Citadels Rules

"Citadels" is a strategic card game designed by Bruno Faidutti and first published in 2000. It is suitable for 2-8 players and requires the following materials: 18 character cards, 30 gold counters, 80 district cards, 1 wooden Crown marker, 8 reference cards, and a rulebook.

Objective

The objective of Citadels is to earn the most victory points by building districts and utilizing unique character abilities. The game ends when a player builds their eighth district, and the player with the most points wins.

Setup

First, remove the bonus character and district cards (marked by a white star) from the game components. Shuffle the eight remaining character cards together into one deck, known as the Character Deck. Shuffle the remaining district cards together into one deck, known as the District Deck. Each player is then dealt four random district cards from the District Deck and each player receives two gold from the bank. The oldest player receives the Crown.

How to Play

Citadels is played over a series of rounds, each round consisting of four steps.

Step One: Remove Characters

Draw one random card from the Character Deck and set it facedown in the center of the table without looking at it. This card will not be used this round. Then draw a second set of cards from the Character Deck and set them faceup in the middle of the table (the number of such faceup cards depends on the number of players). These faceup cards will not be used this round. If the King character is drawn, immediately replace it with another random card from the Character Deck, and then shuffle the King back into the Character Deck.

Step Two: Choose Characters

The player who currently possesses the Crown now takes the Character Deck, looks at the cards, and secretly chooses a character from those available. He then passes the remaining character cards to the player on his left, who also secretly chooses a card and passes the remaining cards to the left, etc. This process continues until each player has chosen one card from the Character Deck. After the last player has chosen, the single remaining unchosen card is placed facedown in the center of the table.

Step Three: Player Turns

Once all players have chosen a character card, the player who has the Crown now calls out the name of each character one-at-a-time in the order of numerical rank. In this way, he first calls out the Assassin (#1), then the Thief (#2), etc. When the name of your character card is called, you must reveal your character card, place it faceup in front of you, and take your turn. When your turn is over, the player with the Crown calls the name of the next character card. In this manner, play proceeds to every character in order of their rank number, giving all players one turn (unless murdered by the Assassin, of course).

On your turn, you must first take an action, after which you may build a district card. You can either take two gold from the bank or draw two district cards from the District Deck, choose one card to put in your hand, and place the other card on the bottom of the District Deck. After you have taken an action, you may build one district card in your city (that is, play it from your hand onto the table in front of you). In order to do so, you must pay the cost of the district, in gold, to the bank. You may choose not to build a district card if you wish. The gold cost of building a district card is equal to the number of gold coins printed on the upper left-hand side of the card. You may not build a district such that you have two identical districts (two Castle cards, two Market cards, etc.) in your city.

Step Four: End of Round

After all the characters have been called, each player returns his character card to the Character Deck, which is shuffled, and a new round begins.

Scoring and End of Game

At the end of the game, each player scores points based on the total combined gold cost of all the district cards in their city and the number of unique district colors they have. A player receives a number of points equal to the total combined gold cost of all the district cards in their city at the end of the game. If a player has at least one district in each of the five colors, they receive three points. If a player was the first player to build eight districts, they receive four points. All other players who have managed to build eight districts at the end of the game receive two points. The winner of the game is the player with the most points. In the case of a tie, compare the total points received only from step 1 of the above scoring process. If there is still a tie, the player with the most gold wins.

Common Variants

The box contains bonus character and district cards marked with a white star, which are set aside for your first games. Adding them back in is the most natural variant, since it widens the pool of powers available each round. A Deluxe edition of the game also exists, with expanded components.

A Bit of History

Citadels was designed by Bruno Faidutti and first published in 2000. Its secret character-drafting mechanic has been widely imitated since, and the game has remained a staple of the strategic card game shelf for more than two decades.

Where to Get the Game

Citadels board game on Amazon

Beginner Mistakes to Avoid

• Failing to read the character powers before the first game — the draft is meaningless without them.
• Trying to build a district you already own: two identical districts in one city are not allowed.
• Neglecting to collect enough gold, and being unable to pay for the district you drafted.
• Forgetting the order of a turn: you must take your action (gold or cards) first, and only then may you build.

FAQ

1. What is the purpose of the Crown in Citadels? The Crown is a marker that determines the player who chooses the characters in each round.

2. Can I build a district even if I don't have enough gold? No, you must pay the gold cost of the district to the bank before building it.

3. Can two different players build the same district in Citadels? Yes. The restriction only applies within a single city: you may not have two identical districts in your own city. Two players can each own a Castle, and each scores its gold cost.

4. Is there a specific order in which characters are chosen in Citadels? No, players choose characters secretly, and the player with the Crown calls out the characters in numerical order during the game.

5. Can I sell or trade district cards in Citadels? No, trading or selling district cards is not allowed in Citadels.

6. What happens if I am murdered by the Assassin in Citadels? Your character is skipped when its name is called: you take no turn that round, so no action and no building.

7. Can I build more than eight districts in Citadels? Yes, players may build more than eight districts in their city if they have the means to do so, and every district in the city counts its gold cost at scoring time.

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