Photo: Porge and Edinborgarstefan, via Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0. Shows the game in play; editions and box art may differ.
Diplomacy
Pre-WWI Europe, no dice, and pure negotiation. The original friendship-ending game. Every promise is a weapon.
Where to get it
Heads up: shop links here are affiliate links. If you buy, we may earn a commission. You pay the same price, and nobody pays us to recommend a game. How we make money
The facts
- Players
- 2–7
- Play time
- 360 minutes
- Age
- 12+
- Style
- Competitive
- Publisher
- Avalon Hill
- First published
- 1959
Facts checked against instructions.hasbro.com. Editions vary, so check the box. Complexity and “best for” are our opinion.
If this sounds right, also try
Cute woodland animals fighting a war where every faction plays by different rules. Adorable art, ruthless asymmetric politics.
The Cold War for two players: coups, space races and a nuclear clock. Political strategy for people who think Mayhem needs more paperwork.
Plan and run a modern zoo with conservation projects and a mountain of cards. Long, deep and very replayable.
Industrial-revolution economics: canals, rail, coal and beer. Brutally clever and adored by people who own spreadsheets for fun.