BoardGame Verdict
89

A large-scale strategy board game of skill and intrigue set in an ancient, crumbling kingdom where players are heirs vying for control of a vacant throne. The game features card-driven conquest mechanics with heavy emphasis on bluffing, blind bidding, and tactical maneuvering as players attempt to claim locations and outmaneuver their opponents.

89

The Verdict

based on 23 reviews

Positive 0%
Mixed 0%
Negative 0%
Exceptional and breathtaking artwork and production quality.
Deep, strategic, and engaging gameplay with a high degree of replayability.
Well-designed asymmetric factions that provide varied and interesting gameplay.
An innovative and successful blend of various game mechanics, including area control, bluffing, and deck building.
Creates a tense and captivating experience with meaningful player interaction.
The game has a high complexity level, making it difficult and time-consuming to teach and learn.
Gameplay can feel chaotic and overwhelming, particularly with more players, which may feel random to some.
Requires a significant amount of table space to play.
The experience can be polarizing, appealing more to dedicated players who can invest time in repeated plays.
100
Wargamer, Alex EvansArticle

It's simply the most surprising, joyous, visually spectacular, strategically sparkling, thematically fulsome board game I've played in recent memory. I believe it's one of the best board games ever made.

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95
Space-Biff!, Dan ThurotArticle

It’s the masterful blend of art and gameplay that evokes a wider world, one halfway submerged between legend and reality. That this is Pablo Clark’s freshman project is frankly astonishing.

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95
Shut Up & Sit Down, TomVideo

The reviewer from Shut Up & Sit Down expressed exceptionally high praise for 'The Old King's Crown,' considering it a potentially phenomenal and beautiful game that could be one of the best releases of its year.

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95
One Stop Coop Shop, Mike KellyVideo

The reviewer highly praised 'The Old King's Crown,' calling it one of his recent favorites, particularly highlighting the solo mode as being exceptionally well-designed for this competitive area domination and card-based combat game.

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95
No Pun Included, Efka BladukasVideo

The Old King's Crown features clever mechanics and fresh design choices, creating an engaging and tense experience driven by risk and reward, which makes it arguably one of the most exciting games of the year.

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95
Board Game Hangover, Board Game HangoverArticleTop List

The reviewer highly praises "The Old King's Crown" as a visually stunning game with engaging tactical card play and hidden information, although they note potential downtime with four players. They consider it one of the best games played that month.

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95
Dicebreaker, MattArticle

The Old King’s Crown sharpens up a delightfully cut-throat competition of competing factions and ruthless cardplay that has quickly made it my most anticipated release of next year.

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90
Meeple Mountain, Andrew LynchArticle

Beneath all the hype, The Old King’s Crown is indeed a very good game. It is full of lies and tricks, feints and triumphs.

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90
Punchboard, AdamArticle

The Old King’s Crown is just wonderful. It’s the kind of game that you’d imagine would lead to some ‘kill the king’ when someone races ahead, and to some extent that’s true, but for every ally with a hand on your shoulder, you’d better believe they’re holding a stiletto tip at your ribs too.

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90
Totally Tabled, Totally TabledVideo

The reviewer highly recommends 'The Old King's Crown' for its solo mode, praising its stunning artwork and innovative design within the lane battler genre, though noting it might not appeal to everyone due to its specific style.

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90
Rahdo Runs Through, RahdoVideo

Rahdo explores why The Old King's Crown is highly ranked on BoardGameGeek's hotness list, indicating its strong appeal and widespread positive reception within the board gaming community.

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90
Cardboard Minute, Cardboard MinuteVideo

The reviewer highly praises "The Old King's Crown" for its exceptional beauty, stellar production quality, and stunning artwork, noting that the game appears complex due to its substantial rulebook.

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