Accessible rules
Citadels rules
Accessible HTML rules · 2016 edition
This structured text version follows the official English rulebook and includes the character and district wording used by this implementation. The bundled PDF remains the authoritative illustrated source.
Overview and components
Compete to become the kingdom's next Master Builder by constructing the most impressive medieval city. Gold pays for districts, characters grant a different power each round, and a district normally scores its building cost.
The game ends after a player completes a city and the current round is finished. The player with the highest final score wins.
- 27 Character cards and 27 matching Character tokens.
- {"54 basic District cards": "12 noble, 11 religious, 20 trade, and 11 military."}
- 30 unique District cards, from which a normal game uses 14.
- 6 reference cards, 1 crown, 30 gold coins, 3 warrant markers, and 2 threat markers.
Complete setup
- Choose one Character of every rank from 1 through 8. Rank 9 is required with three or eight players and optional with four through seven players.
- Put the matching Character tokens in rank order at the center of the table.
- Choose 14 unique Districts and combine them with all 54 basic Districts.
- Shuffle the District deck and deal four cards facedown to every player.
- Put the remaining District deck and the gold bank at the center of the table.
- Give every player two gold.
- Give the crown to the oldest player; that player begins the first selection phase.
Rounds and character selection
Every round has a selection phase followed by a turn phase. The crowned player manages the character deck and later calls characters in ascending rank order.
For four through eight players, shuffle the selected Characters, discard the required number faceup, then discard one facedown. Starting with the crowned player, each player secretly keeps one card and passes the rest. The final unchosen card is discarded facedown.
- Rank 4 can never remain in the faceup discard. Return it to the deck, reshuffle, and draw a replacement.
- Rank 4 can still be discarded facedown.
- With seven players using eight Characters, or eight players using nine, the final player chooses between the last passed card and the initial facedown discard.
| Players | Faceup discards | Facedown discards |
|---|---|---|
| 4 | 2 | 1 |
| 5 | 1 | 1 |
| 6 | 0 | 1 |
| 7 | 0 | 1 · special final choice |
| Players | Faceup discards | Facedown discards |
|---|---|---|
| 4 | 3 | 1 |
| 5 | 2 | 1 |
| 6 | 1 | 1 |
| 7 | 0 | 1 |
| 8 | 0 | 1 · special final choice |
Taking a turn
The crowned player calls ranks from 1 upward. The owner of a called Character reveals it and takes that Character's turn. Unchosen, discarded, and killed Characters take no turn.
- Gather resources. Take two gold, or draw two District cards, keep one, and put the other facedown under the District deck.
- Use the Character ability at its stated time. Unless a time is stated, it may be used at any point during that turn. Each ability is used at most once per turn.
- Optionally build a District by paying its cost. The normal limit is one build per turn.
- Resolve any eligible District effects, then end the turn.
- You cannot build a District with the same name as one already in your city unless an effect explicitly permits it.
- District types are noble, religious, trade, military, and unique.
- A District's cost is also its normal endgame value.
- Gold totals and hand sizes are open information; card identities are private. Gold and hand sizes have no limit.
- Destroyed or discarded Districts are placed facedown under the District deck.
Two- and three-player games
Each player controls two Characters and therefore takes two separate turns per round. Both Characters share one hand, city, and gold stash, but each ability, restriction, protection, and building limit applies only during its own turn.
- Two players use ranks 1–8 without the Emperor. Discard one card facedown; the crowned player keeps one of seven and passes six. On every later choice, keep one, discard one facedown, and pass the rest.
- Three players use ranks 1–9. Discard one facedown; each player keeps one Character in order. The third player randomly discards one of the five remaining cards, passes four to the crowned player, and everyone keeps a second Character. Discard the final card facedown.
- A city is complete at eight Districts in two- and three-player games.
Game end and scoring
With four through eight players, a city is complete when it first reaches seven Districts. With two or three players, it is complete at eight. Finish the current round after the first city is completed.
- Score every District's cost, including permanent beautification increases.
- Score 3 points for having at least one District of every type.
- Score 4 points if you were first to complete a city.
- Score 2 points if you completed a city but were not first.
- Add every applicable unique-District bonus.
- The highest score wins. Ties go to the tied player who revealed the highest-ranked Character in the final round.
Official preset options
The rulebook supplies seven complete configurations. Every list uses one Character per rank, with its rank-nine Character shown as the optional or required ninth card, and exactly 14 unique Districts.
