- BGG rating
- 3.5
Beasts and Diplomacy: The Almanac
- 1 player
- 2026
- BGG rank
- BGG #20,606
- BGG rating
- 6.9
Beasts and Diplomacy
2026
Rules assistance for Beasts and Diplomacy
Plain-language explanations of turns, card effects and disputed situations, with official source references and saved question history.
- 1–6 players
- 45–150 min
- 14+
- Complexity 3.3/5
Rules assistant for Beasts and Diplomacy
What would you like to know?
Answers come from the official rulebook, with the page to check.
Beasts and Diplomacy is a board game released in 2026 for 1–6 players, 45–150 minutes per game, and ages 14 and up. It was designed by Mike Kribel and its main mechanics are Set Collection, Pattern Recognition, and Open Drafting.
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About the game
Beasts and Diplomacy is a card drafting, tableau-building game where players become Knights of the land of Aterra, competing to assemble the best Exhibition of wild and rare Beasts that appeal to the Diplomats of the land. Players must also try to fulfill their secret Quests while ensuring they have enough Ore to maintain their ever-growing Maintenance costs. Like many card drafting games, Beasts and Diplomacy offers interactions like players taking cards before others can get to them, however, unlike other drafting games the design focus isn't on scarcity, but on opportunity. As you play you will have to constantly react to your opponents' actions and formulate new short term plans to achieve your long term goal of having the most balanced Exhibition. When one door closes, several new ones open. It's up to you to find your own path. While the game's actions are fundamentally simple (e.g. icon matching and drafting), Beasts and Diplomacy offers lots of depth and replayability. Your first playthroughs will leave you with a sense that you are just scratching the surface of what is possible, but with experience you'll learn to manage risk, finances, and action sequencing, which will lead to highly tense and competitive playthroughs. After 3 days of drafting cards, undercutting each other and building the perfect exhibition, your exhibitions will be evaluated by your Diplomats and your secret Quests. The Knight with the most Influence Points wins!
Designers
Publishers
- Dragon Dawn Productions
- Dragon Dawn Games
Questions and answers
Beasts and Diplomacy supports 1–6 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 Beasts and Diplomacy is 45–150 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 Beasts and Diplomacy for ages 14 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.
Beasts and Diplomacy has a complexity rating of 3.3 out of 5 from BoardGameGeek players, which makes it a medium-weight 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.
Beasts and Diplomacy belongs to these categories: Card Game, Fantasy, and Animals. Its main mechanics are Set Collection, Pattern Recognition, and Open Drafting. 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 Beasts and Diplomacy are: Mike Kribel. 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 Beasts and Diplomacy 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.