Shadows of the Court

In this pocket-sized game of hand management and hidden allegiances, your cards are the people you can control inside rival families of the Italian Renaissance. Your job each round is to help decide which family ascends to the Court. Play your cards to swing the balance, spend Influence to force a rival's hand or play your own card face-down, and watch which family claims the Court. Your Entourage only pays off if members of those families also ascend to the Court, so every card is a bet on where you think the power is headed next. Decide whether to win or lose a given round, then work with others (or against them) to make it happen.