King and Assassins: Game of the Month, May 2020
This month I have been lured back to playing one of my favourite two-player games, King and Assassins Deluxe Edition. It didn’t take much enticing frankly, it was a pleasure to see it back on the table. This game isn’t on the radar of many people, despite my previous glowing review of it, but I literally never get bored of playing it! During lockdown, once the kids are in bed, my wife and I have been playing more two player games by necessity. I am delighted it is King and Assassins we keep returning to.


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Just a little caveat, I have painted the figures in these photos, if you want to see how they will look in your copy visit my review.
So why do I keep returning to King and Assassins? Well, I particularly love the balance of the game. It is beautifully weighted to be equal for either player. As a result, I revel in playing as both pompous king and the angry mob with the secret assassins. This asymmetry, coupled with a relatively quick play time and a gorgeous theme make it a brilliant two-player strategic romp. This game genuinely gets your heart racing whichever side of the table you are playing.
The medieval setting gives off the feel of the computer game Assassins Creed and component quality is generally high. Your turn is dictated by a pile of 27 cards that show how many action points each player can use. What you do with these action points is how the strategy is injected in the game and how you become invested in it. Due to the limited movements and action points available the game is quick to learn.

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Now I have played King and Assassins a lot. Yet every game I have to try a different strategy to try and get the win. Playing as the angry mob, bluffing plays a big part in the game. Will you be passive and hope the king walks past your wannabe killer, or will you hound the king with multiple villagers and get all up in his grill? You’ll vary it from game to game so that your opposition can’t work out quite what you are doing! It is one of my all-time favourites and I am so pleased to make it my game of the month on top of its entry into our Hall of Fame!
Buy King and Assassins Deluxe Edition
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Reviewer’s Note
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