Time of Wars: Eastern Europe 1590-1660 is a card-driven multiplayer game in which players assume the roles of rulers of five superpowers in Eastern Europe – the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth, the Empire of Russia, the Ottoman Empire, the Kingdom of Sweden and the Holy Roman Empire. There are also smaller states – Denmark, Brandenburg, Moldova, Wallachia, Transylvania and the Crimean Khanate. They can be the basis of strong competition between players or the source of internal problems.

The game presents the turn of the 16th and 17th centuries. This period was full of famous figures (rulers and commanders) and critical events – for example Great Sadness in Russia, Thirty Years’ War in the German Reich, “Swedish Deluge” in the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth. All of this and more are elegantly integrated into the gameplay.

At the heart of the game are five decks of cards – one for each superpower. Each time a player uses a specific card, he has to make a difficult decision – play the card as Operations Points or as an Event. The background of the choice is the need to develop one’s own country or weaken the enemy’s position.

There is a lot of interaction between players during the game. They can declare wars or form alliances through secret negotiations. Winning battles and wars are important, but players must also keep their countries healthy. The game shows factors such as economy, domestic politics, military level and religion. All of them can affect specific player actions.

The game has many options for each player, and each country has its own problems and advantages. Despite this, the gameplay is extremely well-balanced. Moreover, the random factor is reduced to the necessary minimum. As a result, players feel that the fate of Eastern Europe is in their hands and depends on their decisions.

-Grant