Dystopian lives In the not too distant future, the government is run for profit by a new royal class of multi-national CEOs. Their greed and absolute control of the economy has reduced all but a privileged few to lives of poverty and desperation. Out of the oppressed masses rose The Resistance - an underground organization focused on overthrowing these powerful rulers. The valiant efforts of The Resistance have created discord, intrigue and weakness in the political courts of the new royals, bringing the government to brink of collapse. But for you, a powerful government official, this is your opportunity to manipulate, bribe and bluff your way into absolute power. To be successful, you must destroy the influence of your rivals and drive them into exile. In these turbulent times there is only room for one to survive. Secret identities Players start the game with two coins and two face-down character cards each with a unique set of powers the goal is simple: be the last one standing. On each turn, if a player claims a character action it automatically succeeds unless an opponent challenges your identity. When challenged, if you can\\\'t reveal the appropriate character, you lose a character, turning it face-up. Face-up characters cannot be used, and if both of your characters are face-up, you\\\'re out of the game. If you do have the character in question, you reveal it, the opponent loses a character and your card gets shuffled into the deck only to draw a new one, perhaps getting the same character again and perhaps not. The last player to still have a face-down character (or two) wins the game! Who do you think you are? The Court deck consists of fifteen cards - three copies of five different characters: Duke, Assassin, Contessa, Captain or Ambassador each with its own special abilities (the Duke can claim tax, the Assassin can attempt an assassination, the Captain can steal coins from another player, etc). As players start claiming actions identities are revealed, the seeds of doubt are planted and poker faces are tested. Strike a coup Trick players into losing their cards or gather up the money to overthrow them. At 7 coins any player can use their turn to assassinate another players character, a strike that not even the highly influential and powerful Countessa can stop. The choice is yours Unlike other bluffing and deception games, in Coup it is possible to have a successful game without ever telling a single lie, however the temptation and rewards of lying may outweigh the consequences of getting caught. There are free actions for those who won\\\'t reveal their characters and with room for doubt even in a 6 player game, the Court deck will contain 3 unused cards Coup is an exciting game that relies on your ability to push the boundaries of truth.