How to play
Everyone starts with two secret role cards and 2 coins. The deck has three of each role. On your turn, take one action. Some actions need a role, but you can claim any role, whether you hold it or not.
- Income: Take 1 coin.
- Help: Take 2 coins. A Mayor can block it.
- Ambush: Pay 7: a player loses a card. Can't be blocked.
- Tax (Mayor): Mayor: take 3 coins.
- Raid (Fox): Fox: pay 3, a player loses a card. The Duchess blocks it.
- Steal (Heron): Heron: take 2 coins from a player. A Heron or Swan blocks it.
- Trade (Swan): Swan: draw two cards, keep the two you like, put two back.
When someone claims a role, anyone can doubt it. If they were bluffing, they lose a card and their action fails. If they really had it, the doubter loses a card, and the claimer swaps the shown card for a new one from the deck.
Some actions can be blocked by claiming a role: the Mayor blocks Help, the Duchess blocks a Raid on her, and a Heron or Swan blocks a Steal. A block can be doubted too. Losing a card means turning it face up for good. Lose both and you’re out; the last player with a card wins. With 10 coins or more you must Ambush.
Tips
Claim the same role every time and people start to believe you. Doubting is risky, so save it for claims that can’t be true: if two Mayors are already face up and you hold the third, nobody else can be the Mayor. Blocking a Raid with a pretend Duchess is a gamble worth taking when it’s your last card.
Playing together
On this device you play against one to five computer players. In Play online (when it’s available) everyone plays on their own phone, with computer players in any empty seats.