The Staufer Dynasty

About this board game

The Staufer Dynasty is a competitive board game for 2–5 players that plays in about 90 minutes. Set in 12th-century Europe, it casts players as nobles accompanying Henry VI through six regions controlled by the Staufer family.

The game lasts five rounds, with each player taking three actions per round. Turn order is determined by the position of each player’s family members on the action board, creating a constant tension between acting early and gaining the resources needed for later moves.

• Supply actions: Move envoys and nobles from a province to your personal court, then claim treasure chests from the supply table.
• Move/deploy actions: Travel toward a region, pay for an office seat, and deploy figures in clockwise order.
• Treasure rewards: Collect chests that provide points, figures, one-shot bonuses, or access to privilege cards.
• Regional scoring: Compete for the most office seats in two scoring regions each round.

Moving away from the king’s region may require spending envoys as you travel clockwise. Once a seat is occupied, its chest is claimed, while printed regional bonuses can provide additional rewards such as chests or envoys.

At the end of each round, occupants are removed from the region that scored, new chests are added, and the king moves one to three regions clockwise. His movement returns envoys encountered in the regions he enters to their owners, reshaping future plans.

After the fifth round, players score their treasure chests and secret job cards. In The Staufer Dynasty, careful timing, positioning, resource management, and competition for offices all contribute to the final score.