Overview
Koryŏ is a card game for 2-4 players set in the Korean Koryŏ dynasty. Over 8 rounds (seasons), players play character cards to build influence with nine governing political families. Each family grants a special power to the player who holds the majority of that type. After 8 rounds, the player with the most influence points from controlled family majorities and victory tokens wins.
Components
- 45 Character cards (across 9 families, numbered 1-9)
- 10 Event cards (6 Barbarian, 4 Lobbying)
- 8 Season cards (numbered 1-8)
- 8 Victory Point tokens
- 1 First Player token
- Rulebook
Setup
- Shuffle all character and event cards together into a central deck.
- Arrange the 8 season cards in a stack with Season 1 on top.
- Place victory point tokens nearby.
- Randomly select the starting player and give them the First Player token.
Turn Structure
The game lasts exactly 8 rounds (seasons). Each round has 4 phases:
Phase I: Card Distribution
- Reveal the current season card. It shows how many cards each player draws and the hand limit for this round.
- Deal cards to each player from the central deck.
- A player with a majority of Broadcasters (#8) receives one bonus card.
Phase II: Play Cards
- Starting with the first player and going clockwise, each player places cards face-down in front of them.
- All cards played must be identical (same family or same event type).
- Exception: A player controlling the majority of Ship Owners (#5) may play two different card types in the same turn.
Phase III: Resolve Actions
- All players simultaneously reveal their played cards, adding them to their tableau.
- Resolve majority powers in order:
- Banker (#6): Majority holder claims a victory point token.
- Priest (#4): Majority holder may destroy one event card from any player’s tableau.
- Spy (#2): Majority holder may steal one victory point token from another player.
- Omniscient (#1): Wins all ties during this round only.
- Resolve event cards: Barbarians and Lobbying take effect.
Phase IV: Discard to Hand Limit
- Each player must discard character cards from their tableau down to the seasonal limit.
- Senator (#3) majority holders may keep 2 additional cards beyond the limit.
- Event cards cannot be discarded normally (only destroyed by the Priest power).
Actions
The 9 Character Families
| # |
Family |
Cards |
Power (majority holder) |
| 9 |
Merchant |
9 |
No special power |
| 8 |
Broadcaster |
8 |
Draw 1 extra card during distribution |
| 7 |
Guardian |
7 |
Blocks Barbarian event cards |
| 6 |
Banker |
6 |
Claim 1 victory point token |
| 5 |
Ship Owner |
5 |
May play 2 different card types per turn |
| 4 |
Priest |
4 |
Destroy 1 event card from any tableau |
| 3 |
Senator |
3 |
Keep 2 extra cards above hand limit |
| 2 |
Spy |
2 |
Steal 1 victory token; blocks Lobbying |
| 1 |
Omniscient |
1 |
Wins all ties this round |
Event Cards
| Event |
Count |
Effect |
| Barbarian |
6 |
Destroy one opponent’s character card (blocked by Guardian majority) |
| Lobbying |
4 |
Swap two character cards between different players (blocked by Spy majority) |
Event cards remain in a player’s tableau and cost -1 point each at end of game.
Scoring / Victory Conditions
After 8 rounds, calculate each player’s total influence:
- For each of the 9 families, the player with the most cards of that type scores points equal to the family number (e.g., most Merchants = 9 points). Ties score nothing for tied players.
- Add +1 point per victory point token held.
- Subtract -1 point per event card in your tableau.
- Highest total wins. Tiebreaker: player with the most total character cards.
A score of 30 or more earns “Hall of Fame” status.
Special Rules & Edge Cases
- Ties in majority: No player scores for that family unless someone holds the Omniscient (#1) majority (which only breaks ties during rounds, not final scoring).
- Playing cards: You must play at least one card per turn if able.
- Season progression: Each season card changes both the number of cards dealt and the hand limit, creating increasing pressure as the game progresses.
- Event cards cannot be voluntarily discarded — they stay in your tableau unless destroyed by the Priest’s power.
- Card limits decrease in later seasons, forcing tough discard decisions.
Player Reference
Round: Draw cards → Play identical cards face-down → Reveal & resolve powers → Discard to limit
Scoring: Majority of family = family number in points. +1 per VP token. -1 per event card.
Key Powers: Broadcaster (+1 card), Ship Owner (play 2 types), Banker (VP token), Spy (steal VP), Guardian (block Barbarians), Priest (destroy events), Senator (+2 hand limit)
Win: Most influence points after 8 rounds.