Thingstead

About this board game

Thingstead is a two-player game of influence and hand management, set in a Viking village in the year 1130, with play lasting about 45 minutes. An assembly is being called to elect a new chieftain, and only one rival stands between you and the leadership of the tribe.

Over the course of the game, you must balance your time between the clans and the Thingstead, where the elders have gathered. Each turn, players complete one action at a time, using their cards carefully to influence the village and build support for their claim.

The Seven Elders will ultimately decide who becomes the next Chieftain. The struggle is political rather than physical: manage your hand, play your cards wisely, and seek the votes needed to prevail without dealing a single blow of the axe.

• Designed for exactly two players
• Play time of approximately 45 minutes
• Compete for influence among the clans and the Seven Elders
• Use hand management and carefully chosen actions to advance your campaign

Play continues until one player has locked three Elders, or until the draw deck is empty and both players have run out of cards. These conditions bring the contest to its final vote and determine who has secured the strongest position.

To calculate the final score, players add the points gained from influencing Elders to the points for each Clan they control. The player with the most points wins. If the result is tied, the player with the most Followers among the Elder cards takes the victory.

With its focused two-player contest, Viking setting, and emphasis on timing and card decisions, Thingstead turns a chieftain’s election into a sharp battle for power.