3 Games to get yourself ready for the final season of Game of Thrones

The final season of Game of Thrones is fast-approaching and there’s nothing better than playing out your grand-strategic plans for control of Westeros, or at least whatever other region you want to gain control of. So, to prepare yourself for the coming six episodes of fantastical wars for the survival of the seven kingdoms, here’s a few games to scratch that political strategy and machination itch.

Coup

The ultimate game of scheming, bluffing and strategic deception, Coup will definitely have you playing the political game against your friends. In Coup, you have the influence of two nobles of the political court, and each noble gives you access to an action, or may block another action. But, you don’t necessarily have to act like they’re the nobles you have. You can take any action you want and anyone at the table can call you out and you need to prove your influence. If you don’t have the right noble, your influence drops from two to one, or can knock you out of the game if it’s your last noble, but if you weren’t bluffing, your opponent is punished instead. The last player standing at the end of the game wins.

Coup really is one of the simplest and best translations of political machinations to hit the tabletop. It can be quite exhilarating to pull a fast one on your opponents and even better when you can catch someone out in a lie. With a low-price tag and a small box, it’s perfect to take along to any gathering with friends looking to stab each other in the back once in a while.

Root

Now, while Coup may satiate your machinations desire, Root will fulfil the strategic. In Root, you control one of the four possible factions, Marquise de Cat, the Eyrie, the Woodland Alliance, and the Vagabonds. Each factions plays differently, with the Cats engine building their resource pool while attempting to police the vast wilderness. Meanwhile, The Eyrie musters their hawks to take back the Woods, and the Alliance hides in the shadows, recruiting forces and hatching conspiracies. Finally, the Vagabond plays all sides of the conflict for their own gain, while hiding a mysterious quest.

This asymmetrical game forces you to think strategically about your moves, all coated in a fantastic splash of colourful, and almost childlike, artwork. Root is a great game to add to your collection, and the Riverfolk Expansion adds two new factions and the ability to play with up to six players.

Game of Thrones: The Board Game

Did you really think I wouldn’t put this on the list? Please. This game is AMAZING. The best way to describe Game of Thrones: The Board Game is to think of it like Risk, but on steroids.

Just like the books, and the TV show, Game of Thrones: The Board Game has you taking control of one of six of the great houses of Westeros (Stark, Lannister, Baratheon, Greyjoy, Tyrell, or Martell) and vying for control of the country against your fellow players. You achieve this by placing orders on the board that can move your armies through the regions, or support neighbouring regions (an ability that you can use to your diplomatic advantage against your opponents), or even consolidating your power to increase the amount of influence you can spend to manipulate one of the three political tracks.

Recently, the Mother of Dragons expansion released and, as I’ve said in a review on the ATGN website, it absolutely is a must-have for anyone who enjoys both the political and the strategic elements of this great game. Not only does it add the Targaryens, along with Daenerys’ three dragons, to the possible playable factions, but it opens up the opportunity for vassal houses to allow you to manipulate the board by-proxy to achieve your final goal of domination.