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Blood on the Clocktower
- 6–21 players
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- 2022
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Smiles & Daggers
2018
Rules assistance for Smiles & Daggers
Plain-language explanations of turns, card effects and disputed situations, with official source references and saved question history.
- 3–6 players
- 20–30 min
- 10+
- Complexity 1.5/5
For 3 players
Rules assistant for Smiles & Daggers
What would you like to know?
Answers come from the official rulebook, with the page to check.
Smiles & Daggers is a board game released in 2018 for 3–6 players, 20–30 minutes per game, and ages 10 and up. It was designed by Gianluigi Giorgetti and Andrea Marchi and its main mechanics are Betting and Bluffing, Rock-Paper-Scissors, and Prisoner's Dilemma.
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About the game
Smiles & Daggers is based on one of the most famous dilemmas of game theory. The term counter-competition, a neologism invented by the authors, describes the main mechanism of the game. It is a competitive game in which victory is more achievable through co-operation, but there can be only one winner. In other words, keep your friends close, but your enemies closer! The Lady kills the Knight, the Lord kills the Lady but gets killed by Knights. You have to choose one card to put face down in front of you. Your opponent will do the same, whilst other players are betting on the outcome. Each card has two sides: one smiling that gives you money, the other kills (if possible) the opponent. Which side will you choose? And most importantly, which side is under your opponent's card?
Designers
Publishers
- Giochi Uniti
- Stratelibri
- Sir Chester Cobblepot
Questions and answers
Smiles & Daggers supports 3–6 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 Smiles & Daggers is 20–30 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 Smiles & Daggers 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.
Smiles & Daggers 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.
Smiles & Daggers belongs to these categories: Card Game and Bluffing. Its main mechanics are Betting and Bluffing, Rock-Paper-Scissors, and Prisoner's Dilemma. 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 Smiles & Daggers are: Gianluigi Giorgetti and Andrea Marchi. 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 Smiles & Daggers 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.