- BGG rank
- BGG #596
- BGG rating
- 7.1
Citadels
- 2–8 players
- 20–60 min
- Complexity 2.1/5
- 2000
- BGG rank
- BGG #578
- BGG rating
- 7.2
Citadels
2016
Rules assistance for Citadels
Plain-language explanations of turns, card effects and disputed situations, with official source references and saved question history.
- 2–8 players
- 30–60 min
- 10+
- Complexity 2.1/5
For 2 players
Rules assistant for Citadels
What would you like to know?
Answers come from the official rulebook, with the page to check.
Citadels is a board game released in 2016 for 2–8 players, 30–60 minutes per game, and ages 10 and up. It was designed by Bruno Faidutti and its main mechanics are Variable Player Powers, Take That, and Set Collection.
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About the game
In Citadels, players take on new roles each round to represent characters they hire in order to help them acquire gold and erect buildings. The game ends at the close of a round in which a player erects their seventh building. Players then tally their points, and the player with the highest score wins. Players start the game with a number of building cards in their hand; buildings come in five colors, with the purple buildings typically having a special ability and the other colored buildings providing a benefit when you play particular characters. At the start of each round, the player who was king the previous round discards one of the eight character cards at random, chooses one, then passes the cards to the next player, etc. until each player has secretly chosen a character. Each character has a special ability, and the usefulness of any character depends upon your situation, and that of your opponents. The characters then carry out their actions in numerical order: the assassin eliminating another character for the round, the thief stealing all gold from another character, the wizard swapping building cards with another player, the warlord optionally destroys a building in play, and so on. On a turn, a player earns two or more gold (or draws two building cards then discards one), then optionally constructs one building (or up to three if playing the architect this round). Buildings cost gold equal to the number of symbols on them, and each building is worth a certain number of points. In addition to points from buildings, at the end of the game a player scores bonus points for having eight buildings or buildings of all five colors. The 2016 edition of Citadels includes twenty-seven characters — eight from the original Citadels, ten from the Dark City expansion, and nine new ones — along with thirty unique building districts, and the rulebook includes six preset lists of characters and districts beyond the starter list, each crafted to encourage a different style and intensity of gameplay.
Categories
Mechanics
Designers
Publishers
- Edge Entertainment
- Arclight Games
- Delta Vision Publishing
- Kaissa Chess & Games
- Galápagos Jogos
- Hobby World
- Rebel Sp. z o.o.
- CoolPlay
- Korea Boardgames
- Swan Panasia Co., Ltd.
- Galakta
- Ігромаг
- 999 Games
- MINDOK
- Gameology (Gameology Romania)
- Z-Man Games
- Hans im Glück
- Fantasmagoria
- Windrider Games
- EDGE Studio
Questions and answers
Citadels supports 2–8 players according to the catalogue. This range comes from the publisher’s listed player count, so the game can be set up for any group size within it. Some setups, rules and scoring details may still vary by player count, so check your edition’s rulebook for the exact configuration.
The listed playing time for Citadels is 30–60 minutes. This is the publisher’s estimate for a full game. The actual duration depends on the group, the player count and familiarity with the rules: first sessions usually run longer, while experienced groups often finish faster. Setup and teaching time are not included in this estimate.
The catalogue lists Citadels for ages 10 and up. This is the publisher’s recommendation and reflects reading demands, rule complexity and small components rather than theme alone. Younger players can often join with help from an adult, so check the age guidance on your edition and consider your group’s experience with board games.
Citadels has a complexity rating of 2.1 out of 5 from BoardGameGeek players, which makes it a medium-light game. The rating reflects how much rules knowledge, planning and decision-making a typical game demands. Expect a longer first teach for heavier games, and use a preparation guide before game night.
Citadels belongs to these categories: Card Game, Bluffing, and Medieval. Its main mechanics are Variable Player Powers, Take That, and Set Collection. Categories describe the theme and setting of a game, while mechanics describe what players actually do on their turns. Each mechanic links to a catalogue hub with similar games, which helps when you want something comparable.
The credited designers of Citadels are: Bruno Faidutti. These credits come from the published game data and name the people responsible for the game’s design, not its illustrators or publishers. Designer pages on MeepleRules collect other titles by the same designers, which helps when you enjoy a game and want to find similar ones.
The catalogue lists Citadels as a base game. It can be played on its own with the components in the box and does not require any other title. Expansions, if any exist, add new content or rules on top of it and are listed separately in the catalogue with a link back to this base game.