Guillotine Rulebook

Table of Contents

Components
Object
Overview
Setup
Play
Example of Play
Continuation of Play
End of Game
Credits

Components

A 50-card NOBLE deck (the cards with two Guillotine logos on the back) and a 60-card ACTION deck (the cards with one Guillotine logo on the back).

Noble card — example: Duke, worth 3 points.
Action card — example: Pushed, "Move a noble forward exactly 2 places in line."

Object

Collect the most points by beheading important nobles.

Overview

Play is divided into three "days." On each day, 12 nobles are lined up to await their turns at the guillotine. Players take turns playing action cards from their hands (possibly rearranging the order of the line) and then collecting nobles from the front of the line. At the end of the third day, whoever has the most points wins.

Setup

Shuffle the two decks separately and deal 5 action cards to each player. Leave space for a discard pile next to each of the two decks.

Play

At the beginning of the first day, have someone take the top 12 noble cards from the noble deck and place them faceup in a line from left to right. The right end of the line is the guillotine where nobles will be beheaded (collected). Randomly choose someone to go first. That player's turn proceeds as follows:

Play an action card (optional). Action cards allow you to move nobles forward and backward in line, draw extra cards, add or remove nobles from line, get extra points, and so on.
Collect the first noble in line. Nobles are worth varying points depending on their notoriety. When you collect a noble card place it faceup in front of you to make a score pile. All collected noble cards are left faceup on the table at all times.
Draw an action card (whether or not you played one).

Example of Play

Here are the first four nobles in line (remember, the right is the front of the line): Archbishop (4), Fast Noble (2), Martyr (-1), Duke (3).

It's Maradee's turn and she decides to play the action card L'Idiot. This card allows her to "Move a noble forward up to 2 places in line." She moves the Fast Noble forward two places. The line is now: Archbishop (4), Martyr (-1), Duke (3), Fast Noble (2).

Maradee then collects the Fast Noble which reads, "Collect an additional noble from the front of the line after you collect this noble." This means she also collects the Duke, giving her a total of 5 points to add to her point total.

After collecting the nobles, Maradee draws another card from the action deck. It is now the next player's turn.

Continuation of Play

The next player to the left takes a turn using the same sequence, playing an action card if he or she wishes, collecting the first noble in line, and drawing an action card.

Play continues in this manner until there are no nobles left in line at the start of someone's turn. That day is then over and a new day begins. Deal out 12 new noble cards from the noble deck.

All players keep their remaining action cards in their hands and any noble cards they've collected in their respective score piles. The player to the left of the person who started the previous day is the first player for the new day.

End of Game

Other players are allowed to check out the nobles you've collected to find out how many points you've scored. When the third day is over, each player counts up the points on his or her noble cards (the number in the lower right-hand corner) and any action cards that might add to or subtract from the point total. Whoever has the most points wins!

Vive la révolution!

Credits

Game Design: Paul Peterson

Game Development: Paul Peterson, Robert Gutschera, Glenn Elliott

Art Direction and Graphic Design: Christopher Rush

Illustrations: Quinton Hoover, Mike Raabe

Production: Cary Calhoun, Steve Nasham, Chris Nitz

Editing: Rob Dalton, with contributions by Britt Scott

Brand Management: Joseph Hauck, Gail DeGiulio, Kyle Murray

Special thanks to Kendra Steinke for playtesting.