Song of Ice and Fire series, Fantasy Flight Games provides us with an alternate way to immerse ourselves in the rich world of Westeros through The Game of Thrones board game. In the game, players assume control of one of the major houses (Lannister, Stark, Baratheon, Tyrell, Greyjoy) as they struggle for military and political dominance over the shattered kingdom. And while knowledge of the story isn't required to play and have fun, it helps the in-game banter.
The rules are very simple and streamlined for a game of this scope and complexity. They can be explained in about 15 minutes to anyone familiar with any other strategy games. Meanwhile, grasping the multitude of factors that go into winning may take many games. The game not only requires a knack for strategic thinking, but also relies significantly on a player's bargaining and bluffing skills. This, coupled with the relatively small size of the game board (in terms of land and sea spaces), forces a lot of interaction between players. The game is very skill-intensive as the only random components are the Events.
A game turn consists of three phases: Westeros, Planning, and Action. During the Westeros Phase, random events are determined by revealing the top card of each of three event decks. They may have . . .
This article originally appeared in the second volume of Pyramid. See the current Pyramid website for more information.
Article publication date: March 4, 2005
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