Contents
Welcome to the World of Citadels!
Hey there! Are you ready to dive into the fascinating world of Citadels? If you’re looking for a captivating card game that combines strategy and intrigue, you’re in the right place.
So, what’s the deal with Citadels? Well, it’s a game that challenges your decision-making skills as you aim to build the most impressive city in the realm. You’ll have to choose the right characters, construct essential buildings, and outmaneuver your opponents to claim victory.
Now, let’s talk about the rules. Don’t worry; they’re not as complex as they may seem at first glance. In fact, once you get the hang of it, you’ll be orchestrating your city with ease.
Each player takes on the role of a city leader, known as a character. You’ll have a selection of characters to choose from, each with their own unique abilities and advantages. The character you choose will significantly influence your gameplay strategy, so choose wisely!
As the game progresses, you’ll take turns performing actions like gathering gold, constructing buildings, and collecting district cards. It’s important to manage your resources wisely to maximize your city’s growth.
One of the key elements of Citadels is the building of districts. These cards represent various districts in your city, such as noble residences, taverns, and even prisons. Strategically constructing districts will give you different benefits, earning you victory points and enhancing your city’s influence.
But hold on, it’s not that straightforward. You see, there’s an element of uncertainty that adds to the excitement of Citadels. Other players can try to sabotage your plans, steal your gold, or even destroy your districts. It’s a double-edged sword, as you also have opportunities to counter their moves and turn the tables in your favor.
You might be wondering about the endgame, right? Well, it all comes down to who can accumulate the most victory points. These points are earned by constructing valuable buildings and achieving various objectives throughout the game. So, make sure you keep an eye on your opponents and adapt your strategy accordingly.
Overall, the meaning of Citadels lies in its fascinating blend of strategy, resource management, and tactical decision-making. It’s a game that challenges you to think ahead, adapt to changing circumstances, and outwit your opponents.
So, if you’re ready for an adventure in the realm of Citadels, grab your character card, gather your resources, and let the construction of your magnificent city begin!
Hey there! Let’s get started by setting up the game. First things first, we need to remove the bonus character and district cards. Just look for the ones marked by a white star and put them aside.
Next, we’ll shuffle the remaining eight character cards together to create the Character Deck. This deck will play a big role in the game, so make sure it’s mixed up nicely.
Now, take all the remaining district cards and give them a good shuffle too. This will be our District Deck, and it’s where we’ll draw new cards from during the game.
Alright, now we’re ready to deal! Each player should receive four random district cards from the District Deck. These cards will be a part of their hand, so keep them secret from the other players.
Oh, and don’t forget, each player starts with two gold coins from the bank. Make sure everyone gets their fair share!
Lastly, let’s assign the Crown. The oldest player in the group gets this honor. It’s just a way to keep track of turns, so no pressure!
Let’s Play!
When playing Citadels, we go through a series of rounds, each with four steps.
Step One: Removing Characters
First, I draw a card from the Character Deck and place it facedown in the center of the table without peeking at it. This card won’t be used this round.
Next, I draw another set of cards from the Character Deck and place them faceup in the middle of the table. The number of faceup cards depends on how many players are playing. But remember, these faceup cards won’t be used this round.
There’s a special rule, too. If the King character is drawn to be faceup, I immediately replace it with another random card from the Character Deck. Then, I shuffle the King card back into the Character Deck.
Step Two: Pick Your Characters
Now that you’ve completed the first step and have a story idea in mind, it’s time to bring it to life with vibrant characters. Characters are the heart and soul of any story, and they play a crucial role in engaging your readers. By creating compelling and relatable characters, you’ll hook your audience and keep them invested in your narrative.
When crafting your characters, consider who they are and what their motivations, strengths, and weaknesses are. This will help bring depth and complexity to their personalities, making them more realistic and engaging. Think about their appearance, background, and how they interact with others.
One important aspect to keep in mind is that your characters should be unique and distinct from one another. Avoid creating characters that are too similar, as this can confuse readers and make your story feel flat. Instead, aim for a diverse cast of characters that each bring something different to the table.
