Coup Rules

Coup is built around bluffing and challenges. You never show your character cards, and the goal is to use lies and threats to outlast every other player.

15 influence cards: 5 characters × 3 copies each, plus coin tokens. Cards are drawn from and returned to the Court Deck.

• 👑 Duke — takes Tax, blocks Foreign Aid
• 🗡️ Assassin — performs Assassinate
• ⚓ Captain — performs Steal, blocks Steal
• 🎓 Ambassador — performs Exchange, blocks Steal
• 🌹 Contessa — blocks Assassinate

• Income: +1 coin. Cannot be challenged or blocked.
• Foreign Aid: +2 coins. Can be blocked by the Duke (the block can be challenged).
• Coup: Pay 7 coins to make a target lose 1 influence. Always succeeds, cannot be challenged or blocked. You must Coup if you have 10+ coins.
• Tax (Duke): +3 coins. Can be challenged.
• Assassinate (Assassin): Pay 3 coins; target loses 1 influence. Can be challenged and can be blocked by the Contessa (block can be challenged).
• Steal (Captain): Take 2 coins from a target. Can be challenged and can be blocked by Captain or Ambassador.
• Exchange (Ambassador): Draw 2 cards from the Court, mix them with your hand, then return any back so you keep your original number of cards. Can be challenged.

• If a challenge succeeds (the claim was a bluff), the bluffer loses 1 influence and the action is canceled.
• If a challenge fails (the claim was true), the challenger loses 1 influence. The revealed card is shuffled back into the Court and the player draws a replacement.
• Blocks are also character claims, so they can be challenged the same way. A failed bluff-block costs the blocker 1 influence and lets the original action resolve.

The last player with any influence wins. A player is eliminated the moment they lose their second influence.

• Claiming the cards you actually hold is the safest line, but always playing honestly makes you predictable.
• Because 10+ coins forces a Coup, opponents will start pressuring you around 7 coins.
• Taking a challenge with 2 influence is far safer than taking one with only 1 left.