Kingmaker: The Royal Relaunch - Funded in 20 hours!

Wow what a journey! We are thrilled to have ended Kingmaker: The Royal Re-launch Kickstarter campaign on such a high and the game is now being produced, ready to hit the retail shelves in Spring 2023.

This project has been a real labour of love, from Alan Paull's meticulous redesign to Mat Edwards' incredible artwork. We've worked with an incredibly dedicated team to bring Andrew McNeil's iconic game back to the market and we are astounded by the support we have received.

Marketing Manager, Samantha Goodburn says ‘It was incredible to see those backers numbers climb and that hard work paying off! Thank you to everyone who backed the campaign, we couldn't have done it without you!’

First launched in 1974, Kingmaker simulates the Wars of the Roses, the period of sporadic Civil War in England between 1450 and 1490. Invented by the late Andrew McNeil, 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. It’s a game of manipulation, deception and unforeseeable incidents – making each game unpredictable and a lot of fun.

Although this game has been enjoyed by many for decades, the original game has some shortcomings and fans have requested a new and improved version. After taking everything on board, Gibsons are delighted to report that a brand-new version of Kingmaker will arrive in Spring 2023.

Gibsons worked with Kingmaker expert, Alan Paull, from Surprised Stare Games to help develop the game. The main change is that Kingmaker II will have four games in one. The board will be double-sided so that players can still play the original game should they wish to. There will also be an extended version of the classic game and a revised version which is shorter. All versions have physical changes to improve playability. For example, there will be new coloured counters and a board with updated symbols for better visibility.

Head to the Gibsons stand at Spring Fair to test play the new game!