A Game of Thrones The Board Game (2nd Edition) - Epic Strategy in The World of Westeros, Tactical Wargame for Adults, Ages 14+, 3-8 Players, 2-4 Hour Playtime

Simply put, this is one of the best board games ever made. I've been a boardgame geek now for about ten years, and I've played well over a hundred different board and/or card games (mainly European) from every existing genre. I also own several games, and A Game of Thrones: The Board Game Second Edition (GoT) is one of the only games I would never even consider trading or selling. The Facts: The game plays three to six players. The rule set is actually considered simple for a war-strategy game (less complex than Axis and Allies yet slightly more complex than Risk), and anyone can learn the basics in under half an hour of instruction. Otherwise, the rules manual is very well organized and easy to follow if a newbie would rather just read it. A typical six-player game (recommended) can last anywhere between four and six hours, depending on the players' experience. The game does have a finite clock set to ten rounds, so even heavy "analysis paralysis" amongst players won't make the game last forever. Fans of the HBO series and/or books who have not completed the story need not fear of spoilers as the game does not deal with any actual events from the books (it does reveal the names and associated Houses of characters and places through book three, but nothing that's going to spoil anything for you). An optional card deck called "Tides of Battle" is also included, allowing for a more Risk-like element of luck to be utilized when playing (actually quite fun). The 2nd edition of the game includes the Southern Expansion as part of the main board, as well as those updated rules and corresponding House cards. This edition does NOT include the most recent expansion. The Pros: For the most part, GoT has a very taught rule set, minimizing loopholes and/or contradictory rules that plague many lesser war strategy games. After a couple play-throughs, I also found most of the rules to be quite intuitive and easy to remember. This is a HUGE plus for a game with so much going on, and because there is so much going on at any given time, GoT is incredibly engaging. Hours really do seem like minutes when playing. I've had six-hour sessions only to be frothing at the mouth to play again. one of the more fun scenarios of the game is when every player must bid against one another on the influence tracks. Sometimes the bidding wars are more fun than the actual combat! Another plus to this game is its beautiful design and artwork. No expense was spared on what you receive out of the box, making it intrinsically worth every penny. The Cons: After about ten play-throughs so far, I've really only found one potential gripe, and many may not even consider it to be a negative. Basically, the game can be so much fun at times that an easy trap for a player (especially a newcomer) to fall into is to lose sight of the object of the game, which is to acquire the most castles and/or strongholds by the end of round ten (acquiring seven makes for an immediate win). If that is not your ultimate goal, then you're not really playing the game. Often times players will spend most of the game either backing an alliance that they've struck or carrying out personal vendettas, forgetting that they themselves must have the most castles to win! Though that can be frustrating for competitive players, it also just points to the game's extreme fun factor. You really can lose yourself in it. So if you're a fan of the books/series and you appreciate an accessible war strategy game, then GoT is a must-have for your game closet. My friends and I now dedicate entire days (or nights) to convening for a session or two, and never have we walked away without grins on our faces. The board game that put Fantasy Flight on the map is still one of the best games of the last decade.

