How to Play Regicide
Regicide is a cooperative card game in which players work together to defeat a series of royal enemies using a standard deck of playing cards. The group must battle through four Jacks, four Queens, and finally four Kings.
The challenge is that every enemy fights back. Players need to manage their cards carefully, use each suit's special ability, and work together without revealing what's in their hands.
If all four Kings are defeated, the players win together. If a player cannot withstand an enemy's attack or cannot take a legal turn, everyone loses.
Regicide Video Tutorial
What You Need
1 standard 52-card deck
2 Jokers
1–4 players
Regicide Setup
Separate all 12 face cards (Jacks, Queens, and Kings) from the deck.
Shuffle the four Kings and place them face down in the center of the table. Shuffle the four Queens and place them face down on top of the Kings. Finally, shuffle the four Jacks and place them face down on top of the Queens.
This creates the Castle deck. During the game, you will battle the Jacks first, followed by the Queens and then the Kings.
The remaining cards form the basis of the Tavern deck.
The number of Jokers used depends on the number of players:
1 player: No Jokers
2 players: No Jokers
3 players: 1 Joker
4 players: 2 Jokers
Add the appropriate number of Jokers to the remaining cards and shuffle to create the Tavern deck.
Deal each player their starting hand from the Tavern deck. Players must keep their cards hidden from one another.
Deal amounts and max hand size:
1 player: 8 cards
2 players: 7 cards
3 players: 6 cards
4 players: 5 cards
Flip the top card of the Castle deck face up. This is the first enemy.
Objective
Work together to defeat all 12 enemies in the Castle deck.
Jacks have 20 health and 10 attack.
Queens have 30 health and 15 attack.
Kings have 40 health and 20 attack.
Damage dealt to an enemy accumulates from turn to turn until the enemy is defeated.
How to Play Regicide
Players take turns attacking the current enemy. A normal turn consists of four steps:
Play a card.
Activate its suit power.
Deal damage to the enemy.
Suffer damage from the enemy.
1. Play a Card
Start your turn by playing a card from your hand.
For numbered cards, the number on the card determines its attack value. A 7, for example, normally deals 7 damage.
The card's suit also determines which special power is activated.
2. Activate the Suit Power
Each of the four suits has a different ability.
Clubs - Double Damage
Clubs double the damage dealt to the enemy.
For example, a 5 of Clubs has an attack value of 5 but deals 10 damage.
Spades - Shield
Spades reduce the enemy's attack strength.
If a 4 of Spades is played, it deals 4 damage and reduces the enemy's attack by 4.
Spade shields remain in effect for as long as you are fighting that enemy. Multiple Spades can therefore continue reducing its attack over several turns.
Diamonds - Draw Cards
Diamonds allow the team to draw cards from the Tavern deck.
The number of cards that may be drawn is equal to the attack value of the Diamond played. Players take turns drawing one card at a time, beginning with the active player and continuing around the table.
A player who has reached the maximum hand size is skipped.
Hearts - Recover Cards
Hearts allow your team to return discarded cards to the Tavern deck.
Shuffle the discard pile, then take a number of cards equal to the attack value of the Heart and place them face down underneath the Tavern deck.
Those discarded cards now have a chance to return to players' hands later in the game.
If Heart and Diamond powers are activated together, resolve the Heart power first.
3. Deal Damage
Apply the attack's damage to the current enemy.
Damage is cumulative. If a Jack has taken 12 damage on previous turns and the next player deals another 8 damage, the Jack has taken 20 total damage and is defeated.
When an enemy is defeated, remove it and reveal the next card from the Castle deck.
The player who defeated the previous enemy takes the first turn against the new one.
4. Suffer Damage
If the enemy survives your attack, it attacks you.
You must discard cards from your hand with a combined value at least equal to the enemy's current attack value.
For example, if an enemy attacks for 10, you could discard cards worth 7 and 3, or cards worth 8 and 4. You may discard more value than necessary.
Any Spade shields played against that enemy reduce the amount of damage players must absorb.
If you cannot discard enough cards to withstand the attack, the entire team loses.
Enemy Suit Immunity
Each enemy is immune to the special power of its own suit.
For example, when fighting the Jack of Spades, Spade cards still deal their normal damage, but their shield ability does not activate.
The same rule applies to every suit:
Club enemy: Clubs do not double damage.
Spade enemy: Spades do not reduce the enemy's attack.
