- BGG rating
- 8.2
Council of Serpents: Wealth and Wine
- 1–4 players
- 30 min
- Complexity 3.0/5
- 2026
- BGG rank
- BGG #19,483
- BGG rating
- 7.2
Council of Serpents
2026
Rules assistance for Council of Serpents
Plain-language explanations of turns, card effects and disputed situations, with saved question history.
Rules assistant for Council of Serpents
What would you like to know?
Answers come from the official rulebook, with the page to check.
Council of Serpents is a board game released in 2026 for 1–4 players, 30 minutes per game, and ages 14 and up. It was designed by Joeri Hessels and Wouter Moons and its main mechanics are Hand Management, Track Movement, and Solo / Solitaire Game.
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About the game
Council of Serpents is a manipulative tug-of-war game with hidden objectives. Three noble Houses are vying for power, but you are not one of them... You are a member of the Council of Serpents, and manipulate these Houses to achieve your own ambitions. You scheme to orchestrate the triumph or collapse of one of these great Houses by manipulating their three attributes; the strength of their army, the amount of gold in their coffers and their popularity with the people. If one of these attributes ever reaches the top of its track, the game is immediately over, and that House triumphs. Whereas if an attribute reaches zero, the game is also immediately over, and that House collapses. You achieve this by playing Influence cards to cause Conflicts, escalate Conflicts into Wars, prepare for these Wars by playing facedown Intrigue cards, make Peace and orchestrate support from powerful Guilds. After playing an Influence card, you enact the top card of the timetrack, often causing the Houses themselves to act. When the timetrack runs out of cards you collectively build it anew, shaping the plans of the Houses for the turns to come. —description from the publisher
Editions
- Council of SerpentsenWulfhorn Games2026
Mechanics
Designers
Publishers
- Wulfhorn Games
Questions and answers
Council of Serpents supports 1–4 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 Council of Serpents is 30 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 Council of Serpents 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.
Council of Serpents has a complexity rating of 2.4 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.
Council of Serpents belongs to these categories: Card Game, Medieval, and Political. Its main mechanics are Hand Management, Track Movement, and Solo / Solitaire Game. 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 Council of Serpents are: Joeri Hessels and Wouter Moons. 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 Council of Serpents 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.