- BGG rank
- BGG #11,905
- BGG rating
- 6.6
Knights of Camelot
- 2–6 players
- 120–240 min
- Complexity 2.3/5
- 1980
- BGG rank
- BGG #16,279
- BGG rating
- 5.8
Down with the King
1981
Rules assistance for Down with the King
Plain-language explanations of turns, card effects and disputed situations, with official source references and saved question history.
- 2–6 players
- 120 min
- 12+
- Complexity 3.1/5
Rules assistant for Down with the King
What would you like to know?
Answers come from the official rulebook, with the page to check.
Down with the King is a board game released in 1981 for 2–6 players, 120 minutes per game, and ages 12 and up. It was designed by Glenn Rahman and Kenneth Rahman and its main mechanics are Dice Rolling, Paper-and-Pencil, and Role Playing.
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About the game
Down With The King is a political game set in a fantasy world. Players are nobles who plot to overthrow the king. Players must cooperate to defeat the king, but only one of them can take the crown thus backstabbing is always a concern. The game is played through various decks of cards. Players strive to gain prestige and influence points so that they can recruit characters to their side. They also use natural disasters, plagues, interrogations, and other political problems against their opponents. Of 19 possible actions each turn, a player can only perform 2, thus creating a tension and need for strategy. Player interaction is very high because players can perform actions during opponent turns and because nobody is eliminated early from the game. A player who is killed just misses a turn and then returns as the former player's heir, usually with revenge in mind.
Categories
Designers
Publishers
- The Avalon Hill Game Co
- Verlag für Fantasy- und Science Fiction-Spiele
Questions and answers
Down with the King supports 2–6 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 Down with the King is 120 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 Down with the King for ages 12 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.
Down with the King has a complexity rating of 3.1 out of 5 from BoardGameGeek players, which makes it a medium-weight 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.
Down with the King belongs to these categories: Card Game, Fantasy, and Political. Its main mechanics are Dice Rolling, Paper-and-Pencil, and Role Playing. 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 Down with the King are: Glenn Rahman and Kenneth Rahman. 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 Down with the King 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.