Mary Stuart, Queen of Scots is available now on The Game Crafter.
| Players | 2–4 |
| Play time | 30–60 minutes |
| Ages | 14+ |
| Type | Set collection, take that card game |
The story#
Scotland, 1542. King James V has died suddenly, and his heir is an infant girl. It’s a time of religious upheaval, military conflict, and high politics. As rival factions move to seize power, who will gain fame and fortune by controlling the young Queen, her Royal Court, and Scotland’s estates and resources?
Mary Stuart, Queen of Scots brings to life a complex woman, a ruler, and the turbulent age she lived in.
Your role#
Each player leads a powerful and influential Scottish faction. Your decisions will shape the fate of a young queen, decide where the loyalties of those closest to Mary lie, and determine which faction becomes the most influential in Scotland.
You’ll build a realm of Scottish estates and foreign alliances, turn their resources into wealth, and attend the Royal Court to direct matters of state. There you’ll sway the real power players of the era and shape the events of Mary’s life. To get ahead, you have to influence the right people at the right moment to trigger events that benefit your faction and catch your rivals off guard.
How it plays#
The game runs over one or two scoring rounds called Acts. Each Act has its own cast of historical figures, its own strategies, and its own events from Mary’s life to guide play.
- Build your realm. Each Act opens with players gathering estates and alliances.
- Enter the Royal Court. Use your faction’s wealth and influence to take on your rivals in political power struggles.
- Shape history. Race to complete key events from Mary’s life and Scotland’s past, or stop your opponents from completing them.
As the game goes on, everyone’s resources grow and the competition gets fiercer. Players fight over estates and their resources, over influence and control of the people around Mary, and over who completes each event first.
How to win#
The player with the most points at the end of the game wins. Being first to complete any of an Act’s four events earns points, but most of your power comes from your estates, their resources, and your hold over the Royal Court.
You need wealth, in the form of Power Tokens, to attend the Royal Court, and you need estates to generate that wealth. Winning means balancing your estates against your influence at court, while staying ready for the surprise plays and devious tactics of rival factions.
Get the game#
You can order Mary Stuart, Queen of Scots and download the Quick Start Guide and full rules (version 1.5) from The Game Crafter.