I recently had to buy this board game because I am a fan of the show and had to somehow fill the void left by the 2nd season finale! I came by the board game searching for the books on amazon and upon researching if it was too hard to play I decided to give it a shot. I am by no means a serious board game player and not into board games all that much. I have only played board games a handful of times these last few years with Monopoly being the most complex and I have played RISK maybe 5-10 times my whole life so don't be scared to try this game if you think is too hard. I have played this game 4 times now with only casual board game players like myself and the overwhelming majority of them have enjoyed it. It did help that most of them were fans of the show as well but once you get into the game you really enjoy it and lose track of time as you are constantly planning your next move, who to form an alliance with, whether to betray a current alliance etc. So even those not familiar with the show will enjoy it! What I really like about the game is it's mostly strategy that will determine whether you win or lose, though luck will always play some roll. It's important to mention the game comes with an optional add-on(Tides of Battle cards) that creates that extra bit of chance for those who prefer that. As for the complexity of the game it really is easy once you start playing it. What makes it feel complex is that there are a lot of rules and things to keep up with, but it's quite simple to follow them once you've played for a few rounds (though you will find yourself correcting things that were being played wrong in subsequent games). What I would suggest for casual board game players to do is read the rules once, watch a youtube video (there's quite a few out there but this one I found to be the most helpful [...] and just start a practice simulated game. The one good thing about the instructions is that they are set out in the order that the game will be played so you can play a simulated game as you read the rules. It really only takes a few game rounds to get the gist of it, off course some things will require re-reading as with any game. I'll mention again that setting up the game and playing a simulated game as you read the rules will REALLY help you understand the game! The one thing to take into consideration when buying this game is that it will take 3-5 hours to complete. The more experienced the players the less time it will take but I always tell new players to expect to play for 5 hours. Be sure the people you play with know this so everyone's into the game when you are crossing that 3hr mark.(which actually goes by fast when you're playing the game) In conclusion it's a really entertaining game and even casual gamers will like it. It's a game that will make you think and give you a "can't wait till my next turn" feeling. Like the show the game will bring out unusual alliances and backstabbing which just makes it more fun! For fans of the show it's great to use the character you like and playing the board game gives you a sense of the territory of Westeros and the advantages/disadvantages the families have. If you are unsure because you think it might be too complex don't be, the game is a lot of fun and after a few times playing it you will find yourself(as other reviewers have mentioned) interested in similar strategy based board games!

I ordered this game because I'm a fan of ASOIF, strategy, and board games in general, but I was a little worried it wouldn't appeal to my friends who aren't as in to any of those things as I am. Hours of gameplay later, I know that concern was unfounded. Once you get over the initial hump of learning the rules (the systems are pretty simple and straightforward individually, but there are a lot of them), the core gameplay is immediately appealing even to people who couldn't care less about the setting and aren't normally interested in strategy games. The backstabbing, competing for resources and constant wagering (on influence auctions, on House Card choices, on whether you'll really get the support you were promised) rope people in. It has none of the monotony of Risk, where massive armies grind each other down to nothing through endless dice rolls. Everything happens quickly and decisively. The ten-round limit and seven-castle win condition also serve to keep things moving, because the ceiling is low enough that there are usually multiple players within just a couple moves of victory. It only took one or two games to get my friends hooked on it and now we play the game regularly. The gist of the game is that each house, with a unique starting position and house cards, competes to control castles. Castles are not just victory points, they're also centers for recruiting your armies- but in order to take and hold castles you need to control supplies, which allow you to support more troops, and power, which helps you expand your political power and move you up the influence tracks. The type and number of orders you can issue to your troops are limited by your order tokens, so every player needs to be economical with their raids, attacks, supports and the like. Because there's so many kinds of scarcity in this game, players need to know when to cooperate and when to betray each other. The end result is a high-stakes and fast-moving game that rewards people skills and good timing as much as knowledge of the rules and tactical ability. When it comes to the physical components, everything is well-made and the overall design is very attractive. My only complaint is that, although there are bags for each of the decks of cards, the reference sheets and even the map, plus a band to hold the house screens together, there's nothing to hold the hundreds of cardboard tokens that come with the game and the way they divide up the military units is not useful (grouped by unit type instead of by player). I've found it really cuts the setup time if you just get six sandwich bags or something and put all the units, order tokens, and other player-specific stuff into one bag for each house. Otherwise, you'll find yourself wasting a ton of time sifting through ~300 loose pieces trying to make sure each player has everything they need.

