Game Objective

Prepare to dive into a world of intrigue and manipulation! In Coup, you are the head of a powerful family in an Italian city-state, where the court is weak, corrupt, and full of secrets. Your objective? Destroy the influence of all other families, forcing them into exile, and be the last family to survive to control the city. It's a game of bluffing, bribery, and much cunning, where only one can reign supreme!

Setup

Let's set up the table and prepare the ground for the battle of influences:

1. Separate the 25 character cards (5 of each: Duke, Assassin, Captain, Ambassador, Contessa) and the 5 Inquisitor cards (optional character). For your first game, we recommend playing without the Inquisitor.
2. Shuffle the character cards and deal two face-down cards to each player. These are your influences! You can look at your cards at any time, but keep them secret in front of you. The remaining cards form the Court Deck in the play area.
3. Deal two coins to each player. Each player's money must always be visible to everyone. The remaining coins form the Central Treasury in the play area.
4. Each player receives a help card. Use it as a quick reference for actions and characters. Take a look to familiarize yourself with everything before starting!
5. The player who won the last game of Coup (or whoever you decide) goes first.

Gameplay Turn

The game unfolds in turns, clockwise. On your turn, you choose and perform only one action. Passing your turn is not allowed! After your action is declared, other players have a chance to challenge or block. If no one does, your action is an automatic success. Remember: challenges are resolved before any action or counteraction.

Your influences are the face-down cards in front of you. When you lose an influence, you must turn one of your cards face-up (you choose which one!). Revealed cards no longer count as influence. If you lose both your influences, you are exiled and out of the game, returning your coins to the Central Treasury.

You can choose any action you want and can afford. If it's a character action, you declare that you possess that character, whether it's true or a bluff. You only need to reveal the card if challenged.

Attention: If you start your turn with 10 or more coins, you are forced to perform a Coup as your only action!

General Actions (Always Available)

• Income: Take 1 coin from the Central Treasury.
• Foreign Aid: Take 2 coins from the Central Treasury. (Can be blocked by the Duke)
• Coup: Pay 7 coins to the Central Treasury and perform a Coup against another player. That player immediately loses an influence. The Coup is always successful and cannot be blocked.

Character Actions (If Challenged, you must prove you possess the character)

• Duke – Tax: Take 3 coins from the Central Treasury.
• Assassin – Assassinate: Pay 3 coins to the Central Treasury and attempt to assassinate another player. If successful, the player immediately loses an influence. (Can be blocked by the Contessa)
• Captain – Steal: Take 2 coins from another player. If they only have one coin, take only one. (Can be blocked by the Ambassador or the Captain)
• Ambassador – Exchange: Take 2 random cards from the Court Deck. Exchange zero to two of these cards with your face-down cards and return two cards to the Court Deck.

Counteractions (Blocks)

Other players can intervene and block your action. It works like character actions: the player can claim to influence the necessary character to block, bluffing or not. They only reveal the card if challenged. If a block is successful, your action fails, but spent coins are not returned.

• Duke – Blocks Foreign Aid: A player with the Duke can prevent another player from receiving Foreign Aid.
• Contessa – Blocks Assassination: The player being assassinated can claim the Contessa to block the assassination.
• Ambassador/Captain – Blocks Stealing: The player being stolen from can claim the Ambassador or the Captain to block the stealing.

Challenges

Any character action or counteraction can be challenged by any player. You must give a chance for challenges before proceeding with the action.

• If you are challenged, you must prove you have the necessary influence by showing the card.
• If you cannot (or do not want to) prove it, you lose the challenge.
• If you can (and want to) prove it, the challenger loses.
• Whoever loses the challenge immediately loses an influence.
• If you win a challenge (by showing the card), you return that card to the Court Deck, reshuffle, and draw a new card randomly. This way, you don't lose influence, and your new card is secret!
• After the challenge, the action or counteraction is resolved. If the action was successfully challenged, it fails, and spent coins are returned.

Note: Double danger of the Assassin! If you fail to defend yourself against an assassination (either by challenging an Assassin and losing, or by bluffing about having the Contessa and being challenged), you can lose two influences in the same turn: one for the lost challenge and another for the successful assassination.

End of Game and Scoring

The game ends when only one player remains. That player is the grand winner of Coup!

There is no second place. The goal is to be the sole survivor!

Tips for Winning

1. Observe and Bluff Wisely: Pay attention to other players' actions and the cards that are revealed. Use this information to decide when to bluff and when to challenge. A good bluff can give you a huge advantage, but a discovered bluff can be fatal!
2. Manage Your Coins Strategically: Coins are your main tool. Knowing when to save for a Coup and when to spend for an Assassin or Steal action is crucial. Remember that 10 coins force you to perform a Coup, so plan accordingly!
3. Know the Characters and Their Blocks: Familiarize yourself with each character's actions and, especially, with the counteractions. Knowing who can block what helps you plan your moves and identify possible bluffs from opponents.