Armello feels like Game of Thrones except everyone is a cuddly animal and death-by-fireball is the preferred method of execution. Across a lavishly detailed, hex-based countryside, players cross and doublecross one another in a bid for the King's throne. This seat will soon be vacated by the ailing💛 King, who is also a lion wearing a crown. You are a member of the Wolf, Rabbit, Bear, or Rat clans, and by successfully bamboozling up to three friends (or AI players) you will ascend to the throne as the new ruler of the animal kingdom.

It also helps if the dice roll in your favor. Like any good board game, suc☂cess in Armello relies on rolling high, drawing the right cards, and ensuring those Wolf clan bullies turn their swords on someone else. Glory to the Rabbit clan! Ahem. Dice rolls are how you do battle with the other players, and yo🐽u can give yourself an edge by equipping item cards or casting spell cards. But even if the board game gods are being stingy, you can make up for their shortcomings through skillful diplomacy.

Armello doesn't allow for formal alliances, per se. Instead, the term director Trent Kusters uses is "soft cooperation" which is a nice way of saying "shaky, unreliable alliances that can blow up in your face at any time." A typical game of Armello presents dozens of opportunities for you to really screw over the other players - and they're hard to resist. So if you actually leave someone alone or even help them, such acts of kindness won't be forgotten. For a f💝ew turns, at least.