
- BGG rank
- BGG #7,457
- BGG rating
- 6.8
Hemloch
- 2 players
- 30 min
- Complexity 2.0/5
- 2011

2022
Rules assistance for An Empty Throne
Plain-language explanations of turns, card effects and disputed situations, with official source references and saved question history.
For 2 players

What would you like to know?
Answers come from the official rulebook, with the page to check.
An Empty Throne is a board game released in 2022 for 2 players and 30–40 minutes per game. It was designed by John Clowdus and its main mechanics are Hand Management, Set Collection, and Area Movement.
An Empty Throne is a two player card game pitting players against each other to unite the lands under their own rule and secure their claim to the throne. An Empty Throne was designed to be quick playing and accessible. With a basic understanding of the card types, their roles, and their parts, the game can be played using the Player Reference cards and prompts on The Tombs and Field cards. In this quick playing, combo driven game, players use their two Actions each turn to play (or move/exchange) Kith cards from their hand to the three Fields and The Tombs to acquire additional Kith cards and/or trigger abilities, create coalitions, secure the Fields, and score points. On a player’s turn, they must select two of the following Actions, and may not select the same Action twice in a single turn: Play one card from their hand to their side of The Tombs or a Field*. Play one card from their hand to their side of a Field*. Move one of their played cards to a different Field or The Tombs and the player draws the top card of the moved-to deck. When the game ends, players score points: 2 points for each of their flipped Fields 1 point for each Field where they have at least 12 Value 2 points if they have at least 12 Value at The Tombs 1 point for each revealed Refuge Bonus Kith card in their hand. —description from the designer
An Empty Throne supports 2 players according to the catalogue. This is the publisher’s listed player count, so the game is designed for exactly that number of participants. Variants for other group sizes, if any, are described in the rulebook of your edition, so check it before setting up a different configuration.
The listed playing time for An Empty Throne is 30–40 minutes. This is the publisher’s estimate for a full game. The actual duration depends on the group, the player count and familiarity with the rules: first sessions usually run longer, while experienced groups often finish faster. Setup and teaching time are not included in this estimate.
An Empty Throne has a complexity rating of 2.3 out of 5 from BoardGameGeek players, which makes it a medium-light game. The rating reflects how much rules knowledge, planning and decision-making a typical game demands. Expect a longer first teach for heavier games, and use a preparation guide before game night.
An Empty Throne belongs to these categories: Card Game, Fantasy, and Print & Play. Its main mechanics are Hand Management, Set Collection, and Area Movement. Categories describe the theme and setting of a game, while mechanics describe what players actually do on their turns. Each mechanic links to a catalogue hub with similar games, which helps when you want something comparable.
The credited designers of An Empty Throne are: John Clowdus. These credits come from the published game data and name the people responsible for the game’s design, not its illustrators or publishers. Designer pages on MeepleRules collect other titles by the same designers, which helps when you enjoy a game and want to find similar ones.
The catalogue lists An Empty Throne as a base game. It can be played on its own with the components in the box and does not require any other title. Expansions, if any exist, add new content or rules on top of it and are listed separately in the catalogue with a link back to this base game.