Here's a general concept I've been tossing around. It's an asymmetrical multiplayer card game, in which one player plays the Emperor, holder of the Amber Throne, and the rest of the players all play Lords competing with each other to seize the throne.
The Emperor's main goal is to not be overthrown before time runs out. He can't directly attack the other players, but he can give favors or restrict resources to them, the idea being to continually pit them against each other, and to prevent any one of them from gaining enough power to take the throne.
On the Lords' side, they have to use intrigue and treachery to rise above the other Lords, despite the interference of the Emperor. Alliances can be formed against other players, and then swiftly broken as the allies turn on each other. Probably the way to win would be to secretly acquire certain combinations of cards.
Are there other games with this sort of structure? A passive moderator trying to keep the game in balance while the other players are trying to break it?
