Description

Isabel is a two-player game portraying the War of Castilian Succession (1475-1479). The death of King Enrique IV in 1474 created a domestic crisis in the Kingdom of Castile. The two contenders for the throne were Isabel, Enrique’s half-sister, and Juana, the 13-year-old daughter of the late monarch. Both women counted with powerful allies in their fight for the throne: in 1469 Isabel’s had wed Fernando, heir to the Crown of Aragon, and Juana married King Alfonso V of Portugal during the early stages of the war. In Isabel, the players assume the role of Isabel and Juana and their respective allies as they compete to garnish domestic and international support for their cause. The players face a multifaceted conflict fought as much in the arenas of Spain and the African coast as in the undecided hearts of the Castilian nobility and population at large.

Over four rounds, the players compete by maneuvering troops on the Iberian Peninsula and the Atlantic coast, and by gaining the alliance of various noble houses, public opinion, and international powers. Isabel incorporates streamlined mechanics that are attentive to the historical circumstances of the conflict. Every turn, players face multiple strategic choices which, taken secretly, require tactical reconsideration made in reaction to the opponent’s chosen actions. Isabel forces the players to constantly consider the risk-reward of their choices. With a limited amount of available resources, players have to decide when to sacrifice assets to obtain substantial one-time benefits.
 
—description from the designer