The hidden worker placement game Brides & Bribes, published in Italy by Spaceballoon Games, will be distributed outside of Europe by Ares Games beginning in April.

Set in 16th Century Genoa, Brides & Bribes is a game about acquiring power through intrigue and deception.  As the leader of a great family, each player seeks to become the new Doge, the ruler of Genoa, by building their influence in the city.  Players secretly deploy their workers to various districts of the city to hire new workers, acquire resources, gain influence, or seek the hand of a powerful noble’s daughter in marriage.  The workers all have special abilities to help their efforts or hinder their opponents.

Players gain influence through marriage or through the construction of workshops in the city.  A player can win instantly by acquiring enough influence, otherwise the most influential player after six rounds wins the game.

Brides & Bribes includes 1 game board, 5 player boards, 24 cards, 101 tiles, 55 wooden workers, 16 wooden coaches, 10 wooden markers, 18 tokens, and 55 coins.  The game includes rules in English, French, and German.  It was created by the Spaceballoon design team of Andrea Gallazzi, Elisa Lenardi, and Pietro Navarotto, and features artwork by Alan D’Amico (Wendake, Whitehall Mystery).  It is intended for 2 to 5 players, ages 14 and up, and takes at least an hour to play.  MSRP has not been announced.

Spaceballoon Games funded the production of the game through a Kickstarter campaign in 2016 that attracted €19,976 (about $22,514) in pledges from 336 backers (an average of €59.45—about $66.71—per backer).  The company released the game in Europe in 2017.  Ares Games will handle distribution of the game into the trade outside of Europe, including North America.

Ares will soon release a new edition of the Russian game Nightmarium (see “Ares Revamps ‘Nightmarium’”).