Cousins' War (2nd ed)

It's a larger box than the first edition with large-format cards. There is some real complexity to this take on the Wars of the Roses. The players represent the noble houses of Lancaster (red rose) and York (white) as they compete militarily and politically for control of 15th century England. They play cards to gain influence and troops before meeting in a climactic battle each round.

The really clever bit is the dice-based bluffing mechanism (think Liars' Dice) that decides the battle, whittling away the troops until one side has left the field. If one player can control all the regions of England, they win outright; otherwise it's the player with most influence after five rounds (50 years of history).

This is a clever, subtle game that plays quickly and keeps your attention throughout. The second edition includes the Events cards that were originally published as an expansion to the first edition. And now there's an expansion for solitaire play (below).

For 2 players, aged 12+, playing time 30 minutes

The Cousins' War was designed by David Mortimer and is published by Surprised Stare.

Find out more:
    The Cousins' War on BoardGameGeek