Original Game
Characters: Assassin, Thief, Magician, King, Bishop, Merchant, Architect, Warlord
Unique districts: Dragon Gate, Factory, Haunted Quarter, Imperial Treasury, Keep, Laboratory, Library, Map Room, Quarry, School of Magic, Smithy, Statue, Thieves' Den, Wishing Well
Ambitious Aristocrats
Characters: Magistrate, Thief, Wizard, Patrician, Bishop, Trader, Architect, Marshal, Queen
Unique districts: Capitol, Factory, Framework, Great Wall, Haunted Quarter, Keep, Necropolis, Park, Poor House, Quarry, School of Magic, Stables, Statue, Thieves' Den
Cunning Agents
Characters: Witch, Blackmailer, Magician, Emperor, Abbot, Alchemist, Architect, Warlord, Tax Collector
Unique districts: Armory, Basilica, Dragon Gate, Gold Mine, Keep, Monument, Museum, Necropolis, Park, Poor House, Quarry, Secret Vault, Smithy, Theater
Illustrious Emissaries
Characters: Witch, Spy, Seer, Emperor, Bishop, Merchant, Scholar, Diplomat, Artist
Unique districts: Factory, Framework, Great Wall, Haunted Quarter, Ivory Tower, Keep, Library, Museum, Observatory, Park, Poor House, Quarry, School of Magic, Smithy
Devious Dignitaries
Characters: Magistrate, Blackmailer, Wizard, King, Abbot, Alchemist, Navigator, Marshal, Queen
Unique districts: Dragon Gate, Factory, Framework, Haunted Quarter, Laboratory, Necropolis, Park, Poor House, Secret Vault, Smithy, Stables, Theater, Thieves' Den, Wishing Well
Tenacious Delegates
Characters: Assassin, Spy, Seer, King, Cardinal, Trader, Scholar, Diplomat, Artist
Unique districts: Basilica, Capitol, Haunted Quarter, Imperial Treasury, Laboratory, Library, Map Room, Observatory, School of Magic, Secret Vault, Smithy, Stables, Statue, Wishing Well
Vicious Nobles
Characters: Assassin, Thief, Magician, Patrician, Cardinal, Merchant, Navigator, Warlord, Tax Collector
Unique districts: Armory, Basilica, Dragon Gate, Gold Mine, Imperial Treasury, Ivory Tower, Laboratory, Map Room, Monument, Museum, School of Magic, Statue, Thieves' Den, Wishing Well
Character abilities
Character powers are optional unless their text says “must” or “cannot.” A power may be used once during that Character's turn at the stated time.
Rank 1
Assassin
Rank 1Name another character. When called, it stays silent, does not reveal its card, and skips its entire turn.
Magistrate
Rank 1Secretly assign three warrants to different characters, one signed. You may confiscate the signed target's first paid district, refund the builder's gold, and build it free unless it duplicates your city.
Witch
Rank 1Gather resources, name a character to bewitch, then pause without building. When it is called, its player gathers only; then resume with that character's abilities and restrictions. If nobody has it, your turn never resumes.
Rank 2
Blackmailer
Rank 2Secretly threaten two eligible characters; one threat is flowered. After gathering, each may pay half their gold, rounded down. If they refuse and you reveal the flowered threat, take all their gold.
Spy
Rank 2Choose another player and a district type, then inspect their hand. For each matching card, gain one card and take one gold from that player if available.
Thief
Rank 2Name a character other than rank 1, the killed character, or the bewitched character. When it is revealed, take all gold from its player.
Rank 3
Magician
Rank 3Either exchange your entire hand with another player's hand, or put any number of cards under the district deck and draw the same number.
Seer
Rank 3Take one random card from every other nonempty hand, then give one card to each affected player. You may build up to two districts this turn.
Wizard
Rank 3Inspect another player's hand. Take one card or pay to build it immediately without using your building limit. You may build duplicate district names this turn.
Rank 4
Emperor
Rank 4Gain one gold for each noble district in your city. Take the crown from its holder, give it to another player, then take one available gold or one random card from them. If killed, transfer it at round end without a resource.
King
Rank 4Gain one gold for each noble district in your city and take the crown. If killed, reveal and take it at round end; if bewitched, you still take it.
