The King of Rogues
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Every card you turn can be a victory or a trap. Every card you play can be a stroke of genius or a suicide. And when it ends, someone has lost their throne in less than fifteen minutes.
WHAT IT IS ABOUT
Medieval conspiracies in a ten-minute card duel
Le Roy des Ribauds is the game adaptation of the French comic of the same name created by Vincent Brugeas and Ronan Toulhoat, illustrated by Erwann Ricord. The comic tells of intrigue and violence in 14th-century medieval France, and the game captures its essence: tension, betrayal, memory.
At the table, you play a court of four face-down cards. Each turn, you can turn one over or replace it with a card from your hand. Kings, Queens, Knights, Assassins: each has its power and its conspiracy. The first to complete one of the three conditions hidden in the roles wins. The game lasts just long enough to break into a cold sweat twice.
What they say abroad
A tense game where every decision counts, but the game never drags on.
— FroGames
Memory is a weapon. And a risk.
— FroGames
Le Roy des Ribauds
FrogScore · FroGames editorial rating · based on rules, international reviews, and game sessionsThe protagonists of the court
Four roles, three ways to win
Roi (King)
The King commands: whoever plays three Kings in their court wins immediately. His power allows you to swap cards, but every revealed King is an invitation to sabotage you.
Reine (Queen)
The Queen seduces: whoever lines up two in the opponent's court wins the game. Her power lets you draw cards, but playing revealed Queens is declaring open war.
Chevalier (Knight)
The Knight protects and disrupts. He doesn't win alone, but his power allows you to turn over opponent's cards and ruin others' plans. He is the tactical weapon of the deck.
Assassin (Assassin)
The Assassin kills: whoever places two in the opponent's court wins immediately. His power discards cards, but playing him face down is a calculated risk. Memory or bluff?
In ten minutes, you will have betrayed, bluffed, and perhaps won. Or perhaps you will have forgotten where you put that King. It happens.
A game in five acts
What happens at the table
Not the rules. The experience.
Draw and arrange
You receive three cards in hand and four face down in front of you. You don't know what you have in your court. Neither does your opponent. Everything starts in the dark, and the first move is always a leap into the unknown.
The first reveals
Someone flips a card. Is it a Knight? A King? The first revealed role changes everything: you understand your opponent's strategy or watch your own plan collapse. Your memory starts working.
The bluff or the truth
You play a face-down card in your court. He doesn't know what you've put down. You know what he thinks you've put down. Bluffing becomes a weapon, and every face-down card is a credible threat. Or is it?
The conspiracy closes
Someone has three Kings. Or maybe two Queens in the other court. Or those Assassins you forgot about. A condition is met and the game explodes in an instant. There's no time to remedy it.
Immediate rematch
Ten minutes have passed. Someone won, someone lost their memory halfway through the game. You shuffle and replay without even discussing it. The second game starts before the first is even processed.
How to play
The flow of each turn
A turn is a clear choice: flip a card or replace it. That's it.
You can flip a face-down card in your court or your opponent's to reveal it. Or you can play a card from your hand to replace a card already in the court (yours or your opponent's).
If you choose to replace, you can play your card face up (activating the role's power) or face down (hiding the information). The replaced card returns to your hand.
If you played a face-up card, immediately execute the role's power: the King swaps cards, the Queen draws, the Knight flips enemy cards, the Assassin discards.
After each action, check if anyone has completed a conspiracy: three Kings in their own court, two Queens in the opponent's court, or two Assassins in the opponent's court. If so, the game ends.
Why it's different from others
Six reasons why Le Roy des Ribauds is not just any filler game
Three asymmetric ways to win
There isn't just one path to victory. You can accumulate Kings in your court, sabotage your opponent's with Queens or Assassins, or play defensively with Knights. Each game explores different routes.
Memory as an active mechanic
It's not passive memory. Remembering where the face-down cards are gives you a tactical advantage, but your opponent can change them, swap them, discard them. Memory isn't enough: you have to anticipate.
Structural bluffing
Playing face-down cards is not a detail: it's a strategic choice. A face-down card can be a credible threat that forces your opponent to waste moves. Or it can be nothing. You decide what to make them believe.
No downtime
Turns are very quick. You flip a card or play one, and it's the other's turn. There are no dead phases, no lengthy calculations. The game flows without interruption until the final plot twist.
Strong narrative universe
Le Roy des Ribauds is not an abstract game. Each role has a story that comes from the comic: the King who fights for power, the Queen who seduces, the Assassin who kills in the shadows. The theme is not just stuck on, it's part of the mechanics.
Portable and immediate
Eighteen cards and ten minutes. It fits in your pocket, is explained in two sentences, and can be played anywhere. Perfect for filling time while waiting for another game or for ending the evening with three games in a row.
How it ends
How to win and how to lose
Three conspiracies, three ways to end the game. The first one to complete one wins.
Victory
- You have three revealed Kings in your court
- You have two revealed Queens in the opponent's court
- You have two revealed Assassins in the opponent's court
Defeat
- The opponent completes a conspiracy before you do
- You left too much space in your court and didn't control their moves
- You forgot where the face-down cards were and they didn't
Le Roy des Ribauds is a medieval duel that lasts a coffee break. But the tension lingers all day. Perfect for those who love quick, tense, and deep two-player games.
Frequently asked questions
FAQ about Le Roy des Ribauds
Is it really strategic or is it too lucky?
Luck is involved in the initial draw, but tactical choices dominate. Deciding what to reveal, what to hide, when to activate powers, and especially remembering where the face-down cards are makes all the difference. The better player wins more often.
Can you play without knowing the comic?
Absolutely. The comic enriches the theme, but the game works perfectly well on its own. The roles are self-explanatory (King, Queen, Knight, Assassin) and the mechanics don't require any prior knowledge.
How important is memory?
It matters, but it's not everything. Remembering helps, but the opponent can change everything with a swap or replacement. Memory is a tool, not the only weapon. Those who can bluff and anticipate can win even without remembering everything.
Is it suitable as a filler game or is it too tense?
It's both. It lasts 10-15 minutes, so technically it's a filler. But the tension is very high: every turn can end the game. Perfect between games, but don't expect lightness.
Is it available in English?
This edition is in French. The cards have minimal text (role names and power icons), and with a quick reference, you can play without problems. The rules are available online in several languages.
Le Roy des Ribauds is a competitive card game for 2 players aged 10 and up, with games lasting 10-15 minutes. Designed by Erwann Ricord and published by Matagot, it is based on the French comic of the same name set in 14th century medieval France. The game combines hand management, memory, and bluffing in a duel of conspiracies where Kings, Queens, Knights, and Assassins fight for power. Three asymmetric victory conditions, quick decisions, and constant tension make every game different. Perfect as a portable strategic microgame or intense filler. Available on FroGames.it.
The King of Rogues
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