Goal of the Game
Become the most influential inquisitor in the city. You achieve this by being the first to collect the required number of influence points and holding onto them for one full round until the beginning of your next turn. You gain influence by building your City Council from Citizen cards and burning alleged witches at the Pyre.
Game Setup
- Place the Pyre token in the middle of the table.
- Shuffle all playing cards to form a draw deck. Place it face down next to the Pyre.
- Deal 6 cards and 1 Dominance token to each player.
- Determine the starting player. Play proceeds clockwise.
Gameplay
Players take turns. On your turn, you must perform two actions. You can choose two different actions, or perform the same action twice. After completing two actions, your turn ends, and the next player goes.
ATTENTION: You can have a maximum of 7 cards in your hand. If you already have 7 cards, you cannot draw another card as an action.
Possible Actions
- Draw a card: Take the top card from the draw deck.
- Play a Citizen: Place a Citizen card from your hand into your City Council. Its abilities activate immediately.
- Accuse a Citizen: Choose any Citizen (yours or an opponent's) and roll the die. The accusation is successful if the die value is equal to or higher than the Citizen's defense.
- Exonerate a Citizen: Choose a Citizen on the Pyre and roll the die. Exoneration is successful if the die value is higher than their defense.
- Play an Action card: Play a card labeled "Action" and follow its instructions.
Cards in the Game
Citizen
The basic card of the game. Its influence value represents both victory points and defense. A Citizen's abilities are only active while they are played in the City Council.
Action
Cards that require one (or sometimes both) of your actions during your turn to play.
Reaction
Special cards that do not cost an action and can be played at any time (even outside your turn) if the condition stated on the card is met. Only one reaction can be played per event.
The Pyre
The Pyre is where accused citizens are discarded. As soon as the third citizen is placed on the Pyre, it instantly ignites (it can also be ignited by certain Action cards).
The player who caused the ignition takes the last added card from the Pyre. This card grants them 3 permanent influence points which cannot be lost. The remaining cards on the Pyre are discarded.
End of the Game and Victory
The game ends when a player meets the victory conditions at the beginning of their turn.
Points Required to Win:
- 2 players: 13 points
- 3-4 players: 11 points
- 5 players: 9 points
- 6 players: 7 points
Path to Victory:
- Collect points and at the end of your turn, flip your Dominance token to its active side.
- Survive the round: You must keep your points until it is your turn again. If your points drop below the winning threshold, you must flip the token back to its inactive side.
- Win: If you have a flipped token and still have enough points at the beginning of your turn, you win!
Dominance Token
(Active and Inactive side)
Game Variants
- Quick game: Lower the required number of victory points by 1 to 2.
- Long game: Increase the required number of victory points by 1 to 2.
- Tutorial: For your first game, lower the required points to 5.
Glossary
City Council: The area in front of a player where they play Citizen cards.
Becoming a Citizen: Any situation where a Citizen card enters a player's City Council (played from hand, exonerated from the Pyre, etc.).
Entering the Game: A card is played from hand and its ability activates only once.
In Play: A card is played in any player's City Council. Cards on the Pyre or in hand do not count as "in play".
Going to the Pyre: Moving a Citizen card to the Pyre as a result of a successful accusation.
Igniting the Pyre: A situation where the conditions for removing cards from the Pyre are met (adding a third citizen or playing an action card).
Permanent Influence Points: Points gained for igniting the Pyre. They cannot be lost in any way.
Influence / Defense: The point value on a Citizen card that determines both victory points and the difficulty of the die roll.
All Players: Includes all players in the game, including the one currently taking their turn.
Discard a Card: Move a card from hand or from play to the discard pile.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
What if two players want to play a reaction to the same event?
+The player whose turn is next has priority. Once their reaction is played, it is no longer possible to react to the original event.
Do the abilities of citizens on the Pyre work?
+No. Citizen abilities are only active when they are played in the City Council.
What does it mean when a card says "accuse/exonerate without rolling the die"?
+It means an automatic success. You perform the accuse or exonerate action, but you don't roll the die.
Can I play a reaction to another reaction?
+No. Only one reaction card can be played per event (die roll, playing an action).
What if I forget to flip the Dominance token at the end of my turn?
+Tough luck. You didn't meet the victory conditions. You have to wait for the next opportunity and hope your opponents don't lower your points by then.
Can I move cards in my City Council?
+No. Once a card is played, its position is final.
Can the Pyre be ignited without citizens?
+No. Fuel is required to ignite the Pyre. There must be at least one citizen on it.
What happens if I have more than 7 cards during the game?
+If you have more than 7 cards and someone points it out, they can randomly discard one of your cards.