A Review of "A Game of Thrones: The Board Game"

So, I really enjoy George R.R. Martin’s, A Song of Fire and Ice. I also enjoy the HBO’s adaptation of A Game of Thrones. And so, I was somewhat excited when my sister-in-law, Beth, got a copy of Fantasy Flight’s A Game of Thrones: the Board Game (2nd edition). It took us a while to get around to it, but last night Beth, my wife Nicole, and I gave it a try.

Sidenote: It should be made clear: this isn’t the board game adaptation of the HBO adaptation of A Game of Thrones. This is a board game based on the novel, and so folks coming to it expecting film stills from the HBO production—images of Sean Bean and Emmy-award winning actor Peter Dinklage—will be disappointed (not that there’s anything wrong with the HBO production. It’s great! I’m looking forward to season 2.)

A brief historical excursion: 

In the past I’ve tended to be less of a “boardgamer” and more of an RPGer. Although I’ve preferred tabletop roleplaying games since I started playing them, I’ve also greatly enjoyed strategy games like Risk, Axis and Allies, Squad Leader, and Shogun. But about seven years ago, after I graduated from undergrad, I made contact with a really great group of boardgamers through a co-worker of mine. They introduced me to all sorts of boardgames: The Settlers of Catan, Ticket to Ride, Puerto Rico (yes, the game, not the country).

Since then, I’ve been eager to play more "euro" board games. Of late, my favorite game is Arkham Horror, published by Fantasy Flight Games. This is a great game set in the world of H.P. Lovecraft’s fiction and Cthulhu Mythos.

Back to the game:

Which reminds me: A Game of Thrones: the Board Game is published by Fantasy Flight Games. When I learned this, I was excited, because they have a very good reputation as a game company and their version of Arkham Horror is so fun.

Let me be up front: I loved the game. I think it has great potential for “cloak and dagger” intrigue (alas, not much of this happened with just 3 players).

Unlike other strategy board games, like, say, Axis and Allies, the point is not simply to build armies and deploy battle tactics. You could conceivably win this game by taking no military actions whatsoever. Also, the battle mechanic in this game is somewhat simplified, making players consider alternatives to victory.

That’s another important element of the game: it’s diceless. There is no random element, other than a few decks of cards that generate events each turn. I love that. I like the idea of diceless games.

I’m sure everyone who has played the Risk has experienced this irritating phenomenon: when you attack, say, Madagascar with 30 armies and your opponent--the dice having been bespelled by dark sorcery--defends with one army. Yeah. Statistics. Kind of silly.

There’s something to be said about diceless games: you can’t claim the dice were in your favor or they were against you. If you win, you win; if you lose, you lose.

Another thing that has to be noted about this game is the artwork. It’s beautiful! The tokens, the figurines, the cards, the game board map: all of it is just so-detailed, skillfully drawn, and truly captures the essence of Martin’s continent of Westeros.

I’m sure this artwork has been doctorted up digitally (who doesn’t do this these days?). And yet, theres that raw “brush stroke” quality to the artwork that is missing in a lot of the contemporary gaming art I encounter.

One last thing that makes this game fun: in spite of it being a cloak-and-dagger, stab-eachother-in-the-back sort of game, there is also a mechanic that forces you to occasionally come together in the name of Westeros: the wildling attack. There are some pretty horrible consequences for a wildling victory. This is a great additon for a game like this, I think. Taking out your enemy becomes more of a moral dilemma when you know they are all that’s seperating you from the hordes to the north.

Conclusion: 4.5 stars out of 5. 

By the way, here’s a link to my Boardgame Geek profile. I’m new on there, and so I’d be eager to make any connection! Jason's Board Game Geek Profile