
- BGG rank
- BGG #21,141
- BGG rating
- 5.6
Kittens in a Blender
- 2–4 players
- 20–40 min
- Complexity 1.1/5
- 2011

2012
Rules assistance for Balance of Power
Plain-language explanations of turns, card effects and disputed situations, with official source references and saved question history.

What would you like to know?
Answers come from the official rulebook, with the page to check.
Balance of Power is a board game released in 2012 for 2–6 players, 120 minutes per game, and ages 13 and up. It was designed by Brian Knudson and Brent Knudson and its main mechanics are Area Majority / Influence and Rock-Paper-Scissors.
Game description from the publisher: It is 1815 and the world has been turned upside down. Napoleon Bonaparte has finally been defeated after nearly conquering all of Europe through years of devastating warfare. Now the Great Powers must deal with the chaos left behind. As each nation eagerly tries to grow, a careful balance of governmental, military and economic interests must be maintained. In Balance of Power, players carefully create and move Kings, Generals and Bankers as they capture territories and expand their empires. A player’s skill and strategy are all that stand between him and ultimate victory!
Balance of Power supports 2–6 players according to the catalogue. This range comes from the publisher’s listed player count, so the game can be set up for any group size within it. Some setups, rules and scoring details may still vary by player count, so check your edition’s rulebook for the exact configuration.
The listed playing time for Balance of Power is 120 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.
The catalogue lists Balance of Power for ages 13 and up. This is the publisher’s recommendation and reflects reading demands, rule complexity and small components rather than theme alone. Younger players can often join with help from an adult, so check the age guidance on your edition and consider your group’s experience with board games.
Balance of Power has a complexity rating of 1.8 out of 5 from BoardGameGeek players, which makes it a 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.
Balance of Power belongs to these categories: Wargame, Territory Building, and Napoleonic. Its main mechanics are Area Majority / Influence and Rock-Paper-Scissors. 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 Balance of Power are: Brian Knudson and Brent Knudson. 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 Balance of Power 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.