Coup Deluxe: Mobile Edition Rulebook

Table of Contents

Table of Contents

• Part 1: Base Game (Coup / Complots)
  • Goal of the Game
  • Components
  • Setup for a Game of 3 to 6 Players
  • Course of the Game
  • A. The Different Actions
  • B. Challenging a Character
  • C. Countering a Character
  • Game for 7 and 8 Players
  • Game for 2 Players
  • Clarifications
• Part 2: Reformation Expansion
  • Reformation Contents
  • Set-Up Changes
  • Game Play Changes
  • Additional Actions
  • Inquisitor Variant
  • More than Six Player Variant

Part 1: Base Game (Coup / Complots)

Goal of the Game

Be the last survivor by eliminating the characters of all your opponents.

Components

• 6 characters in 4 copies each (24 cards): the Duke, the Assassin, the Contessa, the Captain, the Ambassador and the Inquisitor.
• 8 player aids (1 per player).
• 24 silver coins, 6 gold coins (1 gold = 5 silver coins).

Setup for a Game of 3 to 6 Players

Special arrangements for 2, 7 and 8 players are explained at the end of the rules.

Each game is played with 5 different characters:

• The Duke, the Assassin, the Contessa and the Captain are always present.
• Finally, take the Ambassador OR the Inquisitor (we advise the Ambassador for your first games).

With 3 to 6 players, play with 15 cards (3 copies of each of the 5 chosen characters).

Deal two characters at random to every player, who place them face down in front of them. Players may look at their cards at any time during the game, but must keep them face down.

The remaining cards are placed in the centre of the play area: they form the Court.

Give 2 coins to each player. Money is always visible. The remaining coins are placed in the middle of the play area, next to the Court: this is the Treasury.

The most shady-looking person starts the game; thereafter the winner of the previous game starts the next one.

Course of the Game

Play always proceeds clockwise.

On their turn, a player must choose one Action among four possible ones (they may never pass their turn).

After choosing their Action, the other players may Challenge them (see section B) or Counter them (see section C).

A. The Different Actions

1. Income
2. Foreign Aid
3. Assassination
4. Use the power of one of the 5 characters

IMPORTANT: If a player starts their turn with 10 coins or more, they must assassinate (Action 3) an opposing character by spending 7 coins to the Treasury. This is their only permitted Action this turn. This Action cannot be countered.

1. Income: take one coin from the Treasury. This Action can never be countered.

2. Foreign Aid: take 2 coins from the Treasury. This Action can be countered by the Duke.

3. Assassination: pay 7 coins to the Treasury and assassinate an opposing character. The targeted player immediately loses one of their characters, of their choice, which they turn face up. An Assassination can never be countered.

Reminder: if you start your turn with 10 coins, you are obliged to perform an Assassination.

IMPORTANT:

• Once a character has been turned face up, the power of that revealed card has no more effect for the rest of the game. The other identical characters still hidden obviously still have their power active.
• If both of a player's cards are turned face up, they are eliminated: their coins return to the Treasury and their cards remain visible to everyone.

4. Use the power of one of the 5 characters in play

To use this Action, it is enough to announce that you have the character whose power you want to use and, at the same time, if needed, to choose the targeted player (this is the case for the Captain, the Assassin and the Inquisitor).

It may be true, it may be false (in which case it is a bluff). You do not show your cards, unless you are challenged by another player (see section B).

If no challenge is made, the power of the chosen character is then applied.

Here are the details of all the characters:

The Duke He takes 3 coins from the Treasury and cannot be countered.

The Assassin By paying 3 coins to the Treasury, he assassinates an opposing character. The Assassin can be countered by the Contessa. If the Action succeeds, the targeted player loses a character: they reveal face up the character of their choice and display it in front of them.

The Captain He takes 2 coins from an opponent (if the latter has only one coin, the Captain takes only one). The Captain can be countered by another Captain, and by the Ambassador/the Inquisitor.

The Ambassador He allows you to draw 2 characters from the Court: the player then has 4 cards. They choose 2 and put the other 2 back into the Court. The cards of the Court are then shuffled.

