Overview

Court of the Medici is a 2-player card game of intrigue in Renaissance Florence. Players direct nobles to form alliances and execute conspiracies to build influence at court. Players play cards to the Inner Circle and the Outer Court, scoring points based on the value of alliances they control. The game ends when the deck runs out, and the player with the most influence wins.

Components

• 50 playing cards (numbered nobles with values, suits, and colors)
• 1 rules sheet

Setup

1. Each card represents a noble. Each card contains: Rank (1-5), Title (indicating nobility level), Crest (one of 4 house colors), and Text (special abilities).
2. Sort cards by value: ranks between 2 and 10, as well as 2 Ladies-in-Waiting (Rank 1), 2 Ministers (Rank 4), 2 Jesters (Rank 3, wild), and 10 courtiers.
3. Choose either House Gonzaga or House Della Rovere for each player.
4. Shuffle all the cards in your house together and make a deck from each pile.
5. Take a card off the top of your deck and place it face up in the middle of the play area as a starting card.
6. Deal 7 cards face-down as your starting hand.

Turn Structure

On your turn, you must play a card. Choose among the following ways to play:

1. Send a Noble to Court – Place a card on the table in front of you.
2. Form an Alliance – Place a card on top of or next to cards already in play to create an alliance (a group of same-colored nobles).
3. Conspiracy – Place a card on top of any card or stack of cards to change the controlling allegiance.
4. Plan for the Future – Place a card face-down on the bottom of your deck.

After playing a card and completing your action, draw a new card. After you draw, if you notice you have more of the same nobles in your hand (for example, a Lord and a Lady in two Jesters), you may draw another card to replace one of them (reshuffle the returned noble(s) back into your deck before drawing).

Actions

Alliances:

• Two or more nobles stacked on or next to each other at the top of the Inner Circle form an alliance.
• At least 2 nobles are required to perform a conspiracy.
• You can only perform alliances by actually placing nobles.

Inner Circle:

• The Inner Circle acts as the core table of influence. The first 6 nobles that begin the game at court are also considered part of the Inner Circle.

Conspiracies:

• Accompany a noble with an alliance to dethrone a noble in the Inner Circle. A conspiracy takes a noble that is already a member of the Inner Circle.

Jester:

• When you play the Jester, you must choose a value for him between 1 and 10. Once the Jester is in play, the value cannot differ. The Jester’s effective value within the range of possible values depends on what benefits the player placing the Jester in the alliance.

Scoring / Victory Conditions

• At game end, add together the total value of all nobles in your alliances at court (Jesters count at their chosen value).
• The player with more influence (higher total value) wins.

Special Rules & Edge Cases

• A noble that has been discarded is no longer at court and cannot be part of a conspiracy.
• You can only perform one conspiracy per turn.
• A 4-point Jester may “Plan for the Future”; once in the deck, the player’s card can be used by the other player next turn.
• Once a card has been discarded, it is no longer at court.
• At least 2 nobles are required to perform a conspiracy.

Player Reference

Action	Description
Send to Court	Play a card face-up
Alliance	Group same-colored nobles together
Conspiracy	Use 2+ nobles to displace an Inner Circle member
Plan for Future	Place card face-down on bottom of deck

• Game ends when deck is exhausted
• Highest total noble value in alliances wins