Cónclave

About this board game

Cónclave is a card game for 2–4 players, played in about 30 minutes, in which emissaries gather at a secret meeting of mages to determine who will control the kingdom’s Magic types.

Each player sends Emissaries from their hand into empty spaces of the Conclave. Every placement can shift the balance of influence, as players seek alliances with the three Brotherhoods and attract followers into their Influence Zone.

When an emissary is placed, check the cards in its row and column. If the total influence in a line reaches 10 or more, mages sharing the emissary’s color or Brotherhood leave the Conclave and join that player’s followers. The emissary remains in the Conclave as another Mage, helping shape future decisions.

• Send emissaries to empty spaces in the Conclave.
• Build influence through color and Brotherhood connections.
• Attract followers from both the emissary’s row and column.
• Work toward controlling at least one Magic by the end of the game.

Followers are valuable, but they can also become a liability. At the end of the game, followers belonging to a Magic you do not control become disappointed and count against you as Resentment Points. The player with the fewest Resentment Points wins, making careful alliances just as important as gaining influence.

With its compact play time and focus on tactical card placement, Cónclave turns every empty space into an opportunity—and every alliance into a potential risk. The game received the Best Card Game award from Carta Mundi at Premio Archimede 2018 and won the Ciudad de Granollers Contest 2018.