- Publisher(s) : Repos Production
- Designer(s) : Maxime Rambourg
- Artist(s) : Paul Mafayon
- Players : 3–5
- Playing time : 30–45 Min
- Weight BGG : 1.43
What's this?
“For a Crown” is a competitive strategy game where rival families compete for the throne of a unified kingdom. Each player embodies a noble family that must recruit mercenaries, use trickery, and manipulate others to accumulate the most rubies. The ultimate goal is to have the most rubies in your chest at the end of the four rounds to become the ruler of the kingdom.
How do you play?
The game is played in four rounds, each divided into three phases:
➡️ Recruitment Phase:
Players recruit mercenaries based on their influence.
Payment is made with coins or rubies.
Each mercenary offers strategic effects: influence shift, ruby theft, or other special actions.
➡️ Revelation Phase:
Recruited mercenaries are revealed and their effects apply.
Random events can also change the course of the game (e.g. loss of rubies for some players).
➡️ End of Round Phase:
Recruitment costs change for the next round.
A new event card is added.
👉 End of the game:
At the end of the 4th round, the family with the most rubies wins the game. In the event of a tie, influence determines the winner.
Is it good?
The main originality lies in its “one deck building” system: instead of having an individual deck, all players share a common deck. During the game, each player adds cards to this deck, which will be revealed card by card during the reveal phase.
If you like games of direct interaction, For a Crown is for you. Low blows, temporary alliances and betrayals are at the heart of the experience. However, this dynamic may not appeal to everyone, especially to slightly introverted players or those who do not like direct confrontation. But with the right people around the table, a very good atmosphere emerges, with many twists and turns and games that vary depending on the players present.
For a Crown impresses with the quality of its material. Each player has their own chest to store their rubies, a detail that is both practical and well thought out.
In short, For a Crown is a game for fans of direct confrontations, alliances and twists of fate. It is a great choice to play with friends or family, but I am not sure if it is suitable for children. Despite its simplicity, the underhanded tricks, bluffing and alliances can be difficult to grasp for younger players.
A big thank you to the online store Espritjeu who allowed me to test this game by sending me a copy. To discover their catalog, I invite you to visit their website:
Review For a Crown
Positives
- Original "one deck building" mechanics
- Strong interaction and dynamic atmosphere depending on the players
- Quality material
- Games that can create emotions
Negatives
- Direct interaction likely to create tension
- Strategically limited
- Less suitable for children
- Can become repetitive
