A Game of Thrones: Hand of the King Card Game

The Starks, Greyjoys, Lannisters, Targaryens, Baratheons, Tyrells and Tullys are all competing to be the Hand of the King, but must contend with the intrigues and malice of various characters of Westeros to do it.

This is a pretty fun game for 2 to 4 players, that is easy to learn and fast-paced. A game can go fairly quick once everyone has gotten the hang of it, and a single round may inly last 10 minutes. Not all the cards get used in a single game, so it has a fair replay value. Though the game is most fun with three or four players, it can still be played with two.

The deck of main character cards is dealt face up in a six by six grid. The Varys card is moved along the grid in specific ways to claim a character and collect house banners. The game ends when Varys can no longer move along the grid, and the player who controls the most Houses is the winner. To keep things interesting, companion cards like Melisandre, Bron or The Faceless Man can steal cards, kill charaters and foil opponent plans.

With enough players, strategy becomes more important, as plotting with other players and planning ahead can really pay off. You can also play in a team mode, where raven cards are played to send messages to friends and enemies alike.

All in all, it made for an enjoyable evening, made even more pleasant by the surprise find of Johnny Walker limited edition White Walker Whiskey at a local travel center!