Troyes

The game board is placed in the center. Each player chooses a color and places one influence marker on the '4' space of the influence track. Players receive 5 coins. The number of pawns each player receives depends on the number of players: 4 pawns for 4 players, 5 for 3 players, and 6 for 2 players. Each player places one pawn in a district of their choice. Neutral (grey) pawns fill any remaining empty spaces in the districts. Players randomly draw one character card (two for a 2-player game), keeping it secret. Activity cards are sorted by color (white, red, yellow) and then by number (I, II, III), shuffled, and placed face down in their designated spots on the board. Event cards are also shuffled and placed face down.

The main objective of Troyes is to accumulate the most victory points (VP) by the end of the game. Players achieve this by effectively managing their family's influence across three domains: military, religious, and civil. This involves strategically using dice to perform actions, constructing buildings, fighting enemies, and fulfilling the conditions on their secret character cards. The player with the highest total VP at the end of the game wins.

Each round consists of six phases. Phase 1: Activity cards are revealed, one for each color (white, red, yellow). Phase 2: Income and Salaries – players receive 10 coins, then pay 1 coin for each pawn in the Bishopric, 2 coins for each pawn in the Palace, and no coins for pawns in the City Hall. Failure to pay results in a loss of 2 VP. Phase 3: Workforce – players roll their dice (3 per player, plus 1 for each pawn in the Bishopric, 1 for each pawn in the Palace, and 1 for each pawn in the City Hall). Phase 4: Events – two event cards are drawn and resolved. Military events involve rolling black dice and using player dice to combat them. Non-military events have various effects described on the cards. Phase 5: Actions – players take turns using their dice to perform actions, such as activating activity cards, constructing the Cathedral, farming, placing citizens, or combating event cards. Players can also pass. Phase 6: End of Round – unused dice are returned to the general supply, the first player token passes to the left, and a new round begins.

Victory points are accumulated throughout the game and at the final scoring. During the game, VPs are gained from various actions, such as constructing the Cathedral, successfully combating military events, and certain activity card effects. At the end of the game, players reveal their secret character cards and score additional VPs based on the conditions met on these cards. For example, some characters reward VPs for having a certain number of citizens in specific buildings or for having accumulated a certain amount of money or influence. The player with the highest total VPs from all sources is declared the winner.

The game concludes immediately after the last red event card is drawn and its effects, along with any other events for that round, are resolved. Following this, the final scoring phase begins. All players calculate their total victory points, including those accumulated during the game and those awarded by their secret character cards. The player with the highest total victory points wins the game. In case of a tie, the player with the most remaining coins wins.