Leverage

About this board game

Leverage is a two-player strategy board game with a playing time of about 30 minutes, first released in 1977. Built around the universal laws of balance and force, it combines simple rules and game pieces with challenging tactical decisions.

The board remains level until a move causes it to tilt down and rest at one end. When that happens, scoring pegs are removed until the board returns to level, creating constant suspense as the balance of power changes. Players may also rock the board at any time to assess the current leverage advantage.

Every turn offers opportunities for direct action and strategic risk. Players can jump, capture, sacrifice, or block, choosing whether to pursue speed and sacrifice or conserve pieces for greater mass force. These opposing approaches can also merge as the game develops, allowing the position to evolve throughout the contest.

• Weighted playing pieces and a balance-based board
• Scoring pegs that are removed when the board tilts
• Actions including jumping, capturing, sacrificing, and blocking
• Safety Zones that support an alternative route to victory

Victory comes in one of two ways. A player wins by tilting the board toward the opponent when that opponent has no scoring pegs left to remove, or by moving all remaining playing pieces into the opposite Safety Zone while having at least as many scoring pegs as the opponent.

With accessible components but room for sophisticated tactics, Leverage rewards players who can read the shifting balance and adapt their strategy. Its mix of physical action, suspense, and meaningful choices gives every move the potential to change the game.