Disclosure: This site is sponsored by affiliate programs. I may earn money from qualifying purchases mentioned in this post at no cost to you.
So you’re interested in playing Citadels. Luckily, you’ve got good taste.
Citadels has managed to stay at the top of my board game rotation for several years, and it remains one of my favorite games. In fact, I use it basically as a gold standard when considering how balanced other board games feel.
It’s truly a strategy game, and there’s not a whole lot of luck involved – unless you count drawing really good unique district cards.
You actually have to have some skill to win.
What kind of game is Citadels?
Citadels is a strategy card game that is set in medieval times.
The basic goal of the game is to impress the monarchy and become the Master Builder for the kingdom.
How do you become the Master Builder? You build the best metropolis, of course.
To do this, you need to acquire money (coins) and enlist services from a selection of characters with special abilities.
Players choose character(s) in each round of the game to help build their city (photo by BoardGameChick.com)
How many people can play Citadels?
Citadels can play between 2-8 players.
I think the sweet spot is somewhere in between. In my experience, the game isn’t quite as fun with only two people.
And if you have 8 players, the games can run a little long.
The average playtime is 30-60 minutes. However, if you’re playing with more people, the time will increase.
Also, if you’re playing with a lot of people who are new to the game, I’d allow for over an hour.
Is Citadels a good board game?
Citadels has been around for a while, but I think it truly holds its own and remains one of the best board games out there.
It was first released in 2000, and its success led to an expansion a few years later. Today, the game has been printed in several languages.
So why is this game so good? What I like the most about it is how balanced it is.
Players need a solid strategy to win. You are awarded for playing to certain character strengths, but you are also penalized if you become too predictable.
How to play the Citadels board game
If you’re new to the game, start with the basic character set:
Hit man
Thief
Magician
King
Bishop
Merchant
Architect
Warlord
There are variations to the characters, which can contribute to the game’s replayability.
To start the game:
Take character tokens (1-8) and place them on the table in numerical order.
Shuffle the basic district cards (structures with a yellow, blue, green or red symbol). Deal four cards to each player. Place the remaining cards facedown on the table.
Each player receives two gold from the bank. Place the rest of the coins on the table.
The oldest player takes the crown first.
Starting with who holds the crown, players draft characters from the character cards, starting with the player with the crown. The specifics of how this works will depend on the number of players. Refer to your rulebook.
After players have their character(s), follow the character turn order. For example, character one (for example, the hit man) would announce themselves and go first.
Then, follow the action steps on the turn order card. Players will:
Gather resources (gold or district cards)
Build (one district at a time)
Use their character ability (at any time)
The game ends at the end of the round in which a player has seven districts.
The player with the most points wins. (Note: It may not always be the first player who finished!)
There’s more context in the rulebook, of course. Comment below if you have any questions!
Each character has a special ability. The king takes the crown, which gives them first pick for characters in the next round (photo by BoardGameChick.com)
What special abilities do the characters in Citadels have?
Each drafted character has a special ability. For example, with the starter set …
The hit man prevents a character from taking a turn. Note, the hit man will not know exactly who they are eliminating. When it’s the targeted player’s turn, that player skips their entire turn.
The thief is able to steal from a character. Note, the thief will not know exactly who they are stealing from since they announce a character, not a player. The thief earns the gold (if any) when the character starts their turn.
The magician can either trade their entire hand of district cards with another player or discard any number of district cards to draw new ones.
The king takes the crown and gains one gold for each noble (yellow) district in their city.
The bishop gains gold for each religious (blue) district in their city. The bishop can not be targeted from the rank 8 character.
The merchant gains one gold for each trade (green) district and gains one extra gold.
The architect gains two extra district cards and may build extra districts.
The warlord gains one gold for each military (red) district in their city. Warlords may destroy one district of another player for one coin less than its cost. For example, a district that cost one coin to build would be free to destroy.
Pro tip: If you draft predictable characters in each round, you may become the target of the hit man or the thief.
How do you score points?
There are multiple ways to earn points, which include the value of your districts (how many coins you paid for them), having one of each district type and competing your city.
Additional points can be earned from unique districts, which are pink.
Disclaimer: This site produces content for the purpose of entertainment. Expressed opinions are the author's alone and not endorsed or affiliated with mentioned games or products. Questions or comments? Reach out to me on my contact page.
