Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth: How to win at Queen’s Blood

Square Enix wanted in on the card game action too, so Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth comes with an addictive one: Queen’s Blood.

If you’re the kind to ignore card games in video games, I’ve got some terrible news for you: Many side quests in FF7R revolve around Queen’s Blood—and other minigames like the Junon Parade. But beneath its intricate rules, Queen’s Blood offers a rock-solid card game experience that can keep you hooked for hours. After playing three matches in a row, I actually forgot I was Cloud Strife escaping from Shinra soldiers for a while. In this guide, I’ll assist you in mastering the intricacies of Queen’s Blood so you can rise to the top and become the ultimate player.

Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth: Queen’s Blood rules, explained

The board

The board for FF7R’s Queen’s Blood is checkered, but that doesn’t affect the gameplay at all. Instead, view each horizontal row as a lane. 

On the left side of the board, there are three circles, each with a number inside—your scores in each lane. Similarly, your opponent’s score can be found to the board’s right.

Next to the score columns, there are three pawns. Your pawns are emerald while your opponent’s are red. Pawns signal that a card can be placed in that tile. If a tile doesn’t have enough pawns, you can’t place a card there.

Card anatomy

Before you place a Queen’s Blood card on the board in FF7R, analyze the following information:

• Rank determines how many pawns it costs to place that card on the board.
  • The Cactuar card can only be placed in a tile that has at least one pawn.
• Power shows how many score points you can get from that card.
  • The Cactuar card scores one point in your favor.
• Positions indicate the effect the card has on the board. The white tile indicates where the card is placed, orange tiles receive an extra pawn, and red tiles are affected by the card’s buff.
  • The Cactuar card places one pawn to its right and one below. It also adds three extra power points to the card placed on the red tile.

How to play

The goal of Queen’s Blood in FF7R is to place as many powerful cards on the board as you can to score more points than your opponent. You score points by strategically placing cards in each lane. Each new card alters the board’s tiles, adding pawns or buffing existing cards while also boosting your lane and overall score.

Queen’s Blood is a territorial game. Each card you play secures your turf, blocking your opponent’s moves. You can, however, overlap a tile currently occupied by an enemy pawn with your own pawns.

When the board is full, wrap the game up by holding triangle. Each lane’s scores are tallied; the highest total across most lanes clinches victory. If there are any ties in individual lanes, they cancel out.

Tips and tricks to win at Queen’s Blood in Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth

The best way to master Queen’s Blood is to practice. Do the tutorial a few times until you actually win the match. Then, once you have access to Kalm in chapter one, look for all three optional matches to rank up.

Here are a few extra tips to master Queen’s Blood in Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth:

• Build a solid deck: At the start of the game, select a cohesive deck and eliminate any cards you don’t like playing with.
• Choose your starter cards wisely: Before you play your first card, you have a chance to discard any cards in your hand. Ideally, get rid of any three-pawn rank card here.
• Take up as much space in the board as you can: Prioritize expanding your card’s reach to corner your opponent. The fewer cards they place, the lower their score.
• Don’t challenge higher-leveled opponents in the early game: Before accepting an opponent’s challenge, take a look at the golden number above their heads. This number represents their level in Queen’s Blood. The higher the level, the tougher the opponent.

How to get more Queen’s Blood cards in Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth

You can expand your Queen’s Blood deck in FF7R by defeating opponents or buying more cards.

Some opponents gift you a card when you defeat them. This is the case for all three Queen’s Blood players in Kalm. If you best Zahira, Mr. Cuddlesworth, and Ned in a match, they’ll give you the Screamer, Cactuarm, and Crystalline Crab cards.

If you’re still hungry for more cards, they can also be purchased at Thorin’s Card Shop or any other vendors spread throughout FF7R‘s map. The good news is you can either resort to fast travel or mount your Chocobo to get there faster.