In Council of Florence, players take on the role of a Renaissance family, vying for control of the powerful city council. By using artists, merchants, politicians, and spies at crucial moments, you can raise your family's reputation among the city's key factions, securing council positions for those loyal to you.
The game takes place over 9 to 11 rounds. In each round, a few of the 15 council seats are emptied. For each empty seat, a specific faction (guild, church, academy...) will eventually choose who fills it. Before that, however, players can use cards (artists, merchants, clergy...) to influence their reputation with these factions. Each card, however, has more than one way to be used, and cannot be used again for several rounds. Do you seize power now, or bide your time?
An event deck starts each round, emptying council seats and bringing additional cards into play. When the critical "Vote" event comes up, the house with the most seats on the council wins.