Conclave 1492: A 40-Person Renaissance Papal Election Negotiation Game
Step into the shoes of a cardinal or king in a high-stakes 1492 papal election simulation.
Conclave 1492 is an immersive, 40-person negotiation exercise that recreates the most complex and high-stakes political event of the Renaissance: the papal election of 1492. Designed by Vaniver, the game invites participants to play as ambitious cardinals, mighty kings, daring queens, or lowly Vatican functionaries. Each character arrives with pre-established allies, rivals, secrets, and leverage, but every other player has their own hidden agendas. Over four afternoons, participants scheme, bargain, cross, double-cross, and occasionally pray for salvation – all culminating in a dramatic halfway point where one of them is crowned Pope.
The event takes place at Summer Camp, hosted at Lighthaven immediately after Less Online from June 8th to 11th, 2026. Organizers are selecting characters to maximize fun and fit, encouraging early sign-ups. Whether you aspire to be the next Borgia, Medici, or Ferdinand of Aragon – or to defeat them – this is your training ground for high-stakes political maneuvering and negotiation in a historically rich setting.
- 40-person negotiation exercise set during the 1492 papal election
- Players take roles as cardinals, kings, queens, or Vatican functionaries with pre-set allies, secrets, and leverage
- Held at Summer Camp (June 8-11, 2026) after Less Online; early sign-ups get better character assignments
Why It Matters
A unique live-action roleplay training ground for high-stakes Renaissance political negotiation and strategy.