Svea Rike

About this board game

Svea Rike is a historical board game for 2–5 players, with an approximate play time of 120 minutes, covering Sweden from 1523 to 1818.

Each player represents one of five noble families seeking to build status during the reigns of Swedish rulers from Gustav Vasa to Karl XIII. Status can be accumulated in several different ways, creating a broad set of goals for each family.

• Fiefs and money
• Troops and merchants
• History cards collected in sets

The history cards include figures and achievements such as queens, scientists, cultural personalities, palaces, and commanders. Collecting these cards in sets is one of the ways families develop their standing across the game’s historical span.

Event cards drive the action. On a turn, a player draws an event card and may play as many event cards as they see fit, whether during their own turn or not. These events generally help the player who uses them, hinder opponents, or do both, producing a constantly changing series of developments.

First published by Casper in 1996, the game was later published by Användbart Litet Företag (ALF) in the early 2000s after Casper’s demise. Svea Rike was expanded by Svea Rike: Batalj, adding to this portrayal of Sweden’s long historical period.