VIJAYANAGARA
Extend your influence
Designer: Saverio E. Spagnolie, Mathieu Johnson, Corey Graham, Aman Matthews | Publisher: GMT Games
Many of us in the UK can’t picture the history of the Indian subcontinent before the British Empire enters stage left and starts popping statues of someone called ‘Queen Victoria’ about the place. Which is a shame because this feels like the Mediaeval Indian period is a setting that could spawn hundreds of games if given the attention of hobby games studios. Luckily Vijayanagara offers us a glance at a rich and intriguing history.
In Medieval India the Delhi Sultanate wishes to extend its influence to the rich Deccan kingdoms and empires of the south – and gain tribute from them. Naturally, these two factions aren’t interested in that. Players take one of the three powers; the Bahmani Kingdom, the Vijayanagaran Empire and the Delhi Sultanate. Each has their own twist. The Delhi Sultanate has to fend off the Mongols in the north while putting down the rebelling factions in the south. The Bahmani, with plentiful cavalry, control and fortify with force. The Vijayanagara spread their message through temples and conversion.