Coup: Rules & Notes

coupboxCoup is a bluffing card game that simulates the political intrigue of lying to influence a sci-fi dystopian government. Players each hold two cards to represent actual influence on five different characters in power at the governmental court: the Duke, the Assassin, the Captain, the Ambassador, and the Contessa. (The Reformation expansion set adds a sixth character, the Inquisitor.)

Throughout the game, players may claim to hold specific influence cards allowing for special actions, and if unchallenged, may get away with performing those actions. Players do not need to show any cards unless challenged. Any action or counteraction not challenged will automatically succeed. Players whose claims are challenged must prove they had the required influence cards by showing the character influence to all other players. If they can’t, or won’t, they automatically lose the challenge and lose one influence card.

If a player wins a challenge by showing a relevant character influence card, they first return that card to the Court deck, re-shuffle, and take one replacement card not to be shown to other players.

Players may also collect from 1 to 10 coin tokens to fund certain actions during their turns. Being reduced to zero coins isn’t great but does not remove a player from the game. Coins may not be given or lent to other players.

GOAL OF THE GAME

One player wins when all other players have lost their influence cards. (Losing all coins does not eliminate a player.)

Players may lose influence cards in various ways:
* They are caught lying about which influence cards they actually hold.
* They accuse someone of lying about having influence, but their target is revealed to have been telling the truth.
* They are targeted by an Assassin’s character action costing the attacking player 3 coins.
* They are targeted by a coup action costing the attacking player 7 coins.

SET-UP

In the original game with 3 to 6 players, use all the cards in a starting deck with 3 cards of each character influence type: 3 Dukes, 3 Assassins, 3 Captains, 3 Ambassadors, 3 Contessas.

From the starting deck, each player begins with two random influence cards and two coins. Players do not show which cards they hold. The remaining influence cards are set between players as “The Court” deck. Remaining coins are set in a pile called “The Treasury” (also called “The Bank”).

The person who won the last game of “Coup” starts, else determine who goes first turn randomly. Players then take turns going clockwise around the table.

PLAYING THE GAME

During a turn, a player may take one of four possible actions.

1.) TAKE INCOME: Draw 1 coin from the Treasury. No special card is needed to take this action.

2.) TAKE FOREIGN AID: Draw 2 coins from the Treasury. No special card is needed to take this action, but this option can be blocked by any other player claiming to hold a Duke influence card. (See “Counteraction” below.)

3.) STAGE A COUP: Pay 7 coins back to the Treasury and immediately cause one other player to lose one influence card. No special card is needed to take this action. Any player who starts a turn with 10 or more coins MUST take this action.

4.) DO ONE CHARACTER ACTION: Call for an action described on an influence card, regardless of actually having that card.

* Duke: Tax the treasury and take 3 coins.
* Assassin: Pay 3 coins to eliminate one of another player’s influence cards.
* Captain: Steal 2 coins from another player.
* Ambassador: Exchange one held card possibly for one of two new cards.

Other players may accuse the turn player of lying, either forcing the turn player to lose a card, or losing a card themselves for making an incorrect accusation. A player targeted by a specific action may also announce a counteraction, a protective ability granted by specific character influence cards.

Any action or counteraction not challenged will automatically succeed. Players whose claims are challenged must prove they had the required influence cards by showing the character influence to all other players. Getting caught bluffing, or being wrong about an accusation, costs a player one influence card. Players may decide which card they lose in a challenge, but their pick must be revealed to all players at the table by placing the card face-up on the table.

Character actions and counteractions include:

THE DUKE
* Character Action (During Your Turn): Tax. Take 3 coins from the Treasury. This action cannot be blocked, but claiming of influence on the Duke may be challenged.
* Counteraction (During Another’s Turn): Block Foreign Aid. Claim to hold a Duke card to stop another player from drawing 2 coins. If successful, that player gains no coins during his or her turn.

THE ASSASSIN
* Character Action (During Your Turn): Assassinate. Pay 3 coins to the Treasury and force one other player to lose one influence card. (This action can be blocked by any player with the Contessa card, or successfully lying about holding such a card.)
* Counteraction (During Another’s Turn): None.

THE CAPTAIN
* Character Action (During Your Turn): Steal. Take 2 coins from another player, or take 1 coin if the targeted player only has 1 coin left. (This action can be blocked by any player with either an Ambassador or Captain influence card, or successfully lying about holding such a card.)
* Counteraction (During Another’s Turn): Blocks the Captain from stealing from you. If successful, the stealing player gains no coins during his or her turn.

THE AMBASSADOR
* Character Action (During Your Turn): Exchange. Take 2 random cards from the Court deck, choose to exchange either into your hand, and then return 2 cards back to the Court deck.
* Counteraction (During Another’s Turn): Blocks the Captain from stealing from you. If successful, the stealing player gains no coins during his or her turn.

THE CONTESSA
* Character Action (During Your Turn): None.
* Counteraction (During Another’s Turn): Blocks the Assassin from eliminating one of your influence cards. Falsely claiming to hold a Contessa influence card is doubly risky: A player could lose one influence card for having been caught bluffing and lose another influence card due to the Assassination character action.

EXPANSION SET: COUP REFORMATION

The “Coup: Reformation” set replaces the Ambassador with the Infiltrator, a new influence card type with its own character actions. “Reformation” also adds two new rules mechanics: Allegiances (either Loyalist to the government or Reformist against the government) and the Treasury Reserve (a sort of “community chest” fund).

SET UP

With the expansion game adding additional cards per type, create the starting deck as follows (replacing all Ambassador cards with Inquisitor cards):
* 3 to 6 players: Use 3 cards per influence type, including 3 Inquisitors.
* 7 to 8 players: Use 4 cards per influence type, including 4 Inquisitors.
* 9 or more players: Use 5 cards per influence type, including 5 Inquisitors.