The Royal Order takes place in an alternate past where the struggle of the People and the Crown are at odds for dominance. You our either aligned with one or the other, you may sabotage a round just for the greater good of your alliance. Players will have to make choices to be deceptive or recognized, not all players will be on the same side or have the same end goal.
HOW TO PLAY...
Each player is dealt one Alliance Card which will be kept secret for a total of five rounds
Each player is the given three Support Cards, lose support, lose the game
Each player is then dealt two Order Cards and the game begins
A player has three options on their turn:
1. Take one Support Card from the tabletop, this cannot be challenged at any time
2. Initiate Imprisonment at the cost of eight Support Cards, eliminating another player
3. Use the action of an Order Card, which is then replaced and shuffled into the deck
THE KING
can gain two support each turn
THE QUEEN
can block the artist
THE HEIR
can use four support to imprison another player
THE BARONESS
can inherit all support cards from an eliminated player
THE BANKER
can block the heir
THE ARTIST
can steal one support from another player
Each of the six different Order Cards has an appropriate action, you can take this action upon your turn or deceive your opponents into thinking you have a card you do not. Get caught in a lie and you are imprisoned placing one of your Order Cards face up in front of you, not to be replaced. Once both your Order Cards are face up, you are imprisoned and out of the game. The winner of the game is the last one standing or has the most Support Cards once all have been acquired, the winner keeps a Support Card to show their victory. After five rounds the Alliance Cards are revealed--the winner is the group with the most wins.
—description from the designer