Emperor's New Clothes

Emperor's New Clothes Rulebook

Table of Contents

Overview
Game Play
Action/Event Cards
Game End
Explanation of Roles
Achievements
Meta-game

Overview

Objective: Score the most points by exchanging the right resources for points.

Setup: Each player chooses a scoring marker and places it at the start of the scoring track. Set aside the 13 role cards. Shuffle the action/event cards and deal 5 to each player. Divide the resource cubes into their three piles: gold, dignity, and gullibility. Whoever was most recently duped is first player and gets the first player marker.

Game Play

The game will take place over a number of rounds equal to the number of players, so that each player has one turn at being the starting player.

Each round consists of the following phases: Role Selection, Roll Dice/Resource Collection, Reveal Roles/Record Results. (You can use the simple mnemonic RRR to remember the turn order.)

Role Selection

Shuffle the role cards and randomly remove one and set it aside. The Starting Player gets to select a role card (keeping it hidden from other players) and passes the rest of the role cards clockwise. After each player has selected a role card, any remaining cards are discarded face-down with the one set aside.

Note: Depending on the number of players, you can use a smaller set of role cards to simplify the game. See the list of roles at the end for recommended number of players. You should always have at least one more role card than there are players: if the last player is only passed one card, they may choose from the card passed to them and the discarded face-down card.

Roll Dice/Resource Collection

Each six-sided die has shows the following results: 1 or 2 Gold, 1 or 2 Dignity, 1 or 2 Gullibility. Beginning with the Starting Player, each player rolls three dice. A player may re-roll any or all dice, up to three rolls total. Then they collect the resources shown on the dice.

(Variant: Since gullibility is generally a negative resource, you may also play a variation where you may give gullibility to other players instead of keeping it yourself.)

Reveal Roles/Record Results

Beginning with the Starting Player, each player reveals their role card. (Note: if playing with the Knight, the Knight reveals first. See list of roles below.) Then, after all roles are revealed, players activate their roles in turn order, discarding resources and scoring points as indicated on their role cards.

Action/Event Cards

Action/Event Cards may be played at any time as indicated on the cards, and may affect a number of different things, including turn order and role selection. Some cards will allow you to roll extra dice; others will let you steal resources from the bank or from other players. There are even role-reversal cards which let you trade roles before final scoring.

However, since players have only 5 cards in hand, it is important not to play them all too quickly.

At the end of the round, after "Reveal Roles/Record Results," each player may discard any number of cards from their hand, and then draw back up to five.

Game End

After each player has had a chance to be Starting Player, the game ends. Player with the most points wins.

Ties are broken by the player with the least gullibility, then the player with the most dignity, then the player with the most gold left at the end of the game.

Explanation of Roles

Most of the roles will score for one type of resource, but may have to get rid of another resource type before scoring. Generally, scoring for a resource you own means you must discard it.

Always use these four roles

Emperor: The Emperor collects tax from all the players, but what he's really interested in is retaining his dignity despite being duped. Collect 1 gold from each player who has gold. Spend 1 dignity for each gullibility discarded. Then, score 1 point for each dignity remaining (discarding dignity to the supply).

Swindlers (2): The Swindlers are after gold, but they only get it if the Emperor has been duped. If Emperor has any gullibility when the Swindler activates, then the Swindler takes half the Emperor's gold (rounded down). (The Second Swindler, if any, will take an equal amount of gold, not half of what's remaining.) Swindlers score 1 point per gold (discarding gold to supply).

Child: The Child has no use for money or dignity, but thinks it's hilarious that the Emperor is parading around naked and that all these grown-ups are fawning over his invisible clothes. Discard all gold and dignity. Score 1 point for each gullibility held by other players. (This gullibility is not discarded.)

For 4 or 5 players add these

Mother: The Mother is the one who brings the Child to the parade, but if she wises up then she doesn't let her Child see the naked Emperor … assuming the Child hasn't already seen him. If Mother has no gullibility when she is activated and the Child has not been activated yet, then the Child will not score this turn (but will still have to discard gold and dignity). The Mother may optionally discard 1 gullibility per 1 dignity spent, and scores 1 point per gold (discarding to supply).

Jester: Nobody expects the Jester to be dignified—his job is to play the fool. Spend 1 gullibility for each dignity discarded. Then, score 1 point for each gullibility remaining (discarding gullibility to supply).

For 6 to 8 players add either the Imperial Court or the Townsfolk, and for 9 to 11 players add both

Imperial Court

Minister: The Minister advises the Emperor; if he's been duped, he helps dupe the Emperor, but if he wises up, he alerts the Emperor to the scam. If Minister has gullibility when activated, add 1 gullibility to the Emperor from supply. If Minister has no gullibility when activated, Emperor may immediately discard one gullibility. Minister may optionally discard 1 gullibility per 1 dignity spent, and then scores 1 point per dignity remaining (discarding it to supply).

Knight: The Knight is the Emperor's protector, and intimidates the Swindlers if he finds out about them. If the Knight is in play, the Knight reveals before everyone else in the Reveal Roles phase. He may guess two players as the Swindlers. Any Swindler correctly guessed must pay the Knight 2 gold, and does not collect gold from the Emperor this round. The Knight may discard 1 gullibility per 1 gold spent, and then scores 1 point per dignity (discarding to supply).

Lady-in-Waiting: The Lady-in-Waiting has a not-so-secret admirer in the Knight. The Lady-in-Waiting may collect any two resources from the Knight. She scores 1 point for every two dignity discarded.

Townsfolk

Seamstress: Everyone trusts the Seamstress in matters of clothing. If the Seamstress has gullibility when activated, then all other players must take a gullibility from the supply. If she has no gullibility when activated, all other players must discard a gullibility. Discard 1 gullibility per gold spent, then score 1 point for each gold remaining (discarding gold to supply).

Fisherman: The Fisherman loves to tell tall tales, whether he's been duped or not. The Fisherman may pick two players to dupe: each of them must take 1 gullibility from the supply. The Fisherman may discard 1 gullibility by discarding 1 of any other resource. Then score 1 point for each gold remaining (discarding gold to supply).

Farmer: The Farmer is a straight shooter and has no time for this silliness. He just needs a good harvest. Discard all gullibility and dignity. Score 1 point for each gold (discarding to supply).

Bonus character

Finally, if you want a bonus character just for fun, throw in the Troll:

Troll: Nobody can interact with the Troll without losing some dignity. During the Reveal Roles phase, any player who interacts with the Troll (whether by playing cards or through their character activation) must discard 1 dignity. The Troll scores 1 point for each dignity lost in this manner. (Note: if the Knight picks the Troll as one of their guesses, the Knight loses dignity.)

Achievements

To make Emperor's New Clothes even more fun, here are a list of achievements you can unlock. Mark them off as you complete them. Once you've unlocked all the achievements, you can wear that as an invisible badge of honor!

Meta-game

For an added challenge, try adding meta-game goals. Each player should get three goals at random. At the end of the game, the player who has achieved the most goals wins. Ties are broken by in-game scores. This is just a short list of example goals, but you can create your own. Ideally, each goal should be something that requires another player's participation to complete. (So something like "play three cards during your turn" is not a good example of a goal.)

Have a die removed from you during your turn.
Have three cards played on you during your turn.
Run out of resources before you activate your role.
Lose the game by a single point.
Another player announces the role you had "selected" before it's your turn.
Somebody checks the rules on a card you played.
Catch somebody returning a resource cube to the wrong pile.