Diamond enemy: Diamonds do not allow cards to be drawn.
Heart enemy: Hearts do not return cards to the Tavern deck.
This immunity remains in effect until the enemy is defeated unless a Joker removes it.
Using Jokers
A Joker must always be played by itself and has an attack value of 0.
Playing a Joker removes the current enemy's suit immunity.
No damage is dealt to the enemy, but the active player also does not suffer an enemy attack that turn.
After playing the Joker, choose any player to take the next turn.
Defeating an Enemy With Exact Damage
There is a special reward for defeating an enemy with exactly the amount of damage needed to reduce its health to zero.
Instead of placing that enemy into the discard pile, place it face down on top of the Tavern deck.
This means the defeated enemy can eventually be drawn and used by the players.
When played or discarded from a player's hand, royal cards have the following values:
Jack: 10
Queen: 15
King: 20
When played, the royal card also activates the power associated with its suit.
Animal Companions - Aces
Aces are known as Animal Companions and have a value of 1.
An Ace may be played by itself or paired with one other non-Joker card.
When paired, add the Ace's value to the other card's value and activate both suit powers.
For example, pairing an Ace of Diamonds with a 7 of Spades creates an attack value of 8. The Diamond power allows the team to draw up to 8 cards, while the Spade power creates a shield of 8. The attack also deals 8 damage to the enemy.
Enemy suit immunity still applies when determining which powers activate.
Playing Matching Cards Together
Instead of playing a single card, you can play a set of cards with the same number.
You may play a pair, three of a kind, or four of a kind as long as the cards' combined value is 10 or less.
Add the values together to determine the attack value and resolve the suit powers of all cards played using that combined attack value.
This can create powerful combinations of suit abilities.
Yielding
Instead of playing a card, a player may choose to yield.
When you yield, you do not attack the enemy. Skip directly to suffering damage from the enemy.
Yielding can sometimes help preserve an important card for later, but you still need enough cards in your hand to withstand the enemy's attack.
Communication Rules
Regicide is cooperative, but players cannot freely discuss the cards in their hands.
You cannot:
Reveal cards in your hand.
Tell another player which cards you have.
Hint at cards you're holding.
Suggest specific plays based on hidden information.
Players may discuss information that is already public.
This restriction is an important part of the challenge. The group must cooperate while trying to understand what teammates might be able to do without revealing their hands.
How to Win Regicide
The group wins immediately after defeating all four Kings.
The entire group loses if:
A player cannot discard enough cards to absorb an enemy's attack.
A player begins a turn unable to make a legal play and is unable to yield.
Because everyone wins or loses together, managing the team's cards can be just as important as dealing as much damage as possible on an individual turn.
Regicide Strategy Tips
Don't Waste Your Strong Cards Early
The enemies become progressively stronger as you move from Jacks to Queens to Kings. Using every powerful combination against the first few enemies can leave the group poorly equipped later.
Pay Attention to Suit Immunity
Before deciding what to play, check the current enemy's suit. A card that would normally provide a valuable power may only deal damage against an enemy of the same suit.
Spades Can Help the Entire Team
A Spade shield doesn't disappear after the active player's turn. Reducing an enemy's attack can make every subsequent turn against that enemy easier.
Keep the Tavern Deck Healthy
Diamonds help replenish players' hands, while Hearts recycle discarded cards back into the Tavern deck. Both abilities can be important for keeping the team supplied as the game progresses.
Exact Defeats Are Valuable
Defeating a royal enemy with exact damage puts that card on top of the Tavern deck instead of sending it to the discard pile. Getting a Jack, Queen, or King into a player's hand can give the group a powerful card for a later battle.
Frequently Asked Questions
What happens when you play a card matching the enemy's suit?
The card still deals damage, but its suit power does not activate because each enemy is immune to its own suit.
Do Spade shields last for the entire game?
No. Their effects accumulate while fighting the current enemy and last until that enemy is defeated.
What happens if you defeat an enemy with exact damage?
Place the defeated enemy face down on top of the Tavern deck instead of putting it in the discard pile. It can later be drawn and used by the players.
Can you play multiple cards at once?
Yes. Matching numbered cards can be played together as long as their combined value is 10 or less. An Ace can also be paired with one other non-Joker card.
Can you skip your turn in Regicide?
You can yield, which means you don't play a card or deal damage. You must still suffer the enemy's attack.
How many players can play Regicide?
Regicide can be played with 1 to 4 players.