
- BGG rating
- 7.0
Marquis: Intriganten
- 2–6 players
- 2009

2005
Rules assistance for Marquis
Plain-language explanations of turns, card effects and disputed situations, with official source references and saved question history.
For 2 players

What would you like to know?
Answers come from the official rulebook, with the page to check.
Marquis is a board game released in 2005 for 2–4 players, 45 minutes per game, and ages 10 and up. It was designed by Czarnè and Martin Götz and its main mechanics are Commodity Speculation.
In this card game 2-4 players try to obtain the title “Marquis“. To achieve this goal, players have to collect coins used to buy jewels. The player whose stock of jewels has the highest value wins the game. Every player has a set of 12 cards, each card showing a character the player can impersonate. Each of the characters has a special ability which can be used (the diamond dealer, for example, can buy diamonds twice, the pickpocket steals a coin from the richest player etc.). Although all of the players try to gather as many jewels as possible, these cannot be collected easily as they have to be purchased with coins first. The game ends as soon as one of the player cannot play any character during his turn. After this the jewels which have been collected are counted. Players score one point for each diamond and five points for each ruby they gathered. From the English rules: It is a time of intrigues over the marquis' domain. The Prosecutor, the extortioner and the countess covet the invaluable jewels of each other. To buy jewels at the best price, players will have to continuously impersonate new characters. Choose wisely between the 11 roles available and fortune will change hands relentlessly. But do not forget that money is only a mean to achieve your goal. At the end, the title of “Marquis“ will go the one with the fullest jewel case. So be cautious! Forget “Noblesse oblige“, now play catch as catch can. Losers will want to turn the tables!!
Marquis supports 2–4 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 Marquis is 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 Marquis 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.
Marquis has a complexity rating of 2.0 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.
Marquis belongs to these categories: Card Game and Age of Reason. Its main mechanics are Commodity Speculation. 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 Marquis are: Czarnè and Martin Götz. 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 Marquis 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.