One of the more frustrating games to actually buy over the last couple of years is finally reaching tables again. The Old King's Crown is back in print, and this time it brings a new expansion with it.
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See how it worksEerie Idol Games describes it as a one to four player strategy game of skill and intrigue, set in an ancient, crumbling kingdom where every card is a window into a fantastical land. You clash with rival forces across the map, fight for control of political councils, and send followers off to wild sites of power. The studio ran the second printing on Gamefound alongside a brand new expansion called Songs of Home, and the campaign's latest update, posted on 25 July 2026, covers fulfilment and the team's trip to the US for Gen Con.
What makes it worth chasing is how sparingly it uses asymmetry. Four factions compete, each with its own flavour: the Clans favour mobility and overwhelming force, the Uprising rewards scheming and picking off rival cards, and the Gathering leans on card manipulation and the creeping accrual of power. Writing for Wargamer after finally getting a copy thanks to the reprint, Cat Bussell points out that the starting decks are mechanically identical, so you are never forced to memorise three opposing card pools. The differences sit in the faction powers and the cards you unlock, which is why they land.
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Start organising for freeThe rest is low-luck strategy: bidding, bluffing, hand management, engine building and area control, with rounds that shift between simultaneous reveals and precise tactical turns. There is a full solo mode too, and Eerie Idol Games has rulebooks and strategy guides up for free if you want to read before you buy.
If a copy is landing on your doorstep, it is a good excuse to get four people round a table. Set up a game night and see who is free.
Sources: Gamefound | Campaign update | Eerie Idol Games | Wargamer
