Long Live the King: A Game of Secrecy and Subterfuge
Long Live the King: A Game of Secrecy and Subterfuge Rulebook
Table of Contents
Table of Contents
Winning the Game
On your role card you will find what you need to fulfill your Win Condition. You win by fulfilling your win condition. You can also win by forming an alliance with another player that fulfills their win condition. We'll discuss alliances later in the Actions section of this Rule Book.
Example - The Fool
The Fool's win condition is having exactly 1 Might, 1 Knowledge, 1 Influence, 1 Power, and 1 Gold at the start of their turn. If you see someone with 4 cards and 1 gold, it may be time to take action...
Game Components
1 - 60 Resource Cards 15 - Power 15 - Knowledge 15 - Influence 15 - Might
2 - 10 Role Cards
3 - 70 Gold Coins
4 - 8 Alliance Cards (4 Colors)
5 - Score Tracker
6 - 8 Roles and Actions Reference Cards
7 - Scenario Card
8 - Instruction Manual
Role Cards
The manual shows the King and Assassin role cards alongside the Game Premise. The other roles are described on the Roles and Actions Reference Card (see the section of that name).
King
Win Condition: Have at least 5 Power at the START of your turn.
Seize Him! (Role Action): Reveal 5 Power and your Role card. Choose a player. That player discards their hand and gold and skips their next turn. Your revealed Power cannot be taken.
Assassin
Win Condition: The King is dead.
Assassinate (Role Action): Spend 3 Might and 4 Gold to kill any player. They discard their hand and gold and are out of the game.
Resources
The resources of Long Live the King are gold coins and the four suits of the resource deck; Knowledge, Might, Influence, and Power.
Gold
Gold represents wealth. It is part of Merchant's and Crime Lord's win conditions. Each player will get 3 Gold at the start of their turn and can use it to buy cards, bribe for resources, and seize power. It can also be traded with other players for resources.
Knowledge
Knowledge represents the collection of useful, even powerful information. This suit is a win condition for the Sage and Investigator. Any player can use Knowledge to investigate another player's Role or Hand or to sabotage an alliance.
Might
Might represents the application of force. This suit is used by the Knight and Assassin to assassinate other players and is required for their win conditions. Any player can use Might to extort cards or Gold from an opponent or to sabotage an alliance.
Influence
Influence represents the ability to sway others to your cause. This suit is a win condition for the Politician and Ambassador and can be used by any player to ally with another player or sabotage an alliance.
Power
Power represents the authority to do whatever you please. This suit is a win condition for the King and the Crime Lord. Power is wild for use with Standard Actions (investigate, extort, ally, and sabotage) but not Role Actions.
Setting Up for Your First Game
For your first game of Long Live the King, it is recommended that you only use the following roles based on how many players you have.
4 Players: King, Assassin, Sage, & Politician 5 Players: Add the Fool 6 Players: Add the Merchant 7 Players: Add the Knight 8 Players: Add the Crime Lord
Take the appropriate roles for your game, shuffle them, and then deal out 1 role card to each player.
Note that you know every role that is in the game during this practice round. In a normal game scenario, you will have to use deduction to figure out the other roles in the game.
Now continue on to the rest of game setup on the next page and skip Step 1.
Setting Up the Game
Step 1 - Assign Roles: Remove the King and Assassin from the role deck. Shuffle the remaining roles and draw the appropriate number of roles for your player count. Put the drawn cards with the King/Assassin. Shuffle these role cards and deal one out to each player. Put the rest of the role cards out of the play area.
Example - If you're a group of four, you already have the King/Assassin roles, so just draw two more cards.
Step 2 - Determine the 1st Player: If this is the first game of the session, determine the 1st player by shuffling the resource deck and dealing each player 1 card. The player with the most Power is the first player. If no one has the most Power, repeat until someone does. The first player in each additional round will rotate in a clockwise direction.
Step 3 - Resource Deck: Shuffle the Resource Deck and deal two cards out to each player. Each player should have 1 Role card and 2 Resource cards. Place the Resource Deck in the middle of the table.
