Council of Serpents

Players act as secret manipulators on a council, steering three rival noble Houses by adjusting their army strength, treasury, and popular support. Gameplay centers on playing Influence cards to trigger Conflicts, escalating those Conflicts into Wars, and using facedown Intrigue cards and Guild support to prepare and shape outcomes. Each Influence play advances a timetrack whose top card is resolved, often causing Houses to take actions; when the timetrack is exhausted, players collectively rebuild it and alter future events. Victory and defeat occur when any House’s attribute reaches its maximum (triumph) or zero (collapse), which immediately ends the game.

Players: 1–4 best 1
Playing time: 30 min
Age: 14+
Complexity: 2.4 / 5