Versailles

About this board game

Versailles is a hand management game for 3–4 players, with play lasting about 45 minutes. Players take the roles of newcomers at the court of Louis the Great, competing to earn a position by courting the palace’s most prominent figures.

The central goal is to win the favor of as many characters as possible while helping them gain as much influence at court as possible. Every decision contributes to the struggle for recognition among the powerful figures surrounding the King.

The influential characters at the palace are:

• The King
• The Queen
• The Cardinal
• The Duchess
• The Chamberlain
• The Seneschal
• The Spymaster

Versailles combines hand management with a clever majority mechanism. Hidden cards keep the contest fluid, creating uncertainty about which player controls which character.

That uncertainty remains in place until the end of the game, making the fight for court favor difficult to read as it unfolds. Players must pursue their ambitions while trying to build influence for the figures they hope to court.

Released in 2015, Versailles offers a focused courtly contest built around hidden information, competing majorities, and the careful management of cards. Its combination of secret control and influence gives each decision a place in the struggle for status at the palace.