
- BGG rank
- BGG #446
- BGG rating
- 8.0
The Old King's Crown
- 1–4 players
- 60–120 min
- Complexity 3.7/5
- 2025

2017
Rules assistance for Death Over The Kingdom
Plain-language explanations of turns, card effects and disputed situations, with official source references and saved question history.

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Answers come from the official rulebook, with the page to check.
Death Over The Kingdom is a board game released in 2017 for 3–16 players, 15–45 minutes per game, and ages 10 and up. It was designed by Sergio Rodriguez Yanes and its main mechanics are Variable Player Powers, Hand Management, and Simultaneous Action Selection.
In Death Over the Kingdom you have two games in one: - For groups of 3 to 7 players; - For groups of 3 to 16 players, although we recommend starting with 8 players. The rules explained below are for a game of 3 to 7 players. The game consists of as many turns as the number of players. Each turn has 3 Rounds where victory condition varies. - Round 1: The highest card wins. - Round 2: The lowest card wins. - Round 3: The intermediate cards win. Each Round can be won by more than one player, if they match the score or victory condition. For example, in a 5-player game, up to 3 of them could have the intermediate card that gives the victory in Round 3. When all 3 Rounds have been played, the starting player becomes Dealer. Thereby, all players will be Dealer once throughout the game. In each Round -in order, beginning with the starting player- players secretly choose a card from their hand and place it in their playing area face down They must choose between: - Exchange your card with the player on the left (they cannot refuse). The Dealer player has no players on their left. If you’re Dealer and want to exchange your card, you can do it with the deck, first declaring it aloud. To do this, you must lift one or more cards at a time without looking. The card revealed after this cut is your new card. - To fold, that is, to keep the card that you’ve chosen or that’s been given to you after a previous exchange. - Use the ability of the card, if possible (Merchant, Thief, Juggler and Dragon). - If you have cards in hand, change the card with one of your hand. Once all the players have played, reveal players´cards to activate the abilities “At the end of the Round...” of the cards that have this ability (Innkeeper, Jester, Monk, Sorceress, Knight, Princess and Queen). The winners of each Round score a point. To indicate that they take the score markers and place them in their playing area according to their points value. Once the 3 Rounds have been played, the deck is formed and shuffled again, and a new turn begins. When the last Dealer player’s turn is finished, the points are counted. The SECOND player with the most victory points is declared an absolute winner of Death Over The Kingdom until the next game! In case all players are tied in highest and lowest points, no player wins this game. You will have to play again!
Death Over The Kingdom supports 3–16 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 Death Over The Kingdom is 15–45 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 Death Over The Kingdom 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.
Death Over The Kingdom 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.
Death Over The Kingdom belongs to these categories: Card Game, Party Game, and Medieval. Its main mechanics are Variable Player Powers, Hand Management, and Simultaneous Action Selection. 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 Death Over The Kingdom are: Sergio Rodriguez Yanes. 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 Death Over The Kingdom 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.