
- BGG rank
- BGG #8,887
- BGG rating
- 6.2
Tofu Kingdom
- 3–8 players
- 10–30 min
- Complexity 1.6/5
- 2015

2016
Rules assistance for The Xuanwu Gate Incident
Plain-language explanations of turns, card effects and disputed situations, with official source references and saved question history.
For 3 players

What would you like to know?
Answers come from the official rulebook, with the page to check.
The Xuanwu Gate Incident is a board game released in 2016 for 3–7 players, 5–30 minutes per game, and ages 10 and up. It was designed by Kuraki Mura and its main mechanics are Memory and Voting.
The Xuanwu (pronounced "shuan-woo") Gate Incident refers to an actual Chinese palace coup for the throne in the year 626 at the height of the Tang Dynasty. Li Shimin, the second son of Emperor Gaozu, planned an ambush at Xuanmu Gate leading to the Palace City and assassinated two of his brothers who were in a fierce competition with him for the throne. A few days after this coup, Li Shimin was made the crown prince. His father abdicated two months later, and Li Shimin became Emperor Taizong. The Xuanwu Gate Incident is a secret identity deduction game. Each player is dealt a character card that is secret to other players. On a player's turn, they may examine one of the two cards placed facedown in the center of the table. They may choose to swap the card with their own card, or with any other players' card, or keep it where it is. After all players have had a chance to examine one card, there will be voting to determine whether the current round comes to a showdown; if so, all cards are revealed and the winning team is determined.
The Xuanwu Gate Incident supports 3–7 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 The Xuanwu Gate Incident is 5–30 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 The Xuanwu Gate Incident 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.
The Xuanwu Gate Incident has a complexity rating of 1.0 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.
The Xuanwu Gate Incident belongs to these categories: Card Game and Deduction. Its main mechanics are Memory and Voting. 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 The Xuanwu Gate Incident are: Kuraki Mura. 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 The Xuanwu Gate Incident 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.