Only have played it a few times, with 3, 4 and 5 players. I find it quite enjoyable. The system is not complicated, there is just a lot to do each round. That's the complexity of it, not that any one rule is all that complicated. It took a 3rd time to really get into the strategy. So your first few games should be to learn the game. And even in learn game mode you start seeing strategies you will definitely use in future game plays. Gotta love the huge board. Great artwork on the cards. Units are decent enough, not detailed, but don't need to be. There is a lot you have to watch as you control and build and sustain your armies when trying to conquer 7 Castles or Strongholds. Lean in any one direction too far, and you will open yourself to weaknesses. This adds some great layers to the game. Do you spend a token to control an area you just left? Of do you keep it to get a better ranking on the 3 Command Tracks? Or do you keep it and use it in case a Wilding Attack occurs? Maintaining supply lines are also important. Do you use your token from above to keep that piece of land that give you an extra supply barrel? Cause if you don't your army might have to reduce it's numbers to fit the supply track, which give you less tokens for the command track and wilding attacks. (I love the fact that when wildings attack, all the players have to participate in defending Westeros...or else.) Interactions and alliances between players are highly recommended. With the use of text messages to send 'ravens' to other players in hope for support the angles this game can go can be quite generous and will add a lot of variety to each play session. Though at the time of this review, we have yet to really do much allying and backstabbing with each other. There is a lot to like about this game. With many options and ways to play each house. There is much you have to watch to keep your Family strong. Cons: Not quite simple enough to pick up and play. There are videos on youtube that have helped greatly learning this deep board game. So watch those before you play. But to call this a 'con' is kind of taking the fun out of learning a new game, which I very much enjoyed doing with this game. Don't know if it will ever happen, but more expansions would be great. I do have the expansion for this, but it needs 6 players, and I haven't rounded up enough people for that type of game yet. Overall, this is a great game, taking place in a great universe, with loads of variety.

I've played dozens of games of this board game, and most of those were with the same group of 6 people over the span of a few weeks. I really enjoy this game, but it should be noted that it is NOT an easy game to explain, and the rules feel a little clunky at times - I still need to review ports before I start a game. That said, within those rules is a really terrific game for the theme - A Game of Thrones. If players know the rules pretty well, games last about 2-2.5 hours minus setup time (though if players are reasonably confident with rules the setup is actually pretty quick). The game is broken into phases - secretly placing orders on each of your units, revealing all of the orders on the map, and resolving them. There is a huge amount of strategy involved in order placement, and the orders themselves (particularly supporting) can help instigate alliances or promote betrayals. On the first few plays, the game feels a bit unbalanced toward Greyjoy, and to a lesser extent, Baratheon. After our first 5 games, we started to keep track of who was winning and with what house. Our results generally showed that Tyrell and Stark were the two strongest factions, followed by Baratheon and Greyjoy, then Martell and Lannister. Greyjoy's new player advantage mostly stems from that new players are generally too nice to fight each other until late game, generally forgetting what game they're playing (you win or you die). Tyrell is simply better at breaking stalemates and winning on time, and Baratheon is strong simply because other players tend to ignore them. Lannister is not super strong, but if played like a Lannister can do really well. That said, once everyone has a few games under their belt, the balance issues are not as prevalent, and expansions really help that fact. The base game is really only balanced around a 6 player game. A Feast For Crows expansion helps that a bit for cheap, and the new Mother of Dragons adds a lot of new elements, namely making lower player counts much more tolerable and thematic. Your enjoyment of the game is also really dependent on the group you're playing with. You really need to be comfortable with backstabbing, lying, and getting mad with each other. I've played with a group that was really good about this and it's some of the most enjoyable board game experiences I've had, but I've also played with close friends who were incredibly passive and it was much less enjoyable. In summary, if you're a casual board gamer who is intrigued by the theme - go watch some YouTube videos of gameplay and see if this level of complexity is for you. If you want a board game that takes a bit of time to get the hang of, but is as close to feeling like Game of Thrones as any game could be, then this is a terrific game. This is not a party game for casual fans of the show (it actually came out before the show even started), but is a great game if you can get 6 good people together for a night of it.