Patrician
Rank 4Gain one card for each noble district in your city and take the crown. If killed, reveal and take it at round end; if bewitched, you still take it.
Rank 5
Abbot
Rank 5For each religious district in your city, gain either one gold or one card, in any mix. If you are not among the richest players, choose a richest player to give you one gold.
Bishop
Rank 5Gain one gold for each religious district in your city. Rank 8 cannot use its ability on your districts this round unless you were killed; if bewitched, it protects the Witch's districts instead.
Cardinal
Rank 5Gain one card for each religious district in your city. When short of gold for a build, you may take exactly the missing gold from one player, give them one card per gold, then build that district.
Rank 6
Alchemist
Rank 6At turn end, recover all gold paid to build districts this turn. Other payments are not recovered, and you must still afford every build.
Merchant
Rank 6Gain one gold for each trade district in your city, plus one additional gold, regardless of the resource you gathered.
Trader
Rank 6Gain one gold for each trade district in your city. Trade districts do not count against your building limit this turn.
Rank 7
Architect
Rank 7Gain two cards, regardless of the resource you gathered. You may build up to three districts this turn.
Navigator
Rank 7Gain either four gold or four cards, regardless of the resource you gathered. You cannot build any district this turn.
Scholar
Rank 7Draw seven cards, keep one, and shuffle the other six into the district deck. You may build up to two districts this turn.
Rank 8
Diplomat
Rank 8Gain one gold for each military district in your city. You may exchange one of your districts for one from an incomplete opposing city, paying its owner any positive cost difference without creating duplicates.
Marshal
Rank 8Gain one gold for each military district in your city. You may seize one district costing at most three from an incomplete opposing city, paying its owner the full cost without creating a duplicate.
Warlord
Rank 8Gain one gold for each military district in your city. You may destroy one district by paying one less than its cost; no district in a completed city can be destroyed.
Rank 9
Artist
Rank 9You may pay one gold on each of up to two of your districts to beautify them. Each can be beautified once and permanently costs and scores one more.
Queen
Rank 9Gain three gold when a player seated beside you reveals rank 4, including a killed rank 4 revealed at round end.
Tax Collector
Rank 9After any district is built by a character other than the Tax Collector, place one available gold from that player's stash on your token. Taxes persist between rounds; take all stored gold on your turn.
Unique District clarifications
Unique District effects are optional unless their text says “must” or “cannot.” Effects limited to once per turn can be used only during your own turn.
Armory
Once per turn, destroy the Armory to destroy another district. No district in a completed city can be destroyed.
Capitol
At game end, score three extra points once if your city has at least three districts of one type.
Framework
Destroy the Framework instead of paying another district's building cost. A Magistrate cannot confiscate that free build.
Great Wall
Rank 8 must pay one additional gold when applying its ability to your districts.
Haunted Quarter
At game end, it can count as one district type of your choice; if changed from unique, it no longer counts as unique.
Ivory Tower
At game end, score five extra points if this is your city's only unique district.
Museum
Once per turn, put one hand card facedown under the Museum. Each stored card scores one point at game end and stays with the Museum if exchanged or seized.
Necropolis
Destroy another district in your city instead of paying the Necropolis's building cost. A Magistrate cannot confiscate that free build.
Park
If your hand is empty at turn end, gain two cards.
Poor House
If your stash is empty at turn end, gain one gold; resolve this before an Alchemist recovers building gold.
Quarry
You may build any number of districts whose names already appear in your city, but cannot acquire duplicates with Magistrate, Diplomat, or Marshal.
School of Magic
For character abilities that gain resources by district type, count this as one district of a type you choose.
Stables
Building the Stables does not count against your building limit.
Theater
At selection-phase end, choose another player blindly and exchange one of your character cards with a random one of theirs.
Thieves' Den
Pay some or all of its building cost by discarding cards, with each card replacing one gold. A Magistrate refunds only the gold spent.
Design notes and credits
Bruno Faidutti designed the original game in the late 1990s around a single-hand Character draft. The 2016 edition gathers Characters and Districts from earlier releases, introduces new content, and shortens city completion to seven Districts for most player counts.
- Original game design: Bruno Faidutti.
- New Character design: Bruno Faidutti and Steven Kimball.
- New District design: Bruno Faidutti, Steven Kimball, and Alexander Ortloff.
- Publisher: Z-Man Games. The PDF contains the complete development, art, playtest, and production credits.