War has come to the valley…

The rich and fertile lands of The Valley have been under the control of Empria for a hundred years. Now, Empria’s power is waning. Its recent wars have weakened its control of the region and drawn away its watchful eye.

As Empria's control slips away, you realize the time has come for your own wealthy family to take control for yourselves. Unfortunately for you, there are other wealthy families planning to do the same. Now, you must test your wit and mettle against the leaders of these rival factions in your bid for power.

Use your fortune to gather an army. Maneuver your troops to gain control of cities. Hire mercenaries to aid your cause. Roll with the changes as events outside your control affect the region. Can you gain enough influence to prove that you deserve to be the new ruler of The Valley?

Now is the time to prove your abilities.

In this game, players represent dynasties of a fictional but historically based region known as The Valley. Each dynasty has a special perk that gives them a small edge over some aspect of the game. The game is played through a series of seasons during which the dynasties will muster units, hire mercenaries, build forts, and then take it in turns to move their armies around the board trying to gain victory points. The victory points will determine who has gained enough influence to declare their dynasty the unifying rulers of The Valley.

Each season is made up of five phases. Two of the phases (events and mercenaries) are skipped in the first turn, making it easy to get the game started and get used to the basic mechanics before others are introduced. Players will spend that first turn determining their position on the baord and figuring out what they want their overall strategy to look like. a player's position on the board can change drastically during a season, so the players will have to be ready to change their strategy as the game progresses.

The game is desinged to focus player attention toward the center of the board, though it is not necessary to hold the center to win. Players forced off the board are able to bring new armies in from the edges, allowing them to regain their footing and affect the course of the game. There's a wealth of player agency as the game presents choices at every step while keeping things simple and fun. The simple layers of the game stack to create an in-depth and rewarding experience.

As in all war, luck is going to factor in to each player's experience. Battles can be affected greatly by dice results as well as player choices. A lucky draw of cards can gain an advantage. Events may change the way you play the game. you will have to navigate through the challenges.

The Valley will give players a sense of the political and battlefield challenges of the 30 Year's War without bogging them down in historical details or limiting their choices based on real events. It is a fast paced and constantly shifting puzzle for wargame enthusiasts, history lovers, and casual board gamers to enjoy for years to come!

Historical Inspiration:

There are four types of combat units in the game, each representing a number of different kinds of historical counterparts. These are Ordnance (representing siege equipment and field guns), Support (representing ranged units with small arms such as musket or bow), Flankers (representing cavalry, skirmishes, etc.), and Line (representing melee infantry and other units in the traditional battle line).

Forts in the game represent the different types of fortification ranging from trenches to solid walled fortresses. Placing a fort in the game shows there is a significant amount of such fortifications, even if they are only basic trenches.

Banners represent generals and their retinue, without which you are not able to move your units. Each player has three Banners, the loss of which can paralyze your army for a Season. Banners are able to return in the following Season, however, so their loss is not permanently debilitating.

The majority of the board, where the players will interact most of the time, is representative of Germany around the time of the Thirty Years War. Major cities are important, while minor settlements are not represented on the map. The cities are grouped into States which the players will vie for control over.

Around the board are a number of spaces representing foreign nations inspired by historical participants in the 1600s. Lhandz, Credence, and Empria take the place of France, Sweden, and Austria respectively. A fourth 'nation' of invaders (Grey flags) may represent any other historical nation getting involved in the conflict.

Keeping the details non-historical allows for infinite replay ability. The players can create their own Thirty Years War experience without knowing exactly what is coming next.