BOARD GAME REVIEW: MAJESTY- FOR THE REALM

Majesty: For the Realm (hereafter referred to as Majesty) is the latest game from the designer of Splendor (I believe). After the disappointment of Cities of Splendor, does Majesty recapture the magic. The short answer is: yes. The longer answer: it is perhaps one of my games of the year.

Majesty is a simple game. You have a set of locations in your empire. Everyturn, there is an offer where you choose a card. You have to pay to skip the cards at the beginning of the row and get other stuff (sometimes better, sometimes worse).

In addition, there is some attacking. Attacking is very non-personal and the game is so short that, even if you get caught out by attacks, it never feels too personal. Also, there are multiple ways to mitigate against attacks, so it doesn't feel overly important.

As you draft cards, you activate various combo's and effects in your tableau. At the end of the game, your non-injured cards score for majorities and variety. Every card you draft gives you something, and although it is a short game, the decisions feel pretty meaningful.

The only criticism is that perhaps by the end of the games, it might feel a bit samey. That is where alternate locations come in. This keeps the game feeling fresh. In addition, you can come up with your own combinations of location cards to explore different set-ups (although the balance might not be there). 

This is another great game in the same style as Splendor. Simple rules, quick playing, but engaging decisions. This has slightly more interaction than Splendor due to attacking, but doesn't overdo it. A great game that entertains a wide variety of people.

5 out of 5 Majestic Waffles.