The Inquisitor (replaces the Ambassador) He is used in only one of the following two ways:

• He allows you to draw 1 character from the Court: the player then has 3 cards. They choose 2 and put the last one back into the Court. The cards of the Court are then shuffled.

  OR

• He allows you to look at one Character card of an opponent, who chooses which card they wish to show. The Inquisitor then chooses to give it back to them, or to make them discard it. If it is discarded, the card is shuffled with the cards of the Court, and the opponent draws a new one as a replacement.

B. Challenging a Character

When a player wants to use the power of a character, one of their opponents may challenge them. If several players want to challenge, only the quickest to have spoken may do so.

The challenge is then resolved:

a. If the player lied and does not have the character, they lose the challenge and immediately turn face up one of their characters (they are free to choose which of the two they turn over). The power of the character is then not applied (in the case of the Assassin, the 3 coins are not spent).

b. If the player has the character, they show it, then shuffle this character into the Court to draw a new one, which they keep face down. The power of the character is applied. It is the opponent who then loses the challenge and immediately turns face up one of their characters (they are free to choose which of the two they turn over).

Example 1:

• Player 1 says they have the Captain and wants to steal 2 coins from Player 2.
• Player 2 decides to challenge Player 1.
  • Player 1 then shows their Captain card (they immediately shuffle it into the Court to draw a new one).
  • Player 2 has lost the challenge and must therefore turn over one of their two cards. If both their cards are turned over, they are eliminated.
• Player 1 can therefore carry out their Action: they steal 2 coins from Player 2.

C. Countering a Character

Certain characters can counter Foreign Aid or other characters. A counter can succeed or fail.

To counter, it is enough to announce that you have the appropriate character. It may be true, it may be false (in which case it is a bluff).

When the power of the Captain, the Assassin, or the Inquisitor targets a player, only that player may counter it.

IMPORTANT: A character who counters can also be challenged by any player. If the challenge succeeds, the counter fails. A challenge is always resolved before resolving the counter.

If a counter succeeds, then the initial Action automatically fails.

Here are the characters who can counter:

The Duke He counters a player who tries to obtain Foreign Aid and thus prevents them from taking 2 coins from the Treasury.

The Contessa She counters the Assassin. The Assassin's Action fails and the cost of 3 coins is nevertheless paid to the Treasury.

The Captain and the Ambassador / the Inquisitor They can all counter the Captain and thus prevent the theft of 2 coins by the Captain.

Example 2:

• Player 1 announces they have the Captain and wants to steal 2 coins from Player 2.
• Player 3 decides to challenge Player 1.
  • Player 1 proves their good faith by showing their Captain (they shuffle their card into the Court to draw a new one).
  • Player 3 has lost the challenge and must therefore turn face up one of their two cards (of their choice).
• Player 2 then decides to counter Player 1 by announcing the Ambassador.
  • Player 3 decides to challenge (again!) Player 2.
    • Player 2 proves their good faith by showing their Ambassador (they shuffle their card into the Court to draw a new one).
    • Player 3 has once again lost the challenge and must therefore turn face up their last card. They are eliminated.
  • Player 2 having indeed announced the Ambassador, they counter the Captain of Player 1.
• Player 1's Action having been countered, they do not steal coins from Player 2.

Game for 7 and 8 Players

With 7 and 8 players, use 20 cards: 4 copies of each of the 5 chosen characters. The rules do not change.

Game for 2 Players

• The first player receives only one coin at the start of the game (instead of two).
• Make 3 decks, each containing the 5 different characters.
• Each player takes one deck of 5 cards.
• Shuffle the cards of the 3rd deck and deal one at random to each player. The three remaining cards go face down to the Court (which will consist only of these 3 cards).
• After looking at their card, each player chooses one card among the 5 of their deck. The other 4 cards are discarded.
• Each player thus has 2 cards: one they received at random and the other they chose.

