Disclaimer

The following was not written by me, save a few minor tweaks. I simply wanted a handier way to access the rules after losing the physical set that came with my copy of Coup. Perhaps someone else will find it useful as well? ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

Coup - Core Game

Description

In the not too distant future, the government is run for profit by a new “royal class” of multinational CEOs.

Their greed and absolute control of the economy has reduced all but a privileged few to lives of poverty and desperation.

Out of the oppressed masses rose The Resistance, an underground organization focused on overthrowing these powerful rulers. The valiant efforts of The Resistance have created discord, intrigue, and weakness in the political courts of the noveau royal, bringing the government to brink of collapse. But for you, a powerful government official, this is your opportunity to manipulate, bribe and bluff your way into absolute power.

To be successful, you must destroy the influence of your rivals and drive them into exile.

In these turbulent times there is only room for one to survive.

Components

• 3 Duke Cards
• 3 Assassin Cards
• 3 Captain Cards
• 3 Ambassador Cards
• 3 Contessa Cards
• 6 summary cards
• 50 coins
• Instructions

Setup

Shuffle all the character cards and deal 2 to each player. Players can always look at their cards but must keep them face down in front of them. Place the remaining cards in the middle of the play area as the Court deck.

Give each player 2 coins. Each player’s money must be kept visible. Place the remaining coins in the middle of the play area as the Treasury.

Give one summary card to each player. This is for reference only. Players should familiarize themselves with all the actions and characters before starting the game. The person who won the last game starts.

Object of the Game

To eliminate the influence of all other players and be the last survivor.

Influence

Facedown cards in front of a player represent who they influence at court. The characters printed on their face down cards represents which characters that player influences and their abilities.

Every time a player loses an influence they have to turn over and reveal one of their face down cards. Revealed cards remain face up in front of the player visible to everyone and no longer provide influence for the player.

Each player always chooses which of their own cards they wish to reveal when they lose an influence.

When a player has lost all their influence they are exiled and out of the game.

Game Play

The game is played in turns in clockwise order. Each turn a player chooses one action only. A player may not pass. After the action is chosen other players have an opportunity to challenge or counteract that action.

If an action is not challenged or counteracted, the action automatically succeeds. Challenges are resolved first before any action or counteraction is resolved.

When a player has lost all their influence and both their cards are face up in front of them, they are immediately out of the game. They leave their cards face up and return all their coins to the Treasury.

The game ends when there is only one player left.

Actions

A player may choose any action they want and can afford. Some actions (Character Actions) require influencing characters.

If they choose a Character Action a player must claim that the required character is one of their face down cards. They can be telling the truth or bluffing. They do not need to reveal any of their face down cards unless they are challenged. If they are not challenged they automatically succeed. If a player starts their turn with 10 (or more) coins they must launch a Coup that turn as their only action.

A. General Actions

(Always available)

• Income: Take 1 coin from the Treasury.
• Foreign Aid: Take 2 coins from the Treasury. (Can be blocked by the Duke)
• Coup: Pay 7 coins to the Treasury and launch a Coup against another player. That player immediately loses an influence. A Coup is always successful. If you start your turn with 10 (or more) coins you are required to launch a Coup.

B. Character Actions

(If challenged a player must show they influence the relevant character)

Duke - Tax

Take 3 coins from the Treasury.

Assassin - Assassinate

Pay 3 coins to the Treasury and launch an assassination against another player. If successful that player immediately loses an influence. (Can be blocked by the Contessa)

Captain - Steal

Take 2 coins from another player. If they only have one coin, take only one. (Can be blocked by the Ambassador or the Captain)

Ambassador - Exchange

Exchange cards with the Court. First take 2 random cards from the Court deck. Choose which, if any, to exchange with your face-down cards. Then return two cards to the Court deck.

C. Counteractions

Counteractions can be taken by other players to intervene or block a player’s action. Counteractions operate like character actions. Players may claim to influence any of the characters and use their abilities to counteract another player. They may be telling the truth or bluffing.

They do not need to show any cards unless challenged. Counteractions may be challenged, but if not challenged they automatically succeed. If an action is successfully counteracted, the action fails but any coins paid as the cost of the action remain spent.

Duke - Blocks Foreign Aid

Any player claiming the Duke may counteract and block a player attempting to collect foreign aid.

The player trying to gain foreign aid receives no coins that turn.

Contessa - Blocks Assassination

The player who is being assassinated may claim the Contessa and counteract to block the assassination.

The assassination fails but the fee paid by the player for the assassin remains spent.

Ambassador/Captain - Blocks Stealing

The player who is being stolen from may claim either the Ambassador or the Captain and counteract to block the steal.

The player trying to steal receives no coins that turn.

Challenges

Any action or counteraction using character influence can be challenged.

