Banana & Co along with designer Rikki Tahta and publishers La Mame Games and Indie Boards and Cards are developing a mobile version of the popular deduction/bluffing game Coup.
At the time of this writing there is only a little over 3 hours left to back the project and it is already funded at 269% of its $5000 funding goal.
For those unfamiliar with this popular micro card game, here is a description of the game play from Board Game Geek:
In Coup, you want to be the last player with influence in the game, with influence being represented by face-down character cards in your playing area.
Each player starts the game with two coins and two influence – i.e., two face-down character cards; the fifteen card deck consists of three copies of five different characters, each with a unique set of powers:
- Duke: Take three coins from the treasury. Block someone from taking foreign aid.
- Assassin: Pay three coins and try to assassinate another player’s character.
- Contessa: Block an assassination attempt against yourself.
- Captain: Take two coins from another player, or block someone from stealing coins from you.
- Ambassador: Draw two character cards from the Court (the deck), choose which (if any) to exchange with your face-down characters, then return two. Block someone from stealing coins from you.
On your turn, you can take any of the actions listed above, regardless of which characters you actually have in front of you, or you can take one of three other actions:
- Income: Take one coin from the treasury.
- Coup: Pay seven coins and launch a coup against an opponent, forcing that player to lose an influence. (If you have ten coins or more, you must take this action.)
When you take one of the character actions – whether actively on your turn, or defensively in response to someone else’s action – that character’s action automatically succeeds unless an opponent challenges you. In this case, if you can’t (or don’t) reveal the appropriate character, you lose an influence, turning one of your characters face-up. Face-up characters cannot be used, and if both of your characters are face-up, you’re out of the game.
If you do have the character in question and choose to reveal it, the opponent loses an influence, then you shuffle that character into the deck and draw a new one, perhaps getting the same character again and perhaps not.
The last player to still have influence – that is, a face-down character – wins the game!
What’s This New Mobile Version All About?
Currently only for iOS (with a stretch goal to bring to Android as well sometime in the future), this mobile version will be a portable, asynchronous multiplayer digital version of the game, with a few slight (aka necessary) rule changes, updated (animated) card art and a slick, easy to use interface.
Pledge levels start at $10 which gets you a copy of the game for free at launch (though I suspect It may be free-to-play anyways), plus permanent Reputation (normally a consumable IAP) as well as the Spies Expansion (normally an IAP to unlock) and all existing and future chat packs for free. Other pledge levels add additional content like alternate card art, iPhone covers, posters and more.
Plus anyone who pledges (even a dollar) is eligible to add on a copy of Indie Boards and Cards’ upcoming physical Coup: Mobile Art Deluxe Edition at a discounted price. This will be a special version of Coup which supports 2-6 players and includes the Inquisitor and Faction expansions that are part of Coup: Reformation and will feature the same new artwork of the mobile edition.
Coup: Mobile Art Deluxe Edition will only be available to backers of the Coup Mobile Kickstarter or directly from Indie Boards and Cards at conventions and online sales (via Amazon). International availability will be limited.
To pledge or for more details about the project, visit the official Kickstarter page.
