
- BGG rank
- BGG #136
- BGG rating
- 7.7
Dominion: Intrigue
- 2–6 players
- 30 min
- Complexity 2.4/5
- 2009

1983
Rules assistance for King's Court
Plain-language explanations of turns, card effects and disputed situations, with official source references and saved question history.

What would you like to know?
Answers come from the official rulebook, with the page to check.
King's Court is a board game released in 1983 for 2–8 players, 30 minutes per game, and ages 10 and up. It was designed by Barbara Cunningham Shillito and its main mechanics are Hand Management.
The family card game with a ROYAL TWIST! This game plays similarly to UNO, but with more complex "wild" cards. For example, the Wizard allows you to choose the color, skip or change the direction, have the next player (after the skip or direction change) draw 5 cards, and also play an extra card! The Magic Potion dissolves all your "scroll card" points when someone else goes out (scroll cards are cards with special abilities who's values range from 20 to 50). The Royal Decree reverses any draw card back onto the one who played it. The Magician can become any scroll card in the deck. Etc. King's Court is currently out of print.
King's Court 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 King's Court is 30 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 King's Court 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.
King's Court has a complexity rating of 1.5 out of 5 from BoardGameGeek players, which makes it a 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.
King's Court belongs to these categories: Card Game and Medieval. Its main mechanics are Hand Management. 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 King's Court are: Barbara Cunningham Shillito. 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 King's Court 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.