Machiavelli (board game)

Machiavelli is a board wargame set in Renaissance Italy, originally published in 1977 by Battleline Publications and designed by S. Craig Taylor and James B. Wood. It shares most of its basic mechanics with its direct predecessor, the diplomacy-driven wargame Diplomacy, but adds substantial new systems on top of that foundation, including an in-game money economy, bribery of opposing units, three distinct seasons per game year, garrisons that can hold territory without active units, and random events that can disrupt any player's plans. The game is designed for four to eight players, with a stated setup time of five to ten minutes and a full playthrough that can run anywhere from four to twelve hours depending on the number of players and their aggressiveness. Players each control one of eight historical Renaissance-era powers competing for control of Italy and its surrounding region: Florence, Venice, Milan, Naples, the Papacy, France, Austria and the Ottoman Turks. Victory is achieved by seizing control of fifteen provinces in a standard game, or twenty-three provinces in an extended version, and success depends on a blend of military tactics, long-range strategy, reading opponents psychologically and active diplomatic negotiation with other players at the table.