World War I

Tsar

Tsar reimagines the reign of Nicholas II, the last Tsar of Russia. The game begins with his accession to the throne in 1894 and his fate depends on you. Through a realistic simulation of Russian society, Tsar explores the inner workings of autocratic regimes, with a lifelike portrayal of official corruption, the cult of personality surrounding the Tsar, the violence of oppression and resistance, and the conditions that led to revolution. The game’s narrative may follow historical realities or may diverge from the historical record into alternate histories. Depending on your decisions, Russia may pursue liberal reforms or maintain a strict autocracy, experience victory in war or defeat, industrialize its economy or stagnate, stabilize its political regime or witness the collapse of the Romanov dynasty. Players occupy the center of the Tsar's regime, advising and influencing him while competing to advance their own factional goals. In multiplayer mode, the game is semi-cooperative with shared resources, a single hand of cards, and overlapping VP objectives. Each player controls a different Faction within the regime with multiple Characters based on historical figures, and players gain their decision-making capacity through the placement of their Characters. Tsar is mostly card-driven, with shuffled decks generating randomly-timed events and a "Coded Deck" of unique numbered cards generating events at specific times and in response to specific conditions. Other mechanics include worker placement, resource management, and a hybrid system of action points and bidding. With its built-in automation for Non-Player Factions, Tsar easily transitions from multiplayer to solitaire play, with no extra components and minimal rule adjustments. —description from the publisher

Players: 1–4 best 4
Playing time: 120–240 min
Age: 12+