The box art and graphic design is instantly attractive. The artwork evokes regal and majestic themes.
onewayout on r/boardgames
I'm a big fan of Monarch, and I look forward to the game being fully realized.
Robert Kalajian Jr., editor at Purple Pawn
Monarch better understands its subject than the thousands of games nominally about kings... what struck me instantly was its appreciation of the symbolic capital of monarchy: that crowns and thrones aren't trinkets, but critical tools for convincing people you wield legitimate power.
@j_marshak
This is one [game] that I'll be happy to add to my regular rotation.
Vincent Paone, Dad's Gaming Dddiction
This is incredible. This game is an important advancement for gender in games - and more so because it builds women and their actions into the facts and roles of the world.
IndieCade Festival curator
Monarch has a rich mixture of mythic grandeur and social maneuvering that makes it delicious to play again and again.
Naomi Clark, game designer
I found Monarch to be an excellent game for casual game nights and playing with the family.
Cyrus, Father Geek
You need to learn Monarch. It is a LIFE SKILL.
Ray, age 7
The splendidly rendered artwork in Monarch reminds me of a time when fairy tale books were gorgeous, meticulously crafted things. The artwork is soft and approachable, but refined and tastefully rendered.
IndieCade Festival curator
We spent half our time engrossed in strategy, and the other time lost in the gorgeous artwork and clever card descriptions. We wanted to play again as soon as we finished.
The Boston Festival of Indie Games curation team
Monarch
MONARCH is a strategy game for 2 to 4 players, set in the mythical lands of Minervia. Players compete as sisters who must strategically assemble an impressive court and prove themselves ready to become the next Monarch.
Decide when to tax or harvest the fertile lands. Attract wise advisors, magnificent beasts, and majestic regalia to glorify your court. Sabotage your sisters’ efforts by sending ‘Unwanted Guests’ to unsettle their courts.
In the world of MONARCH, strategy and surprise await players at every turn. Players must use inventive planning and keen judgment to navigate a world of beauty and mystery, and to discover their destinies … who will reign?
See the detailed website for the game with videos of the game’s creation and more at: http://www.playmonarch.com.
Credits
A Game by Mary Flanagan Art by Kate Adams
Game Design: Mary Flanagan, Max Seidman, Zara Downs
Art Direction: Sarah Ettinger, Zara Downs
Illustration: Kate Adams
Executive Producer: Mary Flanagan
Research: Geoff Kaufman, Mary Flanagan, Max Seidman
Art: Kate Adams, Ed Flanagan, Sarah Ettinger, Zara Downs
Art Direction: Mary Flanagan, Sarah Ettinger
Playtesting:
Thanks to Myriad friends, relatives, and strangers
NYC-Playtest group, Boston Festival of Independent Games attendees, Meaningful Play, IndieCade, and Gen Con attendees
Special Thanks To:
Naomi Clark, Angela Zhang, Farooq Ahmed, The Brown Foundation and Dora Maar House, Richard Garriott and Starr Long, Ryan LaFlamme, The Cardboard Republic, Cyrus Kirby, Fathergeek, Vincent Paone, Dad’s Gaming Addiction, Robert Kalajian Jr., Purple Pawn
Unwanted Guests:
Richard Garriott de Cayeux as the Useless Emissary
Christopher Egert as the Boorish Uncle
David McDonald as the Drunk Juggler
Jonathan Skinner as the Insistent Peddler
Game Production Team: Sukie Punjasthitkul, Danielle Taylor, Jenny Yeoh-Wang, Lucas Sanford-Long, Jinny Seo, Savannah Liu, Alannah Linkhorn, Emma Marsano
Acknowledgments: Many thanks to Jenny Yeoh-Wang for her efforts during our Kickstarter campaign, to Jinny Seo for her work on the instructions, and to our many local playtesters!