Thron der Lügen
Thron der Lügen Rulebook
Table of Contents
Table of Contents
Components
- 28 court cards (23 Fae cards and 5 intrigue cards)
- 4 End cards
- 20 point stones
Goal
You try to reach as high a score as possible with your two throne cards – these are the court cards lying on the table to your left and right. But beware: these cards also count for the people to your left and right.
The game is played over several rounds, in which you collect point stones by cleverly swapping your cards. The first person to own 4 point stones wins the game. Be vigilant – and pay attention to what happens to the cards around you!
Setup
- Place the End cards face down next to each other in the middle of the table. Put the point stones next to them.
- Shuffle the court cards (Fae and intrigue cards). Place one card face down between each two people, so that everyone has one card lying to their left and one to their right. These are the throne cards! They determine your points at the end of the round!
- The remaining court cards form the draw pile in the middle of the table.
- Everyone now draws one court card from the pile into their hand.
- Each person may look at the two throne cards to their left and right at any time.
The youngest person begins – play proceeds clockwise.
Gameplay
Your Turn
When it is your turn, you have two options:
- Draw a card from the draw pile and then either play a card or discard one
- Reveal an End card
Drawing a Card
When you draw a card from the draw pile, you take it into your hand. Afterwards you must either:
- swap one of your two hand cards with one of the throne cards next to you (left or right). The swapped-out card is placed face up on the discard pile next to the draw pile of court cards.
- play an intrigue card face up and carry it out. It is then placed on the discard pile.
- or place one of your two hand cards on the discard pile without any further effect.
Important: At the end of your turn you may therefore only ever have 1 hand card.
Revealing an End Card
If you believe that the two throne cards next to you are already strong enough, you may, as your complete turn, reveal an End card instead of drawing a card.
The round ends as soon as all 4 End cards have been revealed or the draw pile is used up. Then scoring follows (see "Round End").
Round End
A round ends when:
- a person has both Moon 3s lying in front of them as throne cards (the round ends immediately, scoring is skipped),
- all 4 End cards have been revealed, or
- the draw pile is used up (the person whose turn it is still finishes their turn).
Then scoring follows:
- Reveal all throne cards.
- Check the Fae peoples of each of your two throne cards:
- Same Fae people → only the value of the higher card counts (if the values are equal, only one counts)
- Different Fae peoples → add the two values (or multiply, if one is the x2)
- Intrigue cards count 0 points
- Hand cards can modify the result (see "Special Cards").
- The person with the highest score receives 2 point stones. In case of a tie, the people involved each receive 1 point stone.
The next round begins with the person to the left of the person who had the last turn.
Special Cards
Sun
The cards of the Sun people can be swapped not only with your own throne cards, but also with the throne cards of other people.
- +2
- Hand card: You receive +2 to your total score at the end of the round.
- Throne card: The usual scoring rules apply (see "Round End"). It is then worth 2 points.
- -1
- Hand card: Counts -1 at the end of the round. If the sum of your two throne cards at the end of the round is 3 points or less, you win the round alone and receive 2 point stones.
- Throne card: The usual scoring rules apply (see above). It is then worth -1 point.
Moon
- 1
- Hand card: If at the end of the round you have the Moon 1 in your hand and at the same time the lowest total score of the throne cards, you receive 1 point stone (even if others have the same score).
- 3
- Throne card: If both Moon 3s lie at any time as your throne cards, reveal them. You win the round and receive 1 point stone. The round ends.
Wild Hunt
- Throne card: At the end of the round, the respective other throne card does not count for you.
Winter, Summer
- x2
- Throne card: The value of the other throne card is doubled (provided it is of a different Fae people). If you have both x2 cards as throne cards, your total score is 4. If the other throne card is the -2 of the same Fae people, your score is 2.
- -2
- Hand card: -2 points, regardless of the throne cards.
- Throne card: The throne card counts as always only if the other card is of a different Fae people (but then -2).
Spring, Autumn
- 4 | 1 & 1 | 4
- Throne card: The number on your side (left or right) counts. For the person next to you, the respective other number applies. Make sure that the card always lies upright – not upside down.
End of the Game
Whoever first owns 4 point stones wins the game. If several people own 4 or more point stones, the person with the most point stones wins. In case of a tie, one more round is played. In a game with 5 or 6 people, 3 point stones are already enough to win the game!