George R. R. Martin's "A Song of Ice and Fire" book series is absolutely wonderful. It succeeds largely by presenting a grand, epic scope of wars and conflict, dragons, and wraiths, but also manages to create interesting characters and tell intimate stories. Other key factors in the books are treachery, intrigue, and betrayal. Fantasy Flight Games' "A Game of Thrones: The Board Game" manages to recreate all of the thrilling adventure of the books, but most importantly offers that same great sense of back-stabbing and double-crossing. Up to six players take on the roles of the book's great houses, each with their own geographic starting lands on the board. Each player commands units which can then attack other players in an attempt to be the first to capture the most castles. The problem is that with supply caps no one house can become powerful enough to conquer the needed objectives on his own, and so must rely on the help of others to succeed. This is dangerous, however, as someone who appears to be winning can easily face the treason of his friends. Game play resembles that of another great game, Avalon Hill's classic "Diplomacy." Players place action tokens near their units face down, then reveal them more or less simultaneously. This allows one player to promise another player the support of his military units, only to reveal that he has betrayed him at the critical moment. It is an absolutely wonderful game mechanic that will will either cause the object of your treachery to hate you until the day you die or howl with laughter. (Seriously, you don't want to play this game with people who take things like this far too seriously- you will lose friends). Other mechanics involve auctions to gain coveted positions in the kingdom, each with their own abilities, and the threat of Wildling attacks from north of the wall. Various other cards allow you to take certain actions each turn in a really interesting manner. All told, "A Game of Thrones: The Board Game" is just a thrilling adventure that will provide hours of entertainment with each game. Check it out- after all, "Winter is Coming!"

A Game of Thrones the board game is a beautiful, high quality board game that is fun whether you're a fan of the series or not. I got the game for $40, which I consider a great deal for a board game filled with so much stuff in it. All of the pieces are of great quality, the board is large and beautiful and perfectly accurate to the world of Westeros. It is a difficult game to learn, so if you're buying it I recommend either reading the instructions thoroughly beforehand and teaching the game to everyone else playing, or watch a YouTube video on a tutorial. There are many rules that are important to know. Also something I should say is that this game is truly at its best with the full six players, so if you struggle to even find four players for board games then this one might not be for you. This game also is not causal. It's long and involved, and has a lot of strategy and thinking. If the people you game with don't fit this description, you could have a hard time finding people interested to play more than once, if at all. But if you're tired of the massive amount of luck that games such as Risk have, this game is perfect for you as it is purely strategy. The only luck factor in this game is even an optional rule that you don't have to play with. I've played this game around a dozen times with my friends already, some of which watch the series and some have never. We all enjoy it. I highly recommend AGOT: The Board Game.

I bought and played this bad boy with several members of the esteemed East Coast Bias podcast while consuming adult beverages and waxing philosophical about the corruption of America's youth via Snapchat and Nicholas Sparks novels. None of us were very familiar with the advanced board game scene, so it was a pretty eye-opening experience. I don't think we're ready for a Settlers tournament yet, but onward... Before we played A Game of Thrones: The Board Game Second Edition (henceforth AGoT:TBG2E), we each tried to read the 30 pages of instructions. We understood very little and figured we would try to play as we went. No one wanted to be the Greyjoys, so we picked out of a hat. Naturally I had to play as Theon and co. From there we kind of fumbled our way through the game. It was pretty-to-very enjoyable. I look forward to our next play, but unfortunately being almost 30 there is only so much time for complicated board games with your friends. I blame Mrs. Philyodaddy, she's always wanting me to do stuff like visit museums or go to work. Woman, I have been waiting to use this Euron Crow's Eye card for 3 rounds now! Just let me Muster my forces! Leave me alone! I do think this is the type of game that only gets better the more you play as everyone will understand it better. One of our group (The Starks) spent 10 turns moving his forces back and forth between the Northern territories. Have fun up there buddy, I've got a clear path to Kings Landing and I have Valyrian Steel in my hand. ANNYYYWAY, since this is in the "toys" category, I will address philyodaddy's favorite star ranking, Educational Value. 5 Stars. AGoT:TBG2E Teaches children (and grown children like me) important lessons like the geography of Westeros ("No, you dimwit, the Stoney Shore is MILES from the Stoney Sept.") as well as important social dynamics such as: how to stab your friends in the back, a useful talent in Corporate America, just ask the Zuckerberg. On a personal note, it is way too much of them to ask us to keep all of those little pieces in some kind of organized fashion for following playthroughs, I mean let's be real, if you're anything like philyodaddy, your method of cleaning up is throwing everything in the box, slamming the lid shut, clapping your hands together, and saying "All in a good day's work". This is considerably more difficult when there are 689490349 pieces/cards/items included in the game. The board is also the size of a 12-person dining room table. So I hope you have one. My one complaint would be that even with 30 pages of instructions, we still don't know how a few things work. Ports? Ships? Not a clue, we made the rules up as we went along. Pretty sure if there was a professional AGoT:TBG2E society, they would shun the crap out of us.

