King Arthur is searching for a worthy successor. Together with Merlin, he attempts to find the best candidate among the Knights of the Round Table.

In merlin, players will move their knights or Merlin with the help of dice around the action ring to get the most desired actions. While the knights are only moved by the corresponding player, Merlin can be moved by any player, which makes integrating Merlin in one's plan a tricky endeavor.

There are many ways to score victory points such as defeating barbarians, building manors in the surrounding area and increasing one's influence in the six counties. Additionally, players can complete task cards during their turn to get more victory points. The player who plans his actions most efficiently will ultimately get the most points and thus will be the royal successor of King Arthur.