tabletoppingboardgames 
As a secret society, you try to manipulate the war for the world to your own advantage.
2-4 players, ages 14+
Playing time: 60 minutes
Designer: Jeremy Stoltzfus
Artists: Tomasz Jedruszek & Dann May
Publisher: Starling Games
https://www.starling.games/
During setup players place their loyalty tokens secretly on their player boards, defining where their loyalties lie. These can shift during the game, but then again, they won’t be secret anymore. The nation with your most support will gain you 4 points per city they control by the end of the game, but you’ll get -1 point per city controlled by the nation you’re most against.
By placing agents, players can perform actions with any of the five empires on the board, and you try to gain control of the cities with the empires that have your highest bet. Other players might have the same or another agenda, and they’ll also try to manipulate the outcome of the war for their own profit.
For me ‘A War of Whispers’ feels like a fresh area control game, offering a lot of player interaction, but feels way less cutthroat than similar games. The new Collector’s Edition also comes with these nice little towers and huts, not only making it look great on the table, but also giving you a clear overview of the game status at a glance.