Step 4 - Starting Gold: Give each player two gold. Place the rest of the Gold in the middle of the table. This is the Bank.
Step 5 - Alliance Cards: Place the alliance cards next to the Gold pile.
Step 6 - Reference Cards: Give each player a "Roles and Actions" reference card.
Playing the Game
Starting with the first player and moving clockwise around the table, each player will take a turn.
Turn Order:
1 - Start of Turn: Check if you've completed a START of turn win condition. If you did, reveal your cards and declare victory. If not, continue on to step 2.
2 - Income: Take 3 Gold from the Bank.
3 - Actions: You may take up to two actions or pass your turn. After taking an action, if you've fulfilled your Win Condition then declare victory.
4 - End of Turn: Check if you've completed an END of turn win condition. If you did, reveal your cards and declare victory.
Play continues clockwise around the table until someone declares victory.
Actions (You May Take Up to 2 Actions)
Buy a Card - Spend 2 gold to buy a card from either the draw pile or the discard pile. Limit once per turn.
Sell a Card - Sell any number of cards to the discard pile. Gain 1 gold per discarded card.
Trade - Trade cards or gold with another player. See next page for more trade restrictions.
Bribe - Give any player 3 Gold and ask for Might, Knowledge, or Influence. If they have a card of that type they must give it to you. If they do not they still get to keep the Gold.
Extort - Discard 2 Might. You may steal 1 random card or 4 gold from another player.
Investigate - Discard 2 Knowledge. Choose a player to show you their Role Card or Hand (all their resource cards) in secret.
Ally - Discard 2 Influence and form an alliance with another player. The other player may pay 1 of the Influence to help share in the cost.
Sabotage - Discard 1 Might, 1 Knowledge, and 1 Influence. Break any alliance and then Steal 1 Card from each player in the alliance.
Seize Power - Discard any pair OR 5 Gold. Flip the top card of the deck until you find 1 Power. Put it in your hand.
Laws of the Kingdom
Trading - During a trade, players may give up either Gold or Cards but not both. A player can NOT give up more than 2 Cards or 5 Gold in a single trade. Both players must give up something and only one player may give up Gold. The trading players reveal any resources being traded to the table. Players may make counter-offers, negotiate, and lie about what resources they have. A trade is completed when BOTH players agree and place resources on the table, and not before. Promises for future actions can be part of a trade, but do NOT have to be honored.
Bribing - The bribing player first gives 3 Gold to the target player. They then ask for Might, Influence, or Knowledge. They may NOT ask for Power. If the target player has the requested resource they MUST give it face up to the bribing player. If they do not have the requested resource they keep the Gold anyway.
Extorting - When extorting another player for a card, the player being extorted should hold their hand out face down in front of them so the extorting player can take one at random.
Sabotage - Choose an alliance to sabotage. Return their alliance cards to the alliance card pile. The sabotaging player takes one card from each member of the broken alliance at random (like the extort action).
Investigate - The investigated player hands the requested asset (Role Card or Hand) face down to the investigating player. The investigating player can then inspect those cards being cautious not to reveal them to any other player. Then they should pass the card(s) face down back to the investigated player.
Alliances - If one member of an alliance wins the game, they both do unless otherwise specified on their win condition. Allied players cannot Bribe, Investigate, or Extort one another. They can NOT look at each other's cards or pass secret notes to one another. They may share information openly. You can only be allied with one player at a time and cannot use the Ally Action if you are already in an alliance. If one player of an alliance is assassinated, the alliance is broken. If there are only two players left in the game, and they are allied, they both immediately score an allied victory.
Role Actions - Certain characters, such as the Assassin, Knight, and Investigator have special Role Actions on their cards. Before using a Role Action a player must reveal their Role Card. Role Actions may NOT use Power as wild.
Assassinations - When a player is assassinated they must reveal their role card, discard their hand and Gold, and return any alliance cards to the alliance card pile. This player is dead and is removed from the game. The assassinating player must continue to play with their Role Card revealed.
