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Crown Shuffle

A medieval party card game · 2–8 players

Your ego called. It wants the throne.

A fast-paced card game of shifting power and highly questionable loyalty. Climb from peasant to royalty, or trip someone on their way up. Roles rotate. Alliances crumble. Pride takes damage.

Join the listHow to play
Players
2–8
Ages
14+
Per round
15 min
Cards
72

Formerly known as Kings & Peasants.

Three villagers wrestle each other to grab a falling crown
The whole game in 30 seconds.

What is Crown Shuffle?

What the heck is this all about?!

Simple rules, complex betrayals. Each round mixes strategy, luck and a little bit of bluffing. Built for game night: 2–8 players, and best with a loud table of 5–8.

  1. 1Deal the whole deck. Beat the pile with a higher single, pair, three or four of a kind. Or pass.
  2. 2Crowns are wild. From round two, the Peasant and Servant draw ability cards to steal, skip and bribe their way back up.
  3. 3First to empty their hand becomes King or Queen. Last one out becomes the Peasant.
  4. 4Before the next round, the Peasant hands the King their two best cards. Just like real life.
Read the full rules

The cast, rank 1 to 14

Meet the people ruining your reign

Hand-drawn by Andris Strazdīts. Every role is a medieval job with an ego and a very modern habit. Higher numbers beat lower ones. A Knight (11) is weaker than a Priest (13). You know, aura tops big biceps. Here are four of the fourteen. The other ten are on the characters page, sulking.
Meet all 14 characters

At the end of every round

The rich get richer. The Peasant pays for it.

Finishing order decides your role for the next round, and the roles come with paperwork. Then the order reshuffles, and the King spends the round with a target on their back.

  1. 1st placeKing or QueenReceives the Peasant's two highest cards, gives back any two.
  2. 2nd placePrince or PrincessReceives the Servant's highest card, gives back any one.
  3. 2nd to lastServantGives their highest card to the Prince or Princess.
  4. Last placePeasantGives their two highest cards to the King or Queen. Starts the next round, as a mercy.

Ability cards

Seven useful. Seven rather pointless.

From round two, the Peasant and the Servant each draw one at random. Everyone sees you've got one. Nobody knows which. Bluffing is allowed.

Ability cards are still being finalized, so names and effects may change before launch.

Actually useful

  • Wild Night at the Pub. Swap one random card with any player.
  • Peasant's Revolt. Interrupt a sequence, clear the pile and start fresh.
  • Sticky Fingers. Steal one card from a player of your choice.
  • Bribe the Judge. Play two different cards in one turn.
  • The Plebs' Crown. Acts as your own personal Crown card.
  • Take a Seat, Sire. Choose one player to skip their next turn.
  • Fake It 'Til You Make It. Turn a single card into a fake pair.

Completely useless, just like some players

  • Empty Scroll. The good news: you don't need to understand abilities.
  • Fake News. If you sound convincing enough, someone might believe you.
  • False Blessing. No strategy. No help. Just emotional support. You've got this.
  • Just Vibes. Who needs abilities when you're here for the love of the game?
  • Moral Support. Keep your chin up. Maybe luck shows up next time.
  • The Bluff Card. Go ahead, lie with confidence. It might work.
  • Wooden Medal. Just like the real thing… except completely useless.

Great for bluffing, though. Nobody has to know.

The Priest and the Royal Advisor peek over a fence and poke a buzzing computer with a stick

The world

It's the year 1300. The Dark Ages never happened.

Knowledge was never buried or burned. It was copied, argued over, improved and occasionally stolen. So the kingdom still has kings, knights and peasants, but the Tax Collector carries a tablet, the Bard plays electric, and the Priest has Wi-Fi.

Enter the kingdom

Coming to Kickstarter in early 2027

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Development status

Where we're at

The game is finished. Right now we're printing a small preview edition. Next comes Kickstarter, and with your help, the full print run.
  1. IdeaPresident, but medieval, and the Peasant fights back.
  2. PlaytestingMany game nights. Most friendships survived.
  3. DesignFourteen characters, all hand-drawn.
  4. Preview edition (current stage)A small first print run, being made right now.
  5. KickstarterEarly 2027. This is where you come in.
  6. Full print runThe real thing, for every backer.

FAQ

Questions from the tavern

How many players can play Crown Shuffle?

Crown Shuffle is for 2–8 players, and it's best with 5–8. There are special rules for 3–4 players and a separate two-player mode, so it works as a strategy duel as well as a loud party game.

How long does a game take?

About 15 minutes a round. Short enough to play “just one more”, long enough to completely ruin friendships. If you play to 10 points, plan on several rounds.

Is it like President or other ranking card games?

It shares the classic climbing and ranking idea from games like President (also known as Scum), but adds the Crown wild cards, ability cards, the sequence rule and card trades between Kings and Peasants. A familiar foundation with several twists, plus much better art.

Is Crown Shuffle beginner-friendly?

Yes. You can learn the rules in a few minutes. The strategy, bluffing and betrayal is where it gets interesting.

All questions