Barbarian Kings

About this board game

Barbarian Kings is a political and military fantasy wargame for 2–5 players, with an approximate play time of 120 minutes. Each player takes the role of a provincial king seeking conquest and consolidation on the island continent of Castafon.

The game is set during the Red Age, a period of political and military turmoil on the planet Hypastia. This is a world where magic works—sometimes, and where men and near-men are as treacherous and territorial as anywhere in the Universes.

Every player begins with one or more provinces under their control and a limited amount of money. That money is used to raise an army, represented by various die-cut cardboard pieces. The objective is to bring sufficient numbers of provinces under your control, achieving the game equivalent of the Peace of King Coth, which ended the Red Age in 87,805 HE.

• Write movement orders for leaders and armies each turn.
• Make alliances and maneuver against rival provincial kings.
• Resolve battles as players pursue conquest and consolidation.
• Use spells cast by kings and wizards, with magic influencing events across the game.

Force and deceit, maneuver and manipulation all have a place in the struggle for control of Castafon. The written orders, alliances, battles, and spells combine political decisions with military action in a contest for territorial dominance.

Originally published in two editions—one in Ares Magazine #3 and another as an SPI boxed edition—Barbarian Kings was later revised and published by Jolly Roger Games in 2001. The original release dates to 1980.