Seize Him! - The King may reveal their role card and 5 Power to seize another player. That player is considered "jailed." They must discard their hand and Gold and have their turn skipped. They can still score an allied victory and share information with other players. The King's revealed power cannot be stolen in any way.
Scorekeeping
Multiple Victors: If multiple players fulfill their win conditions simultaneously, they all win unless otherwise noted on their role cards.
Role Victory: A role victory is when a player fulfills the win condition on their role card. This is worth 3 points.
Allied Victory: An allied victory is when a player wins by virtue of being in an alliance. This is worth 2 points.
Solo Victory: When a player is the sole victor of a game it is known as a Solo Victory. You get 1 additional point for a Solo Victory.
Keeping Score Over Multiple Games: In the game box, we provided you with a set of score tracker sheets. Write down each player's name on the score tracker to keep track of points throughout the play session. You can play to any predetermined score limit, just check who is in the lead when you are done playing. We recommend playing to 8 points for a reasonably short session.
Other Game Modes
Role Reduction: After each round, remove the role cards from the previous round, while leaving the King/Assassin in everytime. The roles begin to thin and you learn who others are quicker as the game progresses.
Scenario Play: If you're a seasoned set of players looking to spice things up, try playing a scenario from the scenario card included in this box. These change the basic set up rules of the game to ensure certain mixtures of roles, possibly even removing the core roles of Assassin or King from gameplay. They will create a vastly different experience for your game group.
Campaign Play: Looking for a longer, more epic experience? Have a consistent game group every week? Go to our website and download achievement cards to keep track of your victories with each role. Play multiple sessions over weeks, or even months. Mix up your play modes every session. Tally up the score using your achievement cards at the end to determine who the true King of Long Live the King really is. There are even advanced achievements that can be scored for extra points... or just bragging rights.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can the King and Assassin become allies? Yes, but this alliance will mostly favor the Assassin as the King cannot win if the Assassin fulfills their win condition.
What if I get my win condition during my draw phase? This depends on the wording of your win condition. START of your turn means before you receive your income for your turn. END of your turn means after your Action Phase.
What happens if the deck runs out of a particular suit? Then you will have to Bribe, Trade, or Extort for that suit.
What happens when the resource deck runs out of cards? Set aside the top card of the discard pile, shuffle it, then place it as the new draw pile.
What if the Knight kills the King while allied with the Assassin? The Investigator wins but the Assassin does not.
What if the Investigator Accuses the Assassin while allied with him? They both win. The Assassin scores a Role Victory and the Knight scores an Allied victory.
Some of the roles seem harder than others. Is that intentional? Many of the roles have advantages and disadvantages depending on the number of players in the game and what roles are in the game. Long Live the King is meant to be played multiple times in one session or even in multiple sessions. Never be afraid to abandon your win condition and go for an alliance instead.
What happens if you sabotage your own alliance? You take 1 card from the player you were allied with.
What if I attempt a Trade operation with another player but am unsuccessful? This does not count as taking an action. You may decide to take a different action or pass your turn.
Since Power is wild for basic operations, can I use it for my win condition? No. You cannot use Power for your win condition unless it explicitly says so on your role card.
After investigating another player, can I tell other players what I discovered? Absolutely. You can also lie about what you discovered if you wish.
Roles and Actions Reference Card
The manual's components list includes eight Roles and Actions Reference Cards, one per player. The card's text, transcribed here, gives the win condition of each role and the Standard Actions, which are otherwise described in the Actions section above.
Symbols: Power (crown), Knowledge (diamond), Might (club), Influence (heart).
Roles
King - Have at least 5 Power at the START of your turn. May reveal 5 Power to "Seize" another player.
Assassin - Wins if the King dies. May spend 3 Might and 4 Gold to assassinate another player.
Sage - Have at least 6 Knowledge at the START of your turn. May reveal his role to take all Knowledge from the discard pile.
Politician - Have at least 6 Influence at the START of your turn. Power counts as Influence for the Politician.
Fool - Have exactly 1 Gold, 1 Might, 1 Influence, 1 Knowledge, and 1 Power at the START of your turn.
