The battle to defend the Realms of Man begins in A Game of Thrones Catan: Brotherhood of the Watch, a new strategic game grounded in George R. R. Martin’s A Song of Ice and Fire series and adapted for the beloved Catan tabletop game by Klaus and Bejamin Teuber.

The Brotherhood of the Night’s Watch is searching for a new Lord Commander. They are looking for a stalwart individual to repair the failing infrastructure of the wall and work towards developing the neglected Gift. Harvesting the resources from this bitter northern environment was never an easy task, but the brothers must also build up their order to better defend the Wall against the threat of Wildlings. Players must build settlements and keeps, defend the Wall from invasion, and prove themselves to be worthy of the title of Lord Commander. But be wary—the north holds many dangers, and winter is coming.

Those familiar with the classic board game offering of Settlers of Catan will find several familiar elements present in A Game of Thrones Catan: Brotherhood of the Watch, but with several exciting and interesting additions. Thematic and compelling art dominates the components, immersing you in the vibrant world of A Song of Ice and Fire. A brand new and beautifully illustrated gameboard represents the territory north of the wall, all the way to the Frostfangs. Wonderfully sculpted figures of imposing Wildlings, Giants, guards, and more help tell the story of your desperate struggle to shield the realms of men. The game preserves the classic hex-tile gameplay of the original Catan, each of which supplies one of five resources, with one exception in the barren Ice Fields, where nothing is produced.

To further complicate matters, and embody the morally gray nature of the grim world of Westeros, A Game of Thrones Catan: Brotherhood of the Watch offers two types of victory. A failure at the Wall does not necessarily mean the failure of a player, but one may not hold the glory of the old songs.

Victory can occur when a player has both improved the infrastructure of the Gift and successfully kept it safe from invaders. If a player reaches ten victory points, they win. However, if the Wildings breach the Wall three times throughout the game or the number of Wildings in the Gift ever exceeds seven, only an alternate victory is possible.

This alternate victory occurs when the Wall has been breached three times or the number of Wildlings in the Gift reaches eight or more. If either of these tragedies happen, the game ends immediately and the player with the most guards standing wins. With Wildlings pillaging the Gift, brothers of the Watch cannot justify delaying the decision any longer. If the Watchs main struggle is properly defending the Wall, then the player who controls the most guards on the Wall is clearly the best choice for a new Lord Commander.

Do you have what it takes to lead the Brotherhood of the Nights Watch? Can you balance your pride and ambition with the need for a strong presence at the Wall? Will you save Westeros or betray it?

Take the Black. Defend Westeros. Become the Lord Commander. Forge your legend with A Game of Thrones Catan: Brotherhood of the Watch!