A Study in Emerald

To set up, each player secretly chooses to be either a Loyalist or a Restorationist faction. Players receive starting influence cubes, agent tokens, and a hand of cards. The game board is laid out, featuring various cities where influence cubes will be placed. City cards are shuffled and placed on their designated spots, and agent tokens are distributed to players. The Revolution and War tracks are set to their starting positions, and the zombie cards and tokens are prepared for play.

The objective of the game depends on the player's secret identity. Loyalists aim to have the highest score when a Royal Person is assassinated, while Restorationists strive to have the lowest score when a Main Agent is killed or when all eight zombie pieces are in play. Players must carefully manage their public actions to conceal their true allegiance while working towards their hidden goal.

During a player's turn, they perform two actions. These actions can include placing influence cubes on city cards to gain control, claiming city cards from the board, moving agents between cities to exert influence, discarding cards to draw new ones, or revealing their secret identity to trigger end-game conditions. Players can also play specific action cards for unique effects, adding strategic depth to each turn.

Scoring occurs at the end of the game based on the triggered end condition. Loyalists earn victory points for controlling cities and for each Royal Person assassinated. Restorationists gain points for having zombie pieces in play and aim for a low score. The position on the Revolution track also contributes to final scores, and specific cards can provide additional points or penalties, making every action crucial for victory.

The game concludes immediately when one of three conditions is met: a Royal Person is assassinated, a Main Agent is killed, or all eight zombie pieces are in play. Once an end condition is met, players proceed to final scoring, where their secret identities are revealed, and victory points are tallied according to their faction's objectives and the game state.