Introduction

In Coup, players vie for control of a corrupt city-state in renaissance Italy. Through your influence in the court (the character cards in your hand), bluff, steal, and murder your opponents to become the last player standing and rise to power. There is no second place.

Setup

The 15-card deck contains 3 copies of 5 different characters (Ambassador, Assassin, Captain, Contessa, Duke).

Each player begins with ₤2 (or ₤1 in a two-player game) and 2 cards. Money is public knowledge, but character cards in hand are secret.

Actions

On your turn, take any action you can afford:

General actions (always available)

• Income: Take ₤1 from the treasury. Cannot be blocked.

• Foreign Aid: Take ₤2 from the treasury. Any player claiming to be the Duke can block.

• Coup: Pay ₤7 to the treasury and make another player lose influence (kill a character card). Cannot be blocked. If you start your turn with ₤10, you must choose this action.

Character actions (must claim to have that character card in hand)

• Tax (as the Duke): Take ₤3 from the treasury. Cannot be blocked.

• Steal (as the Captain): Take ₤2 from another player. The targeted player can block by claiming to be the Ambassador/Inquisitor or the Captain.

• Exchange (as the Ambassador): Draw 2 cards from the court deck, then return 2 cards to the deck. Cannot be blocked.

• Assassinate (as the Assassin): Pay ₤3 to the treasury and make another player lose influence (kill a character card). The targeted player can block by claiming to be the Contessa.

Challenges

Any player making a character claim can be challenged. A challenge always results in one player losing a character. The challenged player reveals a card from his/her hand.

• If bluffing, the revealed card is killed.

• If truthful, the revealed card is shuffled into the deck, replaced, and the challenger kills a card from his/her hand.

Dead character cards remain face-up and their influence can no longer be used. If both of your characters die, you're eliminated. The last player remaining wins!

Variant: Rounds to win

The standard game of Coup is only one round. This variant allows you to play a longer game, continuing for multiple rounds until one player accumulates a predetermined number of wins.

Variant: Factions

This variant divides players into two factions (teams), the Monarchists and the Populists. As long as there are two factions, players cannot block or target their teammates (however, Convert and challenges are always allowed). If there is only one faction in play, infighting takes over and no restriction applies.

Additional actions

• Convert: Pay ₤1 to the almshouse to change your own faction, or pay ₤2 to the almshouse to change another player's faction. Cannot be blocked.

• Embezzle (any character except the Duke): Take all coins from the almshouse if you are NOT the Duke. Cannot be blocked.

If the Embezzle action is challenged, the challenged player reveals both cards in hand. If any Dukes are revealed (bluffing), one is killed (any other revealed card is shuffled into the deck and replaced). Otherwise (truthful), both revealed cards are shuffled into the deck, replaced, and the challenger kills a card from his/her hand as normal.

Variant: Inquisitor

This variant replaces the Ambassador character with the Inquisitor. The Inquisitor still blocks stealing and has two character actions:

Replacement character actions

• Exchange (as the Inquisitor): Draw 1 card from the court deck, then return 1 card to the deck. Cannot be blocked.

• Examine (as the Inquisitor): Secretly look at 1 card in another player's hand. Choose whether to return the card to the owner or force the owner to exchange it with the court deck. Cannot be blocked.