- BGG rating
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Game of Thrones: The Iron Throne – The Wars to Come
- 3–7 players
- 30–60 min
- Complexity 2.8/5
- 2017
- BGG rank
- BGG #4,059
- BGG rating
- 6.8
Game of Thrones: The Iron Throne
2016
Rules assistance for Game of Thrones: The Iron Throne
Plain-language explanations of turns, card effects and disputed situations, with official source references and saved question history.
- 3–5 players
- 30–60 min
- 18+
- Complexity 2.7/5
For 3 players
Rules assistant for Game of Thrones: The Iron Throne
What would you like to know?
Answers come from the official rulebook, with the page to check.
Game of Thrones: The Iron Throne is a board game released in 2016 for 3–5 players, 30–60 minutes per game, and ages 18 and up. It was designed by Bill Eberle, Peter Olotka, Justin Kemppainen, and Greg Olotka and its main mechanics are Variable Player Powers, Hand Management, and Team-Based Game.
Expansions
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About the game
Description from the publisher: In Game of Thrones: The Iron Throne, which uses the game systems from Cosmic Encounter, you and your friends each command one of the Great Houses of Westeros, pitting iconic characters against each other in epic battles and schemes. Negotiate, bluff, forge alliances, threaten your rivals — use every tool at your disposal to spread your influence, establish supremacy, and claim the ultimate prize: the Iron Throne! In more detail, each turn centers around the resolution of an encounter between two players. These encounters can result in hostilities, startling conquests, and the spread of influence, or they can result in the formation of temporary alliances. And though only two players in any encounter will be the "active" players, your friends might offer you their support — or turn around and offer it to someone else. The encounters of The Iron Throne resolve quickly, but they are full of opportunities for cunning strategy, devious intrigues, and brokered alliances. Each features a challenger and a defender, and after these players assign characters to resolve the encounter on the behalf of their Houses, other players may offer their support to either side. In this way, an encounter that starts as a contest between the Lannisters and the Starks may escalate and draw in the support of the Tyrells or other Houses. However, there's more to the encounters of The Iron Throne than this initial jostling for power, even with all the alliances and betrayals it can entail. There are still schemes within schemes, and the bluffs, negotiations, and hidden information that color these encounters as the active players discuss the House cards they intend to play. Of course, there's a very good chance that one or both of them may be lying, but they can offer and even agree to a truce. Or they can bid cards from their hands, hoping to win hostilities with the higher total power. In the event of a truce, the active players discuss what they may give each other in order to maintain the peace. In the event of hostilities, however, one side will win, and the other will suffer. You might seize influence or take hostages, or you may even have your characters put to the sword. Win enough of these encounters, though — and find the right ones to lose — and you might find yourself in position to seize the Iron Throne. The goal of the game is to spread five of your influence to your opponents' House cards and take the crown for yourself.
Publishers
- Edge Entertainment
- Delta Vision Publishing
- Kaissa Chess & Games
- Galápagos Jogos
- ADC Blackfire Entertainment
- asmodee
- Fantasy Flight Games
- Heidelberger Spieleverlag
- Galakta
- HBO (Home Box Office)
Questions and answers
Game of Thrones: The Iron Throne supports 3–5 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 Game of Thrones: The Iron Throne is 30–60 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 Game of Thrones: The Iron Throne for ages 18 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.
Game of Thrones: The Iron Throne has a complexity rating of 2.7 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.
Game of Thrones: The Iron Throne belongs to these categories: Movies / TV / Radio theme, Bluffing, and Negotiation. Its main mechanics are Variable Player Powers, Hand Management, and Team-Based 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 Game of Thrones: The Iron Throne are: Bill Eberle, Peter Olotka, Justin Kemppainen, and Greg Olotka. 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 Game of Thrones: The Iron 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.