Influence… Backstabbing… Aristocracy
•••Game Stats: Royals•••
•Producers: Arcane Wonders/Dice Tower Essentials
•Designer: Peter Hawes
•Players: 2-5
•Sweet Spot: 3-4 players
•Mechanics: Area Control/Set Collection-ish
•Long-Distance Hacks: A copy of the game for each side is recommended due to the various tokens and points to keep track of.
Royals is a rich, strategic dream where favor is won by schmoozing with aristocrats and backstabbing your way to the top.
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•THOUGHTS•
Kitty: Well… I may be biased because I’m a sucker for the theme, but Royals is an absolute gem!
Brooks: Strap in for a bunch of royalty and Shakespeare puns…
Lizzy: Yes, I agree the theme is amazing, but it also has thoughtful and engrossing strategy regarding when and whom to influence and take control of certain countries.
Brooks: The artwork is stunning as well. Deep jewel tones and detailed portraits bring to life the struggle for power in the age of nobility. And in classic 17th century, European style, there’s plenty of scheming to go around! Keeping control of the countries and royalty is a strategically satisfying balancing act.
Kitty: Yeah, I would appreciate if you would stop taking control of the French princess I worked so hard to woo! Anyway… I totally agree; the artwork is superb (I’m looking at you, Natalie Portman-ish box art). My favorite part is the tug-of-war mechanic that forces you to vie for control over already-owned territories using methods of backstabbery! “Is this a dagger I see before me?!” I have to say, the game as a whole is a Royal Flush!
Brooks: See, Shakespeare and puns. I called it. *Loudly sings along to ‘Royals’*
Lizzy: For remote play, we definitely recommend a copy for each side. The main aspects of strategy stem from the area control and influence majorities for the aristocrats. You’ll want to be able to keep your eye on everything easily, especially when playing with foes as sneaky as these two. Royals is beautiful and engaging! We highly recommend!
Brooks: 9/10 ~ Kitty: 9.5/10 ~ Lizzy: 8.5/10
•••Game Playlist•••
Royals ~ Lorde
Cheap Queen ~ King Princess
King of Anything ~ Sara Bareilles
King ~ Years & Years
Wild ~ Royal Teeth
Dukes ~ Repartee
Wait For Me ~ Kings of Leon
Kings & Queens ~ Mat Kearny
To Kingdom Come ~ Passion Pit
King of the Clouds ~ Panic! At the Disco
Long Distance Gamers 