2019Tim W. K. Brown, Josh Cappel
- Videos
- 30
- Creators
- 4
1 - 5 players45 minMedium weight

2026Mike Kribel
Some reviews. Beasts and Diplomacy is covered on BoardGameVideo.com by 11 reviews, 2 how-to-play guides, 4 recorded sessions, 6 unboxings, and 5 other videos.
From BoardGameGeek
Beasts and Diplomacy is a card drafting, tableau-building game where players become Knights of the land of Aterra, competing to assemble the best Exhibition of wild and rare Beasts that appeal to the Diplomats of the land. Players must also try to fulfill their secret Quests while ensuring they have enough Ore to maintain their ever-growing Maintenance costs. Like many card drafting games, Beasts and Diplomacy offers interactions like players taking cards before others can get to them, however, unlike other drafting games the design focus isn't on scarcity, but on opportunity. As you play you will have to constantly react to your opponents' actions and formulate new short term plans to achieve your long term goal of having the most balanced Exhibition. When one door closes, several new ones open. It's up to you to find your own path. While the game's actions are fundamentally simple (e.g. icon matching and drafting), Beasts and Diplomacy offers lots of depth and replayability. Your first playthroughs will leave you with a sense that you are just scratching the surface of what is possible, but with experience you'll learn to manage risk, finances, and action sequencing, which will lead to highly tense and competitive playthroughs. After 3 days of drafting cards, undercutting each other and building the perfect exhibition, your exhibitions will be evaluated by your Diplomats and your secret Quests. The Knight with the most Influence Points wins!
Beasts and Diplomacy has 28 videos from 16 creators: 11 reviews, 2 how-to-play guides, 4 playthroughs, 6 unboxings and 5 other videos. They date from 2025 to October 2026.
To learn the rules, start with "Beasts and Diplomacy - 2 Minute Overview" by Beasts and Diplomacy, which runs 2 min.
For an opinion before you buy, start with "Beasts and Diplomacy - Straight Up Solo with John LaRuffa" by No Fluff Solo Gaming with John LaRuffa. 10 creators have reviewed it. To see it played, watch "Beasts And Diplomacy | First Look At This Strategy Game" by Dicing With Death, one of 4 playthroughs.
If you like it, try Wreck Raiders, Everdell Farshore, Oak or Everdell Silverfrost, which share several of its mechanics. It appears in convention videos from Spiel Essen 2026.
8 of 16
2019Tim W. K. Brown, Josh Cappel
1 - 5 players45 minMedium weight
2023James A. Wilson, Clarissa A. Wilson
1 - 4 players40 - 80 minMedium weight
2025James A. Wilson, Clarissa A. Wilson
1 - 4 players30 - 120 minHeavy weight
From BoardGameGeek:
Beasts and Diplomacy is a card drafting, tableau-building game where players become Knights of the land of Aterra, competing to assemble the best Exhibition of wild and rare Beasts that appeal to the Diplomats of the land. Players must also try to fulfill their secret Quests while ensuring they have enough Ore to maintain their ever-growing Maintenance costs. Like many card drafting games, Beasts and Diplomacy offers interactions like players taking cards before others can get to them, however, unlike other drafting games the design focus isn't on scarcity, but on opportunity. As you play you will have to constantly react to your opponents' actions and formulate new short term plans to achieve your long term goal of having the most balanced Exhibition. When one door closes, several new ones open. It's up to you to find your own path. While the game's actions are fundamentally simple (e.g. icon matching and drafting), Beasts and Diplomacy offers lots of depth and replayability. Your first playthroughs will leave you with a sense that you are just scratching the surface of what is possible, but with experience you'll learn to manage risk, finances, and action sequencing, which will lead to highly tense and competitive playthroughs. After 3 days of drafting cards, undercutting each other and building the perfect exhibition, your exhibitions will be evaluated by your Diplomats and your secret Quests. The Knight with the most Influence Points wins!
Designer
Mike Kribel
Artists
Mike Kribel, Midjourney AI
Publisher
Dragon Dawn Games
Mechanics