- BGG rank
- BGG #14,806
- BGG rating
- 6.4
Web and Starship
- 2–3 players
- 120 min
- Complexity 3.4/5
- 1984
- BGG rank
- BGG #15,527
- BGG rating
- 6.1
Barbarian Kings
1980
Rules assistance for Barbarian Kings
Plain-language explanations of turns, card effects and disputed situations, with official source references and saved question history.
- 2–5 players
- 120 min
- 12+
- Complexity 2.3/5
For 2 players
Rules assistant for Barbarian Kings
What would you like to know?
Answers come from the official rulebook, with the page to check.
Barbarian Kings is a board game released in 1980 for 2–5 players, 120 minutes per game, and ages 12 and up. It was designed by Greg Costikyan and its main mechanics are Area Movement, Dice Rolling, and Secret Unit Deployment.
Similar games
- BGG rank
- BGG #6,851
- BGG rating
- 6.5
The Creature That Ate Sheboygan
- 2 players
- 90 min
- Complexity 1.7/5
- 1979
- BGG rank
- BGG #8,358
- BGG rating
- 7.0
Swords & Sorcery: Quest and Conquest in the Age of Magic
- 2–7 players
- 180 min
- Complexity 3.2/5
- 1978
- BGG rank
- BGG #4,995
- BGG rating
- 6.8
Pax Britannica: The Colonial Era 1880 to the Great War
- 4–7 players
- 480–600 min
- Complexity 3.9/5
- 1985
- BGG rank
- BGG #11,940
- BGG rating
- 6.7
The Return of the Stainless Steel Rat
- 1–2 players
- 60 min
- Complexity 2.6/5
- 1981
- BGG rank
- BGG #10,462
- BGG rating
- 6.8
Fifth Frontier War
- 2–4 players
- 240–360 min
- Complexity 2.9/5
- 1981
- BGG rank
- BGG #16,585
- BGG rating
- 6.0
Air Cav
- 2 players
- 90 min
- Complexity 2.7/5
- 1985
- BGG rank
- BGG #6,713
- BGG rating
- 6.6
Submarine
- 1–6 players
- 60–180 min
- Complexity 3.2/5
- 1976
- BGG rank
- BGG #2,552
- BGG rating
- 7.4
Europe Engulfed: WWII European Theatre Block Game
- 2–3 players
- 720 min
- Complexity 3.8/5
- 2003
- BGG rank
- BGG #11,477
- BGG rating
- 6.0
Origins of World War II
- 2–5 players
- 60 min
- Complexity 2.0/5
- 1971
- BGG rank
- BGG #13,541
- BGG rating
- 6.1
DeathMaze: Heroic Adventure in the Corridors of Doom
- 1–6 players
- 90–180 min
- Complexity 1.7/5
- 1979
- BGG rank
- BGG #2,310
- BGG rating
- 7.6
Empires in Arms
- 2–7 players
- 120–12000 min
- Complexity 4.4/5
- 1983
About the game
Political and military wargame set in a fantasy world. The players assume the roles of provincial kings set on conquest and consolidation. Two original editions of this appeared, one in Ares Magazine #3 and one in an SPI boxed edition. A revised edition was published 2001 by Jolly Roger Games. from the Basic Description section of the rulebook: "Barbarian Kings is a simulation of the Red Age of political and military turmoil on the island continent of Castafon in the northern quadrant of the Fira Ocean on the planet Hypastia. This is a world where magic works (sometimes), and men and near-men are as treacherous and territorial as anywhere in the Universes. "The Players (from two to five) assume the roles of Provincial kings, bent on conquest and consolidation. By force and deceit, maneuver and manipulation, each has the goal of bringing under his control sufficient numbers of provinces to win the game (in other words achieving the game equivalent of the Peace of King Coth, which marked the end of the Red Age in 87,805 HE). "Each Player begins the game with one or more provinces under his control and is given a limited amount of money with which to raise and army (represented by the various die-cut cardboard pieces). Each turn in the game, Players write movement orders for their leaders and armies, make alliances, and have battle. In all these activities, the influence of magic is felt through the casting of spells by the various kings and wizards."
Categories
Mechanics
Designers
Publishers
- Hobby Japan
- Jolly Roger Games
- SPI (Simulations Publications, Inc.)
- Kokusai-Tsushin Co., Ltd. (国際通信社)
Questions and answers
Barbarian Kings supports 2–5 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 Barbarian Kings 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 Barbarian Kings for ages 12 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.
Barbarian Kings 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.
Barbarian Kings belongs to these categories: Fantasy, Wargame, and Negotiation. Its main mechanics are Area Movement, Dice Rolling, and Secret Unit Deployment. 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 Barbarian Kings are: Greg Costikyan. 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 Barbarian Kings 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.