Handbook

Welcome — here’s what you’ll find in the Sovereignty handbook.

Sovereignty is a board game about trust, trade, and keeping your word. 2–4 players, 30 minutes, no screens required. The console keeps score — you keep your word. This handbook covers everything from your first install to the optional XRPL Testnet anchoring layer.

Where to start

Most visitors land here with one of these questions:

• “How do I play my first game?” → Getting Started walks you through installing the console and starting a 2-player game in under five minutes.
• “What are the actual rules?” → How to Play covers core rules, promises, the apology mechanic, goals, and the board.
• “What’s Campfire / Town Hall / Treaty Table / Market Day?” → Tiers and Scenarios explains the three complexity tiers and the curated scenario packs.
• “How does proof verification actually work?” → Diary Mode explains SHA-256 round proofs and how anchoring works on the XRPL Testnet.
• “Why anchor anything to a ledger at all?” → Diary Mode is optional and educational. The game works perfectly without it. We use the XRPL Testnet because anchoring is free, the test tokens have no monetary value, and the public record demonstrates how tamper-evident proof works without needing real money in play.

What’s inside

• Getting Started — Install the console and play your first game
• How to Play — Core rules, promises, goals, and the apology
• Tiers and Scenarios — Three tiers of complexity and scenario packs
• Diary Mode — Optional XRPL Testnet verification
• Reference — Full CLI command reference
• Beginners — New to Sovereignty? The longest, gentlest path through everything
• Print and Play — Print the cards and quick references; play tonight without a screen

Need help?

Found a bug, have a question, or want to suggest a rule tweak? Open an issue on GitHub — pick the matching template (bug report, question, or feature request) so it lands in the right queue.

Open an issue on GitHub (opens in a new tab — leaves this site)

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