This is a very impressive board game! It's intended for adults (or, at the very least, older children) - as it's a rather sophisticated game, requiring a lengthy attention span. You'll ideally need 4 to 6 players in order to enjoy the game ... although you could make it work with 2 or 3. And, any more than 6 players, you'll need to operate in teams. The objective is to engage in various tactics - from open diplomacy to secret alliances and bloody warfare - so as to conquer the Iron Throne for your selected House of the Seven Kingdoms of Westros. It's based on George R. R. Martin fantasy novels - 'A Song of Ice and Fire' - and this second edition draws on the imagery as seen in the 'Game of Thrones' TV series. The game consists of a lot ... a large board, and hundreds of cards and tokens. I've attached some photos so you can see the contents. All of it is well made, and this board game is a deluxe item. It can take quite some time to play - between 2 and 3 hours - and each time you play involves a new set of circumstances, depending on the various strategies each player opts to take. I do enjoy board games, and this is one of the more detailed and complex that I've played. Nonetheless, it's a great deal of fun. And I recommend it to fans of 'A Game of Thrones'.

Great game! highly recommended. In summary it is similar to Settlers of Catan however, there is no luck involved (there is an option to add a little bit of luck factor to spice things up). Right amount of complexity, a little more complex than Catan but simple enough that you can get the basic strategy by the end of your first game.

Gameplay: The game is a rich blend of strategy, negotiation, and deception. Each player takes on the role of one of the great houses, vying for control of the Iron Throne. The mechanics are well-balanced, ensuring that no single strategy guarantees victory. The emphasis on diplomacy and alliances adds a layer of depth that keeps every session fresh and unpredictable. Components: The quality of the components is outstanding. The board is beautifully illustrated, and the house tokens and cards are durable and intricately designed. The attention to detail really helps bring the world of Westeros to life on the table. Replayability: With multiple house options and the ever-changing dynamics of player interactions, no two games are the same. The game scales well with different numbers of players, though it truly shines with a full complement of six. Complexity: This is not a game for casual players or those looking for a quick play. The rules are detailed and the strategies involved require thoughtful planning and a willingness to adapt. However, for those who enjoy a challenge, the learning curve is part of the fun and incredibly rewarding once mastered. Time Commitment: Be prepared for long game sessions. A full game can easily last 3-4 hours, but for me, the time flies by due to the engaging and tense gameplay. Conclusion: The Game of Thrones Board Game is a must-have for fans of the series and strategy enthusiasts alike. It brilliantly encapsulates the political intrigue, battles, and shifting alliances of the source material. Gather your friends, prepare for betrayal, and may the best house rule Westeros!

Gioco eccezionale! Puro strategico, senza dadi e molte molte alleanze da fare! Se avete amicizie durature...è la volta buona che le perdete!

While the learning curve is steep. This game once understood is the best board game I have ever played. It has strategy, planning, alliances, betrayal and everything you would expect from the game of thrones franchise (except sex). Everyone will need to watch the tutorial video and read the game rule book to understand the game. A few trial rounds will need to be conducted with the provided reference sheets by your side and everyone will get it. Once you understand the game you will realize how simple it is, it just seems overwhelming at first. The game can be played with 3,4 and 5 players, but the it really comes alive with 6 players. As well players will only truly enjoy it if they are into the Game of Thrones show/books. If you love board games, have a bunch of people to play and have 3-4 hours each gaming session. Then go for it. This game will not let you down.