Merchant - Have at least 17 Gold at the END of your turn. Must Buy a card every turn.
Knight - Wins if the Assassin dies. May spend 3 Might and 4 Gold to assassinate another player.
Investigator - Wins by accusing the Assassin. May spend 4 Knowledge to accuse another player.
Ambassador - Be in an active alliance and have 4 Influence at the START of your turn.
Crime Lord - Have 11 Gold and 3 Power at the END of your turn.
Standard Actions
Power is wild and can be used as any suit for Standard Actions only.
Buy - Limit once per turn. Discard 2 Gold to draw a card from the draw or discard pile.
Sell - Discard X cards and take X Gold from the Bank.
Trade - Trade resources with another player. Both players must give up something. Only 1 player may give up Gold. Max 5 Gold or 2 Cards per trade.
Bribe - Give 3 Gold to another player and ask for Might, Knowledge, or Influence. They must give it to you if they have it. They keep the Gold regardless.
Extort - Discard 2 Might and take 1 random card or 4 Gold from any player.
Investigate - Discard 2 Knowledge and look at a player's role card OR hand.
Ally - Discard 2 Influence and become allied with target player. That player may pay half this cost if they wish.
Sabotage - Discard 1 Influence, 1 Knowledge, and 1 Might to break an alliance and steal a card from each member of that alliance.
Seize Power - Discard 5 Gold or any pair to flip the top card of the deck until you find 1 Power. Put it in your hand.
Basic Scenarios
From the Scenario Card included in the box. Visit Guilt-FreeGaming.com for more scenarios or submit ones you've made.
Scotland Yard (4 - 8 Players): Investigator, Crime Lord, and Merchant to the base role deck. The Investigator is now looking for the Crime Lord. Add the King, Politician, Fool, Sage, and Ambassador to the random roles deck.
Power Grab (4 - 8 Players): Add the King, Crime Lord, and Politician to the base role deck. Add the Merchant, Fool, Sage, Ambassador, and Assassin to the random roles deck.
Lonely King (4 - 8 Players): Add the King to the base role deck. Add the Assassin, Politician, Crime Lord, Fool, Ambassador, Sage, and Merchant to the random role deck.
Bad Politics (4 - 8 Players): Add the Politician, Ambassador, and Assassin to the base role deck. The Assassin is now targeting the Politician. Add the King, Crime Lord, Merchant, Investigator, Knight, and Fool to the random role deck.
Money Problems (5 - 8 Players): Add the King, Crime Lord, Merchant, and Assassin to the base role deck. Add the Knight, Fool, Investigator, Ambassador, Politician, and Sage to the random roles deck.
To the Death (4 Players): Add the Assassin, Knight, Merchant, and Fool to the base role deck. The Assassin and the Knight are targeting each other. There are no random roles in this scenario.
No Might (4 Players): Add the King, Sage, Ambassador, and Merchant to the base role deck. There are no random roles in this scenario.
Cops and Robbers (4 Players): Add the Assassin, Crime Lord, Knight, and Investigator to the base role deck. The Assassin is targeting the Investigator. The Investigator is targeting the Crime Lord. The Knight is targeting the Assassin. If the Assassin or Crime Lord win, they both win. If the Knight or Investigator win, they both win. There can be no allied victories.
Tough Job (5 Players): Add the King, Assassin, Knight, Investigator, and Fool to the base role deck. There are no random roles in this scenario.
Dirty Politics (5 - 6 Players): Add the Assassin, Politician, Crime Lord, Ambassador, and Investigator to the base role deck. The Assassin is targeting the Politician. The Investigator is targeting the Crime Lord. If you have a 6th player add the Fool to the role deck. There are no random roles in this scenario.
Hit Men (5 - 6 Players): Add the Assassin, Knight, King, Sage, and Politician to the base role deck. If you have a 6th player add the Fool. There are no random roles in this scenario. Before starting the game deal each player a face up resource card in front of them. This card only matters if you are the Assassin or Knight and it determines who your target is:
- Might = Assassin/Knight
- Power = King
- Knowledge = Sage
- Influence = Politician