Shadow Throne

About this board game

Shadow Throne is a strategic card-driven game for 3–5 players that plays in about 30 minutes. Set in the Aclysmian empire, it casts players as members of a secret society seeking influence while a bitter civil war tears the kingdom and royal family apart.

King Kyros clings to power, Queen Eleftheria supports a rebellion of conquered people, and Princess Beatus fights alongside the church after rejecting both parents. Players are not trying to restore peace or set the empire right. Instead, they weave Machiavellian alliances and work to be on the winning side when the conflict ends.

The game unfolds across several battles, with each one beginning as players draft a hand of cards that gives them control over characters from the warring factions. During the battle, everyone simultaneously plays cards from their hands to determine which faction has the greatest power.

• Draft characters from the opposing factions.
• Play cards simultaneously to add power to a battle.
• Switch alliances freely by playing cards from any faction.
• Collect influence when the faction you supported wins.

After the cards are played, the faction with the most power wins the battle. Players who played cards from that faction collect influence points, rewarding timely choices and careful judgment as the war develops.

In Shadow Throne, loyalty is always temporary and every battle can change the balance of power. The game ends once one player has collected enough influence, leaving the secret society to profit from the outcome of Aclysmia’s struggle for the throne.