Game of Thrones Board Games: strategy board game
Game of Thrones Board Game: How a Round Works
The Game of Thrones Board Game is a strategy game for 3 to 6 players from Fantasy Flight Games, based on the A Song of Ice and Fire novels. Lead a Great House, issue secret orders, and fight for castles and strongholds across Westeros.
- 2011
- 3-6 players
- 120-240 minutes
- Ages 14+
- strategy board game
- Fantasy Flight Games
Designers: Christian T. Petersen
Orders are down and faces are blank. Someone at this table is about to be betrayed.
Every round follows the same three phases. The steps below take you from the Westeros cards to the last resolved order and show where negotiation fits. Want to browse the games first? The Game of Thrones board games page compares every option.
Orders stay hidden until the Action phase.
Quick guide: one round of A Game of Thrones
The game lasts ten rounds. Each round has three phases, always in this order: Westeros, Planning, and Action.
The Iron Throne holder breaks ties.
- Step 1:
Westeros phase: Reveal the top card of each of the three Westeros decks and resolve its effects. This phase begins in the second round.
- Step 2:
Westeros cards may muster new forces, change supply, call for a bid on the Influence tracks, restrict orders, or trigger a Wildling attack.
- Step 3:
Planning phase: Place one face-down order token in every region containing one of your units.
- Step 4:
Action phase: Reveal all orders at once.
- Step 5:
Raid orders resolve first. Players take turns in the order shown on the Iron Throne track.
- Step 6:
March orders are next. Moving into a region held by another player starts a battle.
- 7Step 7:
To resolve a battle, compare unit strength, order bonuses, and support. Each side then adds a House card. The higher total wins.
- 8Step 8:
Last, players resolve any Consolidate Power orders to gain power tokens.
- 9Step 9:
After round ten, the player who controls the most areas with a castle or stronghold wins.
This round summary skips what orders do, how battles work, and why some positions matter more than others. The next section covers all three and flags what first-time players often miss. Want a lighter card game instead? The Game of Thrones: Hand of the King game is much faster.
Game of Thrones Board Game Rules Explained
Setup
Each player chooses a Great House and places their starting units on the board as shown in the rules.
Place your House markers on the Supply track and the three Influence tracks.
Each player takes their seven House cards to use in battles.
The player highest on each Influence track takes its matching special token: the Iron Throne, the Valyrian Steel Blade, or the Messenger Raven.
Shuffle the three Westeros decks and set them where everyone can see. Prepare the Wildling deck and Wildling threat token.
Turn by turn
Westeros phase
Starting in round two, reveal and resolve the top card from each Westeros deck. Cards may muster forces, set supply, trigger bids for Influence positions, restrict orders or start a Wildling attack.
Planning phase
Place one order token face down in each region with your units. You have only so many of each order type, so you can’t issue the same command everywhere.
Action phase: orders
Resolve orders by type. Raid removes certain orders in nearby regions, March moves units, and Consolidate Power collects power tokens. Defend and Support strengthen your side in battles.
Battles
Each side totals its unit strength, order bonus and support from neighboring regions, then plays a House card. The higher total wins. Losing units retreat, or are removed if they take enough damage.
End of the game and scoring
The game lasts ten rounds. After round ten, whoever controls the most areas with a castle or stronghold wins the Iron Throne.
Key rules
Five order types
March moves units and starts battles. Defend protects a region, Support aids a neighboring fight, Raid removes certain nearby orders, and Consolidate Power gathers power tokens. Each type has a star version.
Limited star orders
Every order type has a stronger, starred version. Your place on the King's Court track determines how many starred orders you can place.
Three Influence tracks
The Iron Throne, Fiefdoms and King's Court tracks set turn order, break battle ties and grant special orders. Players bid power tokens for positions on the tracks.
Special tokens
The Iron Throne holder breaks ties. Once per round, the Valyrian Steel Blade adds a bonus to a fight. The Messenger Raven lets its holder swap an order after all orders are revealed.
House cards
Every battle ends with each player choosing a House card from a hand of seven. Cards feature a character and can add strength, deal extra damage or cancel damage.
Secret orders, open table talk
Orders stay hidden until the Action phase, giving players room to bargain, bluff and guess what the others have planned.
