Overview

Rococo (also published as Rokoko) is a Euro-style deck-building game designed by Matthias Cramer, Stefan Malz, and Louis Malz, published by Eagle-Gryphon Games. Players own dressmaking businesses in the Rococo era, competing to gain the most Prestige by crafting elegant dresses for guests at a grand ball, hiring skilled employees, acquiring resources, and funding decorations. The game is played over 7 rounds, after which a grand ball and final scoring determine the winner.

Components

• 1 double-sided game board (different sides for different player counts)
• 42 dress tiles (various colors and types)
• 28 employee cards (levels 1-6, with Apprentice/Journeyman/Master ranks)
• 5 player boards with 5 base employee cards each (2 Apprentices, 2 Masters, 1 Journeyman)
• 48 coins (Livres)
• Prestige point tokens
• Property markers (16 per player)
• Lace markers and thread markers (wooden)
• Resource tiles
• Cloth bag for drawing dress tiles
• Favor card

Setup

1. Each player selects a color and takes their player board, 5 starting employee cards (placed face-down as their supply), 15 Livres, 1 lace marker, and 1 thread marker.
2. Assemble the employee card display by shuffling each level separately and stacking them (level 1 on top).
3. Fill workshop windows with dress tiles drawn from the cloth bag.
4. Place resource tiles in warehouse segments.
5. Arrange property markers, coins, and prestige tokens in supply areas.
6. Place the favor card near the board.

Turn Structure

Each of the 7 rounds has four phases:

Phase 1 – Refresh: Transfer the favor card if earned. Reveal 4 new employee cards in the hire display. Refill warehouse resource tiles. Restock dress tiles in workshop windows.

Phase 2 – Draw Employees: Each player simultaneously selects 3 employee cards from their supply pile, reshuffling their discard pile if needed.

Phase 3 – Actions: Players take turns playing one employee card and performing one action. After performing the action, the player may use the card’s bonus ability (if it has a crown symbol). The played card goes to the player’s discard pile. Continue until all players have played their 3 cards.

Phase 4 – Income: Each player collects a base income of 5 Livres, plus bonus income from fountain decorations.

Actions

Not all employees can perform all actions:

• Masters can perform any action.
• Journeymen cannot Hire employees.
• Apprentices can only Acquire Resources, Depute, or Fund Decorations.

1. Claim the Queen’s Favor: Take the favor card, gain 5 Livres immediately, and become the starting player next round. Only one player may hold this per round.

2. Acquire Resources: Pay Livres (cost depends on how many tiles remain in the chosen warehouse segment) and take a resource tile. Alternatively, discard the tile to gain its thread or lace marker equivalent.

3. Make a Dress: Pay the listed Livre cost and required resources (thread, lace, fabric). Then either rent the dress to a guest at a ball space on the board (gaining the listed reward and placing a property marker) or sell it for immediate Livres.

4. Hire a New Employee: Purchase one of the face-up employee cards from the hire display. Cost depends on how many cards remain in the display (fewer cards = cheaper). Add the hired card to your discard pile.

5. Depute Your Employee: Permanently remove a card from your deck. Gain Livres based on rank: Master = 10, Journeyman = 7, Apprentice = 4. This thins your deck.

6. Fund a Decoration: Place a property marker on an available decoration space (fireworks, musician, statue, or fountain) by paying the listed cost. These score prestige during final scoring.

Scoring / Victory Conditions

After Round 7, the Grand Ball occurs and final scoring begins:

1. Gain 1 Prestige Point per 10 remaining Livres.
2. Score employee bonuses from cards with crown symbols.
3. Score hall majorities (most dresses in each hall).
4. Score fireworks decorations (points based on position).
5. Score statue sets (bonus for color variety).
6. Score fountain income bonuses.
7. Remove and score all property markers for their printed prestige values.

The player with the most Prestige Points wins. Ties are broken by remaining money.

Special Rules & Edge Cases

• Dress colors must match the ball space where they are rented; you cannot rent a dress to the wrong color space.
• Some employee cards grant bonuses when played (crown symbol) that can provide extra resources, prestige, or movement options.
• Deputing (removing) employees is a key deck-thinning strategy; a leaner deck draws more consistently.
• The double-sided board adjusts the game for different player counts (fewer spaces with fewer players).
• Fountain decorations provide recurring income each round in addition to end-game scoring.

Player Reference

Employee Rank	Available Actions	Depute Value
Master	All actions	10 Livres
Journeyman	All except Hire	7 Livres
Apprentice	Resources, Depute, Decorations only	4 Livres

Round flow: Refresh > Draw 3 employees > Play cards and take actions > Collect income.

Game length: 7 rounds, then final scoring.

Win: Most Prestige Points after the Grand Ball.