This evening, the queen is hosting a banquet, and you are, of course, invited. On your turn, you will play 3 courtier cards. One courtier will take a seat at the queen's table to increase your family's influence or... to decrease it. Two others will be placed in your estates and in your opponent's estates. Depending on the family's status at the end of the game, they will bring or take victory points.
Choose the most advantageous places for your courtiers to score as many points as possible and win!
«Courtiers» — is a fast card game with simple rules, where cunning, betrayal, and deception are fair weapons, just like at a real royal court.
Game Features
- strategy in a small box
- fast rounds
- captivating illustrations
- simple rules
Who is this game for?
- Fans of fast card games
- For medieval enthusiasts
- Those who don't like long explanations of rules
How to play?
Players take turns clockwise, starting with the first player. On their turn, a player places 1 card from their hand in each of the 3 game areas and then passes the turn to the left player, and so on.
A player places one card face up (except for spy cards - they are placed face down) in each of the 3 game areas:
- AT THE QUEEN'S TABLE: the card is placed above or below the game board in the column of their family. At the end of the game, families with more cards above the game board than below it will earn the monarch's respect. Those with more cards below the board will find themselves in disgrace.
- IN THEIR ESTATES: at the end of the game, each card from a respected family will grant you 1 victory point, while a card from a disgraced family will take away 1 victory point.
- IN THE OPPONENT'S ESTATES: at the end of the game, each card from a respected family will grant the opponent 1 victory point, while a card from a disgraced family will take away 1 victory point.
Some cards have special roles with effects that may influence the course of the game. For example, a nobleman is counted as 2 cards at the end of the game, while an assassin can destroy any card in the area where they were played.
At the beginning of the game, each player receives 2 secret mission cards that they must try to accomplish during the game to earn additional victory points.
The game ends when the deck of cards is empty and no player has cards left in hand. At the end of the game, players count the victory points earned from courtiers in their possession, as well as for completing secret missions. The player with the highest score wins.
Game Components
- 90 courtier cards
- 20 secret mission cards
- Game board
- Game rules
Card sizes: 60x113 mm (90 cards) and 58x83 mm
Number of players: 2 - 5
Playing time: from 20 minutes
