The Stuarts
Image: Roundheads VS Cavaliers game board

Civil wars board game: play roundheads vs. cavaliers

It’s 1643 and the Civil War between the Roundheads and the Cavaliers is raging, but who will get the upper hand? Choose your side and embark on a race to the finish by becoming the first to beseige and claim all 12 English Heritage castles across the country! The fate of England is in your hands, but have you got what it takes to claim victory?

Image: The board game and characters

Setting up the game

Challenge a friend to take up arms and battle to be the first person to claim all the castles. To make the game, ask an adult to download the board templates and print them out for you. Then stick the two pieces of the board game on to a thin, A3-sized piece of cardboard (or you can just sellotape them together).

Next, download the game piece templates, cut them out and stick them on to thin card too. Cut each figure out along with the half discs, which are used as the bases. Ask an adult to cut through the line on the disc, but not all the way across, and to cut a notch in the bottom of each piece. Slot them together to make the figures stand up.

Download the game board
Image: The playing pieces on the board

How to play

  1. Choose one of the two starting points to put your playing piece on.
  2. Both players roll a dice – whoever has the highest number goes first.
  3. Take it in turns to roll the dice and move around the board – the number you roll on the dice is the number of moves you can make. You can travel in any direction you like.
  4. If you land on a castle, tick it off the territories checklist, under either Cavaliers or Roundheads, depending on who you’re playing as. Tip: use a pencil so you can rub out the ticks afterwards and play again.
  5. The first player to tick off all the castles on their checklist wins!

This game rules!

Don't forget to follow these rules as you complete your castle quest:

  • You can move in any direction you like around the board.

  • If you roll a one, your opponent has to return to their starting square before starting their next go.

  • If you roll a three, you miss your next go.

  • Look out for the special supply squares on the board, which strengthen your army with additional food and weapons. If you land on one of these, you can jump straight to any castle of your choice!