Reign of Witches

About this board game

Reign of Witches is a 20-minute card game for two players, released in 2020, about America’s Quasi-War with France and the factional conflict within the Federalist Party.

One player takes the role of President John Adams, while the other assumes the role of Alexander Hamilton. Players purchase cards from a market, place them in front of themselves to build influence, and activate their cards for special effects.

• Politics: Hamilton gains political influence more easily than Adams.
• Military: Adams favors the Navy, while Hamilton has an advantage with the Army.
• Opinion: Players wage a war of words, often discarding opposing cards whose powers have not yet been activated.

When the Coup of 18 Brumaire brings the Quasi-War to a close, you must defeat your opponent in at least two of the three categories. That is not enough on its own: your combined standing must also surpass the influence of the non-player Thomas Jefferson, who has been quietly accumulating power while Adams and Hamilton struggle.

Players contend with plague, tax rebellions, slanderous pamphleteers, and events from abroad. The tiny deck evokes a turbulent era through figures and events including the Haitian Revolution, the Battle of the Nile, George Washington, and Napoleon Bonaparte.

In Reign of Witches, victory requires enough strength to overcome both your immediate rival and Jefferson’s growing influence. Historical events may favor Jefferson, but skill and a little luck can secure the election of 1800 for Adams—or for Hamilton’s preferred candidate.