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Official Coup Rules
Coup is a bluffing and strategy card game set in a dystopian future where players aim to eliminate their opponents and gain control of the government. Here's a guide to the rules:
Objective
The objective is to eliminate all other players by forcing them to lose their influence until only one player remains. Influence is represented by the two face-down character cards each player starts with.
A player loses influence by being challenged and failing or by being targeted successfully by actions such as Assassination or Coup.
Once both cards are revealed (face-up), the player is eliminated.
Contents
15 Character Cards: (3 each of Duke, Assassin, Captain, Ambassador, Contessa)
6 Summary Cards: Quick-reference cards explaining character actions, counteractions, and rules.
50 Coins: Used for performing actions like Tax, Coup, or Assassination.
Rules Booklet: Detailed instructions for setup, gameplay, and strategy.
Set-Up
Prepare the Court Deck:
Shuffle all character cards thoroughly and deal 2 cards to each player. These cards must remain face-down throughout the game unless revealed due to loss of influence.
Place the remaining cards in the center of the table to form the Court Deck. This deck is used for exchanges during the game.Distribute Coins:
Each player starts with 2 coins, which must remain visible to all players. Place the remaining coins in the center as the Treasury.Distribute Summary Cards:
Give each player a summary card for quick reference to all available actions, counteractions, and character abilities.Determine the Starting Player:
The winner of the previous game starts. If this is the first game, choose the starting player randomly.Familiarize with the Rules:
Players should review the character abilities and game mechanics before beginning. A clear understanding of roles and strategies enhances gameplay.
Influence Explained
What is Influence?
Influence represents the characters a player controls at court. Each face-down card corresponds to a character with specific abilities.Losing Influence:
If a player loses influence, they must choose one of their face-down cards to reveal. Revealed cards are placed face-up in front of the player and no longer provide abilities or influence.Elimination:
When a player has no face-down cards left, they are eliminated from the game. They must:
Return all their coins to the Treasury.
Leave their cards face-up for the remainder of the game.
Gameplay
The game proceeds in turns in a clockwise direction. Each turn, a player must:
Choose an Action:
Players may select any action (General or Character-specific) available to them, provided they can afford it.
Announce the Action:
Declare the chosen action and the character (if applicable) whose ability they are using. Players may bluff about their influence.
Resolve Challenges and Counteractions:
Other players may challenge the action or counteract it by claiming relevant influence. Challenges and counteractions are resolved before the action takes effect.
Execute the Action:
If the action is unchallenged or the challenge is resolved in the active player’s favor, the action succeeds.
Passing is Not Allowed:
Players must perform one action per turn.
Actions
General Actions (Always Available):
Income:
Take 1 coin from the Treasury.
Cannot be challenged or blocked.
Foreign Aid:
Take 2 coins from the Treasury.
Can be blocked by the Duke.
Coup:
Pay 7 coins to the Treasury to force another player to lose one influence.
Cannot be blocked or challenged.
Mandatory: If a player starts their turn with 10 or more coins, they must perform a Coup.
Character Actions (Require Claiming a Role):
Duke – Tax:
Take 3 coins from the Treasury.
Cannot be blocked or challenged.
Assassin – Assassinate:
Pay 3 coins to the Treasury to eliminate one influence from another player.
Can be blocked by the Contessa.
Captain – Steal:
Take 2 coins from another player (only 1 coin if they have only 1).
Can be blocked by the Ambassador or another Captain.
Ambassador – Exchange:
Draw 2 cards from the Court Deck, keep any 2 (face-down), and return the rest to the deck.
Cannot be blocked or challenged.
Counteractions
Counteractions allow players to block specific actions. A player may bluff their ability to counteract but can be challenged.
Duke: Blocks Foreign Aid.
Contessa: Blocks Assassination.
Ambassador/Captain: Blocks Stealing.
Challenges
When to Challenge:
Any action or counteraction involving a character claim can be challenged by any player, even if they are not directly involved.
How Challenges Work:
The challenged player must reveal the relevant character card.
If the claim is true:
The challenger loses 1 influence.
The revealed card is returned to the Court Deck, reshuffled, and replaced with a new random card.
If the claim is false:
The challenged player loses 1 influence.
Example Turn
Scenario: 3 players (Natasha, Sacha, and Haig)
Natasha claims the Duke and takes 3 coins. No one challenges her. She now has 5 coins.
Sacha claims the Captain to steal 2 coins from Haig. Haig counters by claiming the Ambassador. Sacha challenges Haig’s claim. Haig cannot prove he has the Ambassador and loses 1 influence. Sacha’s action succeeds, and he takes 2 coins from Haig.
Haig uses his turn to claim the Assassin and pay 3 coins to target Natasha. Natasha counters by claiming the Contessa. No one challenges Natasha, so the Assassination fails, and Haig’s coins remain spent.
Winning the Game
The game ends when only one player has influence remaining. That player is declared the winner and ruler of the court!
Advanced Rules
Double Challenges:
Players can lose 2 influence in one turn if they fail a challenge and are successfully targeted by an Assassination or Coup.
Negotiations:
Players may engage in verbal deals, alliances, or bluffs, but these are non-binding.
Two-Player Variant:
Each player starts with only 1 coin and uses a modified setup with fewer cards.
Coup is a fast-paced and engaging game that combines bluffing, strategy, and a bit of luck. We hope these rules are enough to get you started! Enjoy!