Any other player can issue a challenge to a player regardless of whether they are involved in the action. Once an action or counteraction is declared other players must be given an opportunity to challenge. Once play continues challenges cannot be retroactively issued.

If a player is challenged they must prove they had the required influence by showing the relevant character is one of their face-down cards. If they can’t, or do not wish to, prove it, they lose the challenge. If they can, the challenger loses.

Whoever loses the challenge immediately loses an influence.

If a player wins a challenge by showing the relevant character card, they first return that card to the Court deck, re-shuffle the Court deck and take a random replacement card.

(That way they have not lost influence and other players do not know the new influence card they have.) Then the action or counteraction is resolved.

If an action is successfully challenged the entire action fails, and any coins paid as the cost of the action are returned to the player.

Total (Lack of) Trust

Any negotiations are allowed, but none are ever binding. Players are not allowed to reveal any of their cards to other players.

No coins can be given or lent to other players.

There is no second place.

Two Player Coup & Two Player Variant

When playing Coup with two players, the starting player receives only 1 coin at the beginning of the game.

As a variant, Coup can be played with two players with these changes to the setup:

Divide the cards into a 3 sets of 5 (each set has one of each character). Each player takes one set, secretly chooses one card and discards the rest.

Shuffle the third set and deal one card to each player and then put the remaining three cards face down as the court deck.

Coup Reformation - Expansion

Description

Driven by their successes, the resistance has gained popular support and entire regions are in open rebellion. In a desperate attempt to stay in control, some government leaders are publicly supporting the reforms demanded by the resistance.

But allegiances are constantly shifting, and can be bought for the right price.

The opportunity for intrigue and bluff has never been greater. The cost of failure couldn’t be higher. Even with talk of reformation, only one can survive.

Components

• 10 Allegiance Cards
• 1 Treasury Reserve Card
• 15 character cards (2 each of Duke, Assassin, Captain, Ambassador, Contessa and 5 of the Inquisitor)
• 10 summary cards

Rules

Overview

Reformation is an expansion to Coup, a copy of Coup is required to play. Reformation adds Allegiances - players are either in support of the government (Loyalists) or the resistance (Reformists). Reformation also includes the Inquisitor variant, and additional role cards to expand play up to 10 players.

Unless noted below, how you play and win Reformation are the same as Coup!

Set-up Changes

Place the Treasury Reserve card in the center of the play area.

Give each player an Allegiance card. The start player chooses an Allegiance (either Loyalist or Reformist) and places their Allegiance card, with the corresponding side-up, in front of them.

Going clockwise around the table, each player alternates Allegiance from the previous player, placing their Allegiance card in front of them.

Allegiance Card faces

Game Play Changes

A player cannot Coup, Assassinate, Steal from, nor block a Foreign Aid attempt by another player of the same Allegiance unless all players are of the same Allegiance.

Additional Actions

Conversion

Pay 1 coin to change your Allegiance or pay 2 coins to change the Allegiance of one other player. Coins paid for this action are placed on the Treasury Reserve card. The relevant Allegiance card is then turned to the other side.

Embezzlement

Unless you have the Duke, you may take all the coins on the Treasury Reserve card. Anyone can challenge that the player attempting to Embezzle has the Duke. If the challenged player does have the Duke, they must concede and lose the challenge (a player that does not have the Duke may concede and lose the challenge); return the coins taken to the Treasury Reserve card and lose one influence card.

If the challenged player does not have the Duke (and does not concede) they must show their influence card(s), the challenger loses; the revealed influence cards are shuffled back into the court deck and replaced randomly (this does not cause a loss or gain in the number of influence cards to the challenged player).

Inquisitor Variant

Remove all the Ambassador character cards from the Court deck and replace with Inquisitor cards. The Inquisitor has the following character actions, only one of which may be taken in a turn:

Exchange

Exchange one card with the Court deck. First take one random card from the Court deck. Choose which, if any to exchange with your face down cards. Then return one card to the Court deck.

Examine

Look at an opponent’s card and optionally force an Exchange.

First the selected opponent chooses one of their face down cards to show to the Inquisitor. The Inquisitor looks at that card and may either hand that card back, or the Inquisitor may force the opponent to draw a new card randomly from the Court deck before returning the given card to the Court deck.

A player cannot Examine another player of the same Allegiance unless all players are of the same Allegiance.

As a counteraction the Inquisitor may Block Stealing.

More Than Six Player Variant

Coup & Reformation can be played with 7 or 8 players by including 4 each of the selected character cards in the Court deck (20 cards total). Coup can be played with 9 or 10 players by including 5 each of the selected character cards in the Court deck (25 cards total).

Note: Playing with more than 6 players can significantly increase playing time, and may lead to long waits for those that are eliminated early. It is recommended for experienced players and exceptional situations