Guillotine

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“The revolutionary card game where you win by getting a head.”

Story set up: You and your opponent(s) are rival guillotine operators during the French Revolution, trying to get the best collection of heads.

2-5 players
15-30 minutes playing time
Ages 12 to adult
Game includes: 110 cards, including 60 action cards and 50 noble cards, and 1 cardboard guillotine.

Layout: Deal 12 noble cards face-up in a row and put the cardboard guillotine at the start. Deal 5 action cards to each player.

Play: Each player can do three things on a turn. First, the player can choose to play an action card. An action card can either rearrange the order of the noble line, give a player an advantage by adding points to their score pile, or subtract points from the player’s opponent’s noble points. The player does not have to play an action card—it is optional. Next, the player must take the noble at the front of the line (unless the player has played an action card that says the noble card cannot be taken—this can be good if the noble at the front of the line has minus points). Lastly, the player must draw an action card, whether or not an action card was played. There is no limit to the amount of action cards a player can have during the game.

Goal: To collect as many points as you can—but beware! Don’t behead the Hero of the People, the Innocent Victim, or the Martyr, or you’ll lose points! Instead, be a hero yourself and behead Louis the XVI and Marie Antoinette—worth 5 points apiece!

There are three rounds to be played. So, after all 12 noble cards have been taken, another 12 are dealt out, and play resumes as normal. After all those are taken, the last round begins as the last 12 nobles are dealt.

Winning: The player with the most points wins!

This game is easy to learn and can be played almost instantly after reading the instructions. The cards’ designs were created by Quinton Hoover and Mike Raabe and are hilarious—reminiscent of Disney’s Hunchback of Notre Dame movie. There is some skill required, as you want to rearrange the cards in order to block your opponent from gaining points.

This is one of the best card games I’ve ever played, and I heartily recommend it for any card game lover, or in fact, anyone who wants to have a good time.

This game was created by Wizards of the Coast.