Enthrone — A Hidden Identity Battle for Two | Review
Review by Lincoln Hoppe: The Game Bard
There is a game that looks like it belongs inside a medieval castle and plays like a chess match designed by a spy thriller author.
And we played it four times in a row.
My Expectation
When I first cracked the rulebook on Enthrone, my immediate reaction was: three ways to win? That's a lot. I already get twitchy when a game gives me two paths to victory. Three felt like chaos.
But Page wanted to try it. And honestly? I was drawn in by the box. The components on the cover looked too good to not get on the table.
I expected to feel overwhelmed. What I got instead was one of the cleanest, most satisfying abstract games I've played in years.
Game Overview
Enthrone is a 2-player abstract strategy and deduction game from Smirk & Dagger. Eight beautifully sculpted figures stand around a stunning stained-glass board, and your job is to be the first to secretly accomplish one of three objectives — while making sure your opponent can't figure out which one you're going for.
At the start of each game you're secretly dealt an identity card that tells you two things: your pawn (the character you secretly control) and your quarry (three specific characters you need to eliminate to win).
Here's the twist. You don't openly control your pawn. You can move any of the eight figures on the board. The entire game is built around masking your intentions while trying to decode someone else's.
Gameplay Deep Dive
On your turn, you move one figure. That's it. But what that one move unlocks is where Enthrone gets genuinely brilliant.
The eight characters sit in a position track alongside the board that determines exactly what each one can do. The top three positions are the only characters who can move into the center and win that way. The top two can attack. Characters at the bottom of the track can't do anything useful — they're locked until they cycle back up.
Every time you move a character, the one at the bottom cycles up and the figure you moved drops toward the bottom. So every move ripples through the entire track for everyone. You're not just managing your pawn — you're constantly thinking about every figure's position, what you want locked, and what you want your opponent to think you want.
When a character is eliminated, they flip face-down on the track — and the character below them inherits that position and its action. Eliminations don't just remove pieces. They shift the entire power structure of the board.
There's also a deduction reference card that maps out every possible combination of who your opponent might be and who they're hunting. If you're sharp enough, you can start narrowing it down. We haven't fully gotten there yet. But we can feel the depth waiting underneath every game.
Components & Setup
Let's talk about these figures. "Marble that weighs less" is the most accurate thing I've heard anyone say about a game component. They look like they were carved from stone, with a washed finish that highlights every detail. And they're incredibly satisfying to hold.
All eight characters are completely distinct. A knight. A king with a crown. A jester. A robed figure. A woman with a rose — Page immediately called her Milady and we haven't stopped. Each one unique, detailed, beautiful. You handle these pieces constantly over the course of a game and every single time it feels earned.
The board is a full stained-glass design — deep blues, warm reds, rich purples and greens. It looks like a cathedral window became a game board. Setup takes about 30 seconds. Figures go on, cards get dealt, and you're playing. No friction whatsoever.
What Elevates This Game
The triple win condition is the thing I expected to hate. And it's actually the game's biggest strength.
Because your opponent doesn't know if you're racing to the center, hunting your three quarry, or tracking their pawn for elimination — every move you make is a puzzle for them to decode. And that cuts both ways. You're always watching them think they've read you, while trying to figure out if you've actually read them or if they're playing you.
You can fake it beautifully. Push your pawn toward the center like you're going for that win, while quietly positioning your quarry for a kill. Move pieces that have nothing to do with your actual plan, just to scramble the read. The game rewards genuine misdirection in a way that feels earned rather than arbitrary.
The moment when your opponent realizes you've won — and they were watching for the completely wrong thing — is one of the best feelings in gaming.
Replayability
Every game is a new puzzle. The card draft at the start means you see three possible identities and pick one — which tells you that your opponent definitely isn't either of the two you passed on. It's a small piece of information that can actually matter a lot once you start building the deduction layer.
We played four games in one sitting. Every single one played differently. Different strategies, different moments of realization, different paths to winning. The box says 20 minutes. We were so absorbed in each game that it felt like ten minutes, even when we'd actually been playing for close to an hour total.
And since you'll always have a different pawn, different quarry, and different opponents to hunt, the game genuinely doesn't repeat itself. Every session is its own quiet war.
Who Should Play This?
This game is for you if you love deduction, hidden information, and the thrill of trying to outthink someone who is actively trying to outthink you. If you enjoy abstract games that reward both tactical positioning and strategic misdirection, Enthrone delivers.
It's also perfect for anyone who cares about components. This is not a deluxe upgrade. These figures come in every copy of the game. That's remarkable.
For date nights, 2-player game nights, or a fast and beautiful abstract that still has real depth — this is it.
This game is not for you if you want to play heads-down in your own engine without worrying about your opponent. This is a game of constant mutual observation. If you prefer something like Wingspan where you can be in your own world — Enthrone will feel intense. Also, it only plays two. Bigger groups will need something else.
My Experience
Page won the first game. I won the next three. That never happens. She reads people better than I do and usually has me completely figured out before I've figured out myself.
But something about the way Enthrone forces you to think on multiple levels simultaneously — masking your own moves while decoding someone else's — clicked differently for me that night. I found myself thinking three moves ahead not just for my own plan, but for the story I was telling with my moves. And it was working.
The last game, I won by moving to the center. Page thought I was coming to eliminate her pawn, because she was also getting close to the center. My plans came to fruition and she was so genuinely frustrated in the best possible way.
Our daughter wanted to play by the end of the night. She saw the figures and wanted in. That's the thing about Enthrone — it draws people in before they even know what the game is. The table presence does the selling.
Special thanks to Smirk & Dagger for sending us this review copy. It has thoroughly earned its place in the regular rotation. Page says it strengthened our marriage. That's probably a little dramatic. But it's not nothing.
Final Verdict
Enthrone is the rare game that looks incredible, teaches in minutes, and rewards every play session with new layers of strategy. It's fast, it's beautiful, and it gets better the more you try to outsmart someone who's trying to outsmart you right back.
If you're looking for a 2-player abstract that you'll actually want to pull out again and again — this is one of the best I've played in years. And the figures alone are worth the price of entry.
"Enthrone is a game that looks like it belongs in a castle and plays like a quiet war — where every move is either a lie or a weapon, and figuring out which is half the fun."
by Lincoln Hoppe
Original Music by Lincoln Hoppe: The Game Bard
A review copy of the game was provided.
Buy / Learn More: Smirk & Dagger — Enthrone
Publisher: Smirk & Dagger
Designed by: Sawyer West
Board Game Geek Page: Enthrone | Board Game | BoardGameGeek
My Board Game Geek Page: Lincoln Hoppe