Remember that characters don’t have to be perfect; flaws and imperfections add depth and make characters more relatable. Think about their fears and insecurities, as well as their strengths, and how these shape their actions and decisions.
It’s also important to consider the roles your characters play in the story. Are they the main protagonist driving the action? Or are they supporting characters who add color and depth to the narrative? Each character should have a purpose and contribute to the overall storyline.
As you develop your characters, allow them room to grow and change throughout your story. Just like real people, characters should experience personal growth and learn from their experiences. This will create a dynamic and engaging narrative that keeps your readers invested.
In summary, when choosing your characters, think about their unique qualities, motivations, and roles in the story. Create a diverse cast of characters that each bring something different to the table, and allow them to grow and change throughout your narrative. By paying attention to these details, you’ll create compelling characters that keep your readers captivated.
So here’s what happens next: I’m the one holding the Crown right now, and I get to check out all the character cards in the deck. I pick one that I like, but I keep it top-secret. Then, I pass the rest of the cards to the person on my left. They choose a card too, and pass the rest to the left, and so on.
We keep going like this until everyone has picked a card. Once the last player has made their choice, the last remaining card is put face-down in the middle of the table.
Step Three: It’s Your Turn!
Once we’ve all chosen our character cards, I, as the player with the Crown, will start by calling out the names of each character, one at a time, starting from the highest rank. So, I’ll begin by calling out the “Assassin” (#1), then the “Thief” (#2), and so on. If no one reveals their character when their name is called, I’ll simply move on to the next character in rank order.
When your character card is called, it’s your turn to shine! You reveal your character card by placing it faceup in front of you, and then you can take your turn. Once you’re done with your turn, I’ll call out the name of the next character card, and the cycle continues until every player has had a turn (unless, of course, someone falls victim to the Assassin).
During your turn, you have to take an action before you can build a district card.
Take an Action
- First off, you get a number of points that’s equal to the total cost of all the district cards in your city. So, whatever gold you’ve spent on those babies, you’ll get it back in points.
- If you’ve got at least one district in each of the five colors, you score three extra points. Variety, my friend, is key!
- Now, if you were the speedy one who got to build all eight districts first, you’ll score four points as a reward. Nice work!
- And for the rest of us who manage to build eight districts, we still get a solid two points each. Don’t worry, you’re not completely left out!
When you play Citadels, you have two options for the first action of your turn. You can either take two gold from the bank or draw two district cards from the District deck. If you choose to draw district cards, you must keep one card and place the other card on the bottom of the District deck.
Now, let’s talk about building a District card.
Once you’ve taken an action, you have the option to add a district card to your city. This involves playing a card from your hand onto the table in front of you. To do so, you’ll need to pay the gold cost of the district to the bank. Keep in mind that building a district card is not mandatory – it’s entirely up to you if you want to do it or not.
The gold cost is determined by the number of gold coins on the upper left-hand side of the card. It’s important to note that you can’t build two identical districts in your city. This means no two “Castle” cards or two “Market” cards, for example.
Characters and Their Special Abilities
Hey there! Let’s talk about the special abilities, also known as powers, of each character in the game. These powers are an important part of the gameplay and can be used once during your turn. You’ll find a summary of each character’s power on their card, and more detailed explanations at the end of these rules. Make sure you take a good look at them before you start playing!
Step Four: The End of a Round
Once all the characters have been called, it’s time to wrap things up. Each player returns their character card to the Character Deck, which is then shuffled, and a new round begins.
So, how does it all end?
Hey there! So, here’s the deal: when you finally manage to build your eighth district in the game, that’s when things get really interesting. The game ends after we finish up the current round. Now, to figure out how many points each of us gets, we go through this scoring process:
Okay, so here’s what we’re all working towards: the player with the most points is the big winner. Simple, right? But if there’s a tie, we only look at the points we got from step 1 of the scoring process. And if we’re STILL tied after that, then we turn to see who’s got the most gold. So, until the very end, everything’s up in the air!