Coup (card game)

Each player has two face-down character cards, with the remaining cards being placed in a "Court Deck" in the centre of the play area. Players take turns performing actions, while the other players have the opportunity to challenge or enact a counteraction.

Some actions and counteractions require a player to claim to have a specific character card (which they can do regardless of whether or not they have it). Such claims can be challenged by anyone in the game, regardless of whether they are directly involved in the action. If a player is challenged, they must prove they had the played character card by revealing it from their face-down cards. If they can not or do not want to prove it, they lose the challenge, but if they can, the challenger loses. Whoever loses the challenge immediately loses one of their character cards. When a player loses both their character cards, that player is eliminated. The winner is the remaining player after all others have been eliminated.{{Cite web |title=SFE: Resistance, The |url=https://sf-encyclopedia.com/entry/resistance_the |access-date=2022-08-21 |website=sf-encyclopedia.com}}

In 2014, the game Coup: Reformation was also released by Rikki Tahta and La Mame Games. In this version, each player must declare themself as either Loyalist or Reformist and can target only members of the other faction. Conversion between factions is possible by paying a donation to the Almshouse (treasury). After the other faction has all been eliminated or converted, all remaining players within a faction descend into in-fighting, and the game proceeds as in Coup (2012).{{Cite web |date=2014 |title=Coup: Reformation |url=https://indieboardsandcards.com/our-games/coup-reformation/ |access-date=2024-06-04 |website=Indie Boards and Cards |language=en-GB |type=Product page}}{{Cite web |last=Knox |first=Kelly |date=August 28, 2019 |title=The Cards Don't Lie (But You Do) in COUP: REFORMATION |url=https://nerdist.com/article/coup-reformation-sponsored/ |access-date=June 4, 2024 |website= |publisher=Geek & Sundry (redirect to Nerdist) |language=en-US |type=Sponsored playthrough}} Moreover, it introduces the Inquisitor role which can replace the Ambassador, increasing the total number of roles in the game to six. Additionally, by having five cards for each role, the game can accommodate up to 10 players.{{Cite web | title=Coup Buyer's Guide: Which Expansion to Buy |url=https://cardgamebase.com/coup-buyers-guide/ |access-date=2024-07-14 |website=Card Game Base |date=6 November 2023 |language=en-GB |type=Product page}}

This is a mini expansion introduced to the game. It introduces additional roles: Speculator and Bureaucrat which can replace the Duke as well as Jester and Socialist which can replace the Ambassador.

A spin-off, Coup: Rebellion Guatemala 1954 (also known as Coup: Rebellion G54), was released in 2014, which included a variable deck of 25 characters. The rules and gameplay are the same as Coup (2012) but with different possible characters, of which five out of the 25 are chosen in each game.{{Cite web |date=2018-10-15 |title=Coup: Rebellion Is Brilliant |url=https://www.kotaku.com.au/2018/10/coup-rebellion-is-brilliant/ |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181015071122/https://www.kotaku.com.au/2018/10/coup-rebellion-is-brilliant/ |url-status=dead |archive-date=October 15, 2018 |access-date=2022-07-20 |website=Kotaku Australia |language=en-AU}}

An expansion of this called Coup: Rebellion G54 – Anarchy was released in 2016 which added six new roles (Anarchist, Paramilitary, Arms Dealer, Financier, Plantation Owner, and Socialist) as well as the new Social Media general action to the game.{{Cite web |date=2016 |title=Coup: Rebellion G54 – Anarchy |url=https://indieboardsandcards.com/our-games/coup-rebellion-g54-anarchy/ |access-date=2024-06-04 |website=Indie Boards and Cards |language=en-GB |type=Product page}}Worthington, Travis (2016). "G54 Anarchy". Kickstarter. Retrieved June 4, 2024.

Upon its release, Coup received generally positive reviews. A review from The New York Times praised its simplicity, engagement, and replayability.{{Cite news |date=2019-12-09 |title=The Best Beginner Board Games for Adults |language=en-US |work=The New York Times |url=https://www.nytimes.com/wirecutter/reviews/board-games-for-adults/ |access-date=2022-07-20 |issn=0362-4331}} Clayton Ashley from Polygon praised the game's simplicity and bluffing mechanism.{{Cite web |last=Ashley |first=Clayton |date=2019-07-31 |title=Coup is a game for backstabbing your friends |url=https://www.polygon.com/2019/7/31/20728295/coup-board-game-lets-play-overboard |access-date=2022-07-20 |website=Polygon |language=en-US}} Alex Walker, writing from Kotaku, complemented Coup: Rebellion for its ease of play, quick rounds, and mechanics. However, he also described that the game could "drag on over longer sessions" compared to the original.

{{reflist}}

• {{Bgg title|id=131357|name=Coup}}
• https://programmer-underworlds.club - online multiplayer web version of coup card game.

Category:Multi-player card games

Category:Dedicated deck card games

Category:Card games introduced in 2012

Category:Party games

Category:Social deduction games

Category:Works about coups d'état