Conspiracies
Conspiracies
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| 2 to 8 players | 15 min | Ages 8+ |
Complots is a bluffing and manipulation game for 2 to 8 players, designed by Rikki Tahta, illustrated by Naïade, and published by Ferti. In a corrupt city where power is vacant, each player secretly controls two characters — Duchess, Assassin, Countess, Captain, Ambassador, or Inquisitor — and must eliminate all opponents through cunning and manipulation. Each turn, you claim a power: if no one challenges you, it takes effect. Otherwise, a bluffing duel ensues — and only one survives. A masterpiece of conciseness: a handful of rules, 15 minutes of gameplay, and constant plot twists.
How to Play Coup?
Game Setup
- Choose the 5 charactersfor the game: the Duchess, the Assassin, the Countess, and the Captain are mandatory. The 5th is your choice: the Ambassador(recommended for first games) or the Inquisitor.
- Take out 3 copies of each chosen character(15 cards in total) and shuffle them.
- Deal 2 cards face downto each player — these are their two lives. Players can secretly look at them at any time. The rest form the Court, face down in the center.
- Give 2 coinsto each player. The rest constitutes the common Treasury. Each player's money is always visible.
Gameplay outline
On your turn, choose one of four actions:
- Income: Take 1 coin from the Treasury (cannot be challenged).
- Foreign Aid: Take 2 coins from the Treasury. Can be blocked by the Duchess.
- Coup: Pay 7 coins and force an opponent to turn one of their characters face up—it is eliminated. This action cannot be challenged. If you have 10 or more coins, you are forced to play it.
- Use a character's ability: Announce that you have a character and use its ability. You can bluff—no one sees your cards unless you are challenged.
The 6 available abilitiesare: the Duchess takes 3 coins (cannot be blocked); the Assassin pays 3 coins to eliminate an opponent's character (blocked by the Contessa); the Captain steals 2 coins from an opponent (blocked by another Captain, the Ambassador, or the Inquisitor); the Ambassador draws 2 cards from the Court and returns 2; the Inquisitor can look at an opponent's card and decide to make them discard it.
Challenge: If a player suspects a bluff, they challenge it before the action is resolved. The accused player must show their card:
- If they do have the announced character, they shuffle it back into the Court and draw a new one. The challenger loses a life.
- If they were bluffing, they turn a card of their choice face up. This character is eliminated.
Block: Some characters can cancel an opponent's action. The block is announced after the action—and can itself be challenged.
Win/Loss Condition
A player is eliminated whenboth their characters are face up. The last player with at least one face-down character wins the game.
Our Tips for Winning
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Watch the cards that have been discarded to refine your bluff
Each character type exists in 3 copiesonly. If two Captains have already been eliminated face up, claiming to be the Captain becomes very risky—your opponents will remember. Conversely, if no Assassin has been revealed yet, you can confidently claim to be one.
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Only question things when you have good reason to.
Doubting a player who is telling the truth immediately costs you a life.Reserve your challengesfor situations where you have strong circumstantial evidence: the player has already claimed this character multiple times, or you yourself hold both active copies of this character in your hand.
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Accumulate cash discreetly before striking
The 7-piece general assassination is unstoppable. A player who quietly accumulates their pieces without being noticed can strike a key opponent with no possible recourse. Playing the Foreign Aid or the Duchess regularly—even sometimes by bluffing—is often more profitable than using aggression powers prematurely.
FAQ – All about Complots
Can we bluff and pretend to be any character?
Yes, totally. You can claim any character each turn, whether you own it or not. That's the heart of the game: nobody sees your cards unless you're called out. The freedom to bluff is total and assumed.
What happens if multiple players want to challenge at the same time?
The first to speak(or the quickest to raise their hand) has priority. This is an intentionally physical rule that adds a small dose of responsiveness and extra tension to each action announcement.
Is the 10-coin rule really mandatory?
Yes, and this is fundamental. If you start your turn with 10 or more coins, you are forced to play the General Assassination. This rule prevents a passive endless accumulation strategy and maintains constant pressure on all players.
Does Coup work well with 2 players?
Yes. The box includes specific rules for two playersthat adapt the mechanics for a duel. The experience is more calculated and less chaotic than with a large group, but the head-to-head bluffing matches are particularly intense.