Basic Information
Number of Players: 2-6
Age: 14+
Time: 15 minutes
Price: Low
Introduction to Coup
Coup is a bluffing game where players are trying to eliminate other players out of the game by outsmarting them and staging ‘coups.’ Coup the card game is set in the same universe as The Resistance and Avalon as part of a series of games. In the context of the story, the poor and oppressed masses are trying to overthrow the corrupt government by staging a coup. The rules of Coup are fairly simple understand and game play is fast and full of plotting and intrigue.
How to Play Coup
The deck is shuffled and each player is dealt 2 cards. Each player looks at these cards then places the cards face down in front them. Going around the table, players take turns performing one action which is dependent on which role-cards they have, or which cards they are pretending to have. Each role and their abilities are listed as follows:
- Catain: Steal 2 coin, blocks stealing
- Duke: Take 3 coins from the stash, blocks foreign aid.
- Ambassador: Pick up two cards from the deck and swap one in with the ambassador. Blocks Stealing
- Contessa: Blocks assassination (important note! Contessa only blocks the player who ‘holds’ the card, cannot be used to block assassinations on other players)
- Assassin: Pay 3 coins to assassinate a players card.
There are a few ways to make other players lose their cards. You can pay 7 coins to perform a coup action. A coup cannot be blocked and that player must lose one of their cards and place it face up in front of them.
You can accuse someone when they make an action as a character and you don’t believe they are who they say they are. If proven to be lying, they must lose one of their cards and place it face up in front of them. If they are telling the truth, you instead lose a card.
As the assassin you can pay 3 coins to assassinate another players card, however they can block it with the contessa. If you think they are bluffing you can call them out on it and if you were correct, they lose both cards and are out of the game.
Play continues on until one person is left in the game and they win!
Notes on Coup
Coup is a great game to test your bluffing and deduction abilities. Its fast easy game play also makes it more accessible to casual players. I particularly like to play a round or two between big games when my friends and I are having our day of board games together. Highly recommend.