The Gray King 2025

Tactical Betrayal for 4 in the world of Chess!

Six unscrupulous pawns are ransacking the royal treasure vault by order of The Gray King, who wishes to create a second kingdom of his own. Playing as one of the Queen's most trusted allies, each of you must cooperate over five rounds to stop them. Who can you trust to make the most of your limited actions, and who among you is secretly - and then not so secretly - in league with The Gray King?

The Gray King plays in about 25 minutes over no more than 5 rounds. Each round, players move around the board and spend cards to perform actions that slow the pawns, and each round the pawns automatically edge closer to escaping the edge of the board. The actions of the game are designed to require trust and cooperation, but beware - one player is the King's Agent, secretly working to against the players to ensure the pawns escape. If just two pawns escape the board, the game is over and the betrayer wins. The King's Agent can reveal their true nature at any time, gaining access to a powerful turn, backstabbing daggers, and new actions designed to aid the pawns. Each game of The Gray King has a dramatic arc of uneasy cooperation, shocking betrayal, and a fight to the finish.

—description from the designer