Treason in the Tower – review

Treason in the Tower – review

The Tower of London makes a powerful setting for this cleverly devised strategy game where a burglar intent on possessing the crown jewels attempts to break into the jewel room. Gripping stuff and not for the faint hearted.

Actually, the game is for just about anyone who wants to play. It is carefully designed to be suitable for all age groups while the game play couldn't be easier. Think "Monopoly' without the fiddly cash transactions and "Millionaire' without Chris Tarrant.

The game is played on a very attractive board showing a scale plan of the Tower of London. This is marked out to show available routes around the Tower. Players throw a dice to determine the length of their move.

I was particularly impressed with the individual playing pieces. These are solid heavy pewter castings of historic characters and feel really good in your hand. They are a delight to play with but be careful that your board is set up on a really flat surface as they are tall enough to topple over.

The point of the whole game is to steal a golden crown from the jewel room. The crown is a really splendid, gold plated casting that really looks the part and weighs enough to make it worth stealing!

As they move around the board, players will have the opportunity to gather tools and weapons to help their attempt. To gain these advantages they are asked questions relating to the Tower of London.

To make the game suitable for all ages there are three levels of question ranging from simple to quite tricky. The answers to the questions are provided but it is advisable to do some history homework if you want to maximise your potential as a burglar!

Treason in the Tower compares very favourably with other leading games for playability and has a very traditional board game feel about it. It is the ideal accompaniment to a rainy Sunday afternoon and should be enjoyed in front of a roaring fire. Excellent value.

Reviewed by Ray Hatley

8-10-2003