Kingmaker simulates the Wars of the Roses, the period of sporadic Civil War in England between 1450 and 1490. Ruled by a weak and mentally unstable king, Henry VI, demoralized by the defeat in France at the end of the Hundred Years War, and encouraged by the ambitions of Richard, Duke of York, and his sons; the country's Noble families used their large private armies in attempts to gain control of the government. The game is based on the premise that the powerful Noble families used the Lancastrian and Yorkist princes as pawns in a greater game of gaining control of England. Players control factions using their military and political power to control and influence the royal heirs, supporting the heir in their control as king while trying to take down all of the other heirs. Gibsons Games Ltd launched a new version of Kingmaker in Autumn 2022. Kingmaker – The Royal Re-Launch consists of four games in one: - Classic: The original Classic Kingmaker was designed by Andrew McNeil. For 2 to 6 players is a competition where the only path to victory is through controlling the last crowned Royal piece. - Kingmaker II – Developed by Alan Paull of Surprised Stare Games, the new Kingmaker II for 2 to 5 players is for those who prefer a shorter game with a greater variety of win conditions including alliances and prestige. - Extended – The Extended classic Kingmaker provides extra Crown and Event cards along with additional optional rules for Parliament and battles, in which dice are used to determine whether Nobles and Royal pieces live or die - Solo – The Solo Challenge is for solitaire play and was designed by Steve Froud, an expert Kingmaker player. Kingmaker – The Royal Re-launch was released on Kickstarter in September 2022. The campaign was funded within 20 hours and the game will be delivered to backers by Spring 2023. It will be on general release in Summer 2023. Avalon Hill Complexity rating - 7 1976 AH Edition = 126 counters 1974 Ariel = 38 counters 2022 Gibsons Edition = 327 counters/markers and 270 cards. The 2022 Gibsons Edition is a medium rate strategy game