Goal
Be the last player with at least one card. Each face-down card is a piece of influence at court; lose both and you are exiled.
Setup
- Every player gets 2 cards, face down, and 2 coins.
- The deck has 3 copies of each character for 2–6 players, 4 for 7–8 and 5 for 9–10.
- In a two-player game the first player starts with only 1 coin.
- A random player goes first; play continues in the order players joined the room.
Your turn
- On your turn you must take exactly one action. You cannot pass.
- Character actions only require that you claim the character. You may be lying.
- If you start your turn with 10 coins or more, you must launch a Coup.
Actions
| Action | Character | Effect | Blocked by |
|---|---|---|---|
| Income | Anyone | Take 1 coin. | — |
| Foreign aid | Anyone | Take 2 coins. | Duke |
| Coup | Anyone | Pay 7 coins. The target loses a card. Cannot be blocked or challenged. | — |
| Tax | Duke | Take 3 coins. | — |
| Assassinate | Assassin | Pay 3 coins. The target loses a card. | Contessa |
| Steal | Captain | Take 2 coins from the target (or 1 if that is all they have). | Captain, Ambassador |
| Exchange | Ambassador | Draw 2 cards, then return 2 cards of your choice to the deck. | — |
Challenges
- Any claimed character can be challenged by any other player, whether or not they are involved.
- If the challenged player has the card, they show it, shuffle it into the deck and draw a new one. The challenger loses a card.
- If they do not have it, they lose a card and their action or block fails.
- A failed action costs nothing: coins paid for an assassination are returned.
Blocks
- Foreign aid can be blocked by anyone claiming the Duke.
- Only the target of an assassination can block it, claiming the Contessa.
- Only the target of a steal can block it, claiming the Captain or the Ambassador.
- A blocked action fails, but coins already paid stay spent. Any player can challenge the block.
Losing influence
- When you lose influence you choose which of your cards to reveal. It stays face up for everyone to see.
- With only one card left there is nothing to choose: it is revealed automatically.
- When both of your cards are revealed you are out of the game.
Special cases
- Double loss: challenge an Assassin and lose, and you lose one card for the challenge and another for the assassination. Bluffing a Contessa that gets challenged ends the same way.
- If the target of an action is eliminated before it resolves, the action has no effect.
- During an exchange you keep as many cards as you had face down — one or two.
Playing online
- When an action or block can be answered, everyone who may respond gets 30 seconds. Whoever does not answer in time lets it through.
- Lost your connection? Open the room link again within 2 minutes to get your seat back. After that you forfeit.
- When the game ends, the host can start a rematch with everyone still in the room.
The characters
Duke
Tax: take 3 coins.
Assassin
Pay 3 coins: a player loses a card.
Captain
Steal 2 coins from a player.
Ambassador
Draw 2 cards, keep the ones you want.
Contessa
No action of her own.