Goal of the Game

In Your Excellency - The Political Game, you take on the role of a newly elected federal deputy who has four years to ensure their stay in power. The main objective is to accumulate Political Capital (victory points) through maneuvering, tactics, accumulating money, and gathering voters. The game ends when the Time Marker reaches the “Elections” space on the Calendar Card. The player with the highest score at the end of the match wins.

Setup

To prepare the game, follow these steps:

• Separate the cards by type and shuffle them, placing them in face-down piles in the center of the table.
• Place the Money tokens within reach of the players.
• Reveal the Electorate cards and form the Electoral Zone.
• Place the Calendar Card in the center of the table with the chosen side facing up and position the Time Marker on the first space.
• Decide if you will use Rule cards and shuffle them, if necessary.
• Choose the first player and hand them the Speaker of the House Card.
• Each player receives one Politician card and one Party card, placing them in their Office. Resolve any “on play” abilities, if applicable.
• Each player receives starting Money tokens and draws Parliamentary cards to form their starting hand.

Gameplay Flow

The game is divided into rounds, where each player performs their turn following this order:

1. Unflip Cards: All cards played/maneuvered in the previous turn are flipped face-up.
2. Perform Actions: The player may perform actions such as discarding cards, replenishing their hand, revealing cards, maneuvering cards, or paying costs for Electorate cards.
3. Reveal Event: After all players have completed their turns, an Event is revealed and its effects are applied.
4. Advance the Time Marker: The marker is moved to the next space on the Calendar Card, starting a new round.

The game ends when the Time Marker reaches the “Elections” space.

Actions and How to Play

During their turn, a player may perform the following actions:

• Discard: Discard any number of cards from your hand.
• Replenish: Draw cards until you have three in your hand.
• Reveal Cards: Reveal a card from your hand and pay its cost. If it is a Support card, it is placed in your Office. If it is a Maneuver card, its effects are resolved and the card is discarded.
• Maneuver Cards: Maneuver face-up cards from your Office, resolving their effects.
• Pay Electorate Costs: Pay the cost of cards in the Electoral Zone and place them in your Office.

Consult the manual for details regarding this section.

End of Game and Scoring

The game ends when the Time Marker reaches the “Elections” space on the Calendar Card. Players tally their points as follows:

• Infamy cards: -1 point each.
• Support cards: 1 point each.
• Electorate cards: 1 point each.
• Money tokens: 1 point each.

The player with the highest score wins. In the event of a tie, the player earlier in the round order is the winner.

Tips for Winning

Here are some tips to stand out in Your Excellency:

• Prioritize accumulating Money, as it is essential for paying costs and acquiring Electorate cards.
• Maintain a solid Office with Support cards that can be maneuvered to generate advantages.
• Avoid accumulating Infamy cards, as they reduce your final score.