Clarifications

• After the announcement of the choice of an Action, we advise leaving a few seconds so that opponents have the opportunity to challenge or counter the chosen character.
• Once a character has been turned face up, its power can no longer be used. As well as symbolising the number of "lives" of the players (each character revealed can be considered a "life" lost, in the manner of video games), the visible characters give an indication of the hidden characters still in play.
• There are two cases where a player can lose their 2 lives in the same turn. Both involve the Assassin:
  1. Challenging the Assassin can be dangerous:
     • Player 1 announces they have the Assassin and wants to assassinate one of Player 2's characters.
     • Player 2 decides to challenge Player 1.
     • Player 1 proves their good faith by showing the Assassin and immediately makes Player 2 lose a life.
     • The power of the Assassin is then applied and makes Player 2 lose their second life.
     • Player 2 is then eliminated.
  2. Special case of the Assassin and the Contessa, where a player can also lose both of their characters at once:
     • Player 1 announces they have the Assassin and wants to assassinate one of Player 2's characters.
     • Nobody challenges Player 1.
     • Player 2 then decides to counter Player 1 by announcing the Contessa.
     • Player 1 decides to challenge Player 2.
     • Player 2 admits not having the Contessa: they lose a life and turn over one of their two cards.
     • The Assassin not having been countered, his power is applied and makes Player 2 lose their second life.
     • Player 2 is then eliminated.

Part 2: Reformation Expansion

Reformation is an expansion to Coup; a copy of Coup is required to play. Reformation adds Allegiances: players are either in support of the government (Loyalists) or the resistance (Reformists). Reformation also includes the Inquisitor variant, and additional role cards to expand play up to 10 players. Unless noted below, how you play and win Reformation is the same as Coup.

Reformation Contents

• 10 Allegiance cards
• 1 Treasury Reserve card
• 15 character cards (2 each of Duke, Assassin, Captain, Ambassador, Contessa and 5 of the Inquisitor)
• 10 summary cards
• Rules

Set-Up Changes

Place the Treasury Reserve card in the center of the play area.

Give each player an Allegiance card. The start player chooses an Allegiance (either Loyalist or Reformist) and places their Allegiance card, with the corresponding side up, in front of them.

Going clockwise around the table, each player alternates Allegiance from the previous player, placing their Allegiance card in front of them.

Game Play Changes

A player cannot Coup, Assassinate, Steal from nor block a Foreign Aid attempt by another player of the same Allegiance unless all players are of the same Allegiance.

Additional Actions

Conversion Pay 1 coin to change your Allegiance or pay 2 coins to change the Allegiance of one other player. Coins paid for this action are placed on the Treasury Reserve card. The relevant Allegiance card is then turned to the other side.

Embezzlement Unless you have the Duke, you may take all the coins on the Treasury Reserve card.

Anyone can challenge that the player attempting to Embezzle has the Duke. If the challenged player does have the Duke, they must concede and lose the challenge (a player that does not have the Duke may concede and lose the challenge); return the coins taken to the Treasury Reserve card and lose one influence card. If the challenged player does not have the Duke (and does not concede) they must show their influence card(s), the challenger loses; the revealed influence cards are shuffled back into the court deck and replaced randomly (this does not cause a loss or gain in the number of influence cards to the challenged player).

Inquisitor Variant

Remove all the Ambassador character cards from the Court deck and replace with Inquisitor cards. The Inquisitor has the following character actions, only one of which may be taken in a turn:

Exchange Exchange one card with the Court deck. First take one random card from the Court deck. Choose which, if any to exchange with your face down cards. Then return one card to the Court deck.

Examine Look at an opponent's card and force an Exchange. First the selected opponent chooses one of their face down cards to show to the Inquisitor. The Inquisitor looks at that card and may either hand that card back, or the Inquisitor may force the opponent to draw a new card randomly from the Court deck before returning the given card to the Court deck.

As a counteraction the Inquisitor may Block Stealing.

A player cannot Examine another player of the same Allegiance unless all players are of the same Allegiance.

More than Six Player Variant

Coup & Reformation can be played with 7 or 8 players by including 4 each of the selected character cards in the Court deck (20 cards total). Coup can be played with 9 or 10 players by including 5 each of the selected character cards in the Court deck (25 cards total).

Note: Playing with more than 6 players can significantly increase playing time, and may lead to long waits for those that are eliminated early. It is recommended for experienced players and exceptional situations.