A Game of Thrones

As in the books you win or you die – there's no sharing a win in this one, people. It's a nerve-wracking affair that sees you sweating over your thinly-defended fiefdom as nearby armies swell and tenuous alliances are brokered. Forging a concrete treaty with a neighbour before hanging them out to dry at the worst possible moment is the lifeblood of the game.

Before you all rush out and buy a copy be warned: this game needs patience. The rulebook takes its cue from the novels, weighing in at 29 A4 pages of text culled from the bottom of an optician’s sight chart, and is as hard to navigate as the sea route to Volantis. New players will need a half hour read-through to avoid being hopelessly lost, and they’ll have forgotten most of the more obscure rules by the start of the second turn. Attempting to pull this game out as a nice surprise for family Christmas will invariably lead to confusion, anger and ultimately violent acts. (Mike Didymus)

Fantasy Flight Games | Area Control | ?49.99
3-6 players | 120 minutes | www.fantasyflightgames.com