Tips for your first game
- Check the Westeros cards before planning. They can restrict orders or trigger a Wildling attack.
- You have a limited supply of each order type, so you can’t defend or support every region at once.
- Use power tokens to bid on Influence positions and get the tie-breaks you need.
- Choose House cards carefully. Each features a different character and effect.
- Support from a neighboring region can come from any player, even an enemy.
You can get support from any player’s units in a neighboring region.
The rules explain how to win; the setting gives each decision its meaning. Here’s where the game comes from, which houses you can lead, and how the second edition changed the original release. For a more familiar map, fans can also try Risk: Game of Thrones.
The game and the books behind it
After round ten, the player with the most castles and strongholds wins.
The game
Design and release
Christian T. Petersen designed A Game of Thrones: The Board Game for Fantasy Flight Games. The first edition came out in 2003, followed by the revised second edition in October 2011.
Changes in the second edition
The second edition included the A Clash of Kings additions: House Martell, siege engines and ports. It also revised the southern map, adjusted starting positions and House card abilities, and introduced Tides of Battle cards.
The film or series it covers
Based on George R. R. Martin's A Song of Ice and Fire novels, not the HBO series.
Lead one of Westeros’s Great Houses and fight for the Iron Throne. The map is split into regions with castles, strongholds, support barrels and power icons. Meanwhile, the Wildlings threaten the realm.
Scenes and story beats in the game
- 1
The Iron Throne represents power and is the prize everyone wants. Its name also appears on a special token and an Influence track.
- 2
Wildling attacks are part of the Westeros decks.
- 3
The Valyrian Steel Blade is a special token that can swing a battle.
- 4
The second edition has six Houses: Stark, Lannister, Baratheon, Greyjoy, Tyrell and Martell.
What’s in the Game of Thrones Board Game
- Westeros game board
- House cards for the six Great Houses
- Order tokens
- Footman, knight, siege engine and ship units for each player
- Westeros decks
- Wildling deck and threat token
- Power tokens
- Influence track markers
- Special tokens: Iron Throne, Valyrian Steel Blade, Messenger Raven
Game of Thrones board game second edition and expansions
A Game of Thrones: The Board Game (first edition) 2003
The original release, for the A Song of Ice and Fire novels. It was followed by the A Clash of Kings expansion in 2004 and A Storm of Swords in 2006.
A Game of Thrones: The Board Game, Second Edition 2011
A revised edition with updated art. It builds in Martell, siege engines and ports and plays 3 to 6 players.
A Dance with Dragons 2012
Adds 42 alternate House cards and a scenario that shortens the game from ten rounds to six.
A Feast for Crows 2013
Adds a four-player scenario with an alternate victory condition and a House Arryn set of House cards.
Mother of Dragons 2018
Adds House Targaryen with an Essos sideboard, House Arryn and the Iron Bank of Braavos loan system. It brings the playable Houses to eight.
Game of Thrones Board Game questions, answered
How long does a game of the Game of Thrones Board Game take?
The second edition takes 2 to 4 hours, depending on player count and experience. Play ten rounds, unless you choose a shortened scenario.
Is the Game of Thrones Board Game based on the TV series?
No. It’s based on George R. R. Martin’s A Song of Ice and Fire novels, though fans of the show will recognize the Houses and characters.
How many players can play A Game of Thrones: The Board Game?
The second edition is for 3 to 6 players, each leading a Great House. Fantasy Flight Games lists the age range as 14 and up.
What’s different between the first and second editions?
The second edition adds House Martell, siege engines and ports, plus a reworked southern map. It also revises some House card abilities and adds Tides of Battle cards.
How do you win the Game of Thrones Board Game?
After round ten, the player who controls the most areas with a castle or stronghold wins.
Do I need expansions to play the Game of Thrones Board Game?
No. The second edition box has everything you need. Expansions such as A Dance with Dragons and Mother of Dragons add cards, scenarios and Houses.
Orders stay hidden until the Action phase.
The Iron Throne holder breaks ties.
Sources
- Wikipedia: A Game of Thrones (board game) en.wikipedia.org
- Fantasy Flight Games: A Game of Thrones: The Board Game Second Edition fantasyflightgames.com