The Dwarf King
The Dwarf King (Le Roi des Nains) is a trick-taking game played with a deck of 53 cards: three suits (Dwarves, Goblins and Knights) of thirteen cards each and fourteen special cards. The game also includes twenty contract tiles.
The game is played over seven rounds. At the start of a round, the dealer randomly draws one special card, reads it to all the players, shuffles it into the deck, then deals the deck out evenly to all players. (The dealer for the first round is the game's owner; for subsequent rounds, the dealer is the one who took the 5 of Dwarves in the previous round.) The player who receives the 5 of Knights draws a contract tile, reads it, then chooses one of the two scoring rules on it to apply for that round.
The player holding the 5 of Goblins leads on the first trick. Players must follow suit if possible, and the game includes no trump. The highest card played of the suit led wins the trick and leads to the next trick. Once all cards have been played, players tally their points (possibly negative), remove the special card and contract tile from the game, then shuffle for the next round.
The player who scores the most points over seven rounds wins the game.
Number of players: 3 - 5
Game duration: 27 mn
Complexity: 2 / 5
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Play The Dwarf King and 1247 other games online.
No download necessary - play directly from your web browser.
With your friends and thousands of players from the whole world.
Free.
Rules summary
The Dwarf King
The Dwarf King is a trick-taking card game played over 7 rounds. In each round, the scoring rules change depending on unique contracts and special cards.
Game Objective
Collect the most points over 7 rounds. Since contracts can also award negative points, the player with the highest total sum at the end wins.
Game Flow
The game consists of 7 rounds. Each round follows this sequence:
1. Preparation & Special Card
- The dealer shuffles the deck and randomly draws one Special Card (blue back) to be shuffled into the deck.
- All cards are dealt equally among the players.
2. The Contract
- The player who received the 5 of Dwarves (red) reveals the top card from the Contract deck.
- They choose one of the two challenges described on the card (e.g., "Each trick is worth 2 points" or "Each Dwarf is worth -1 point").
- This contract applies to the entire current round.
3. Playing the Round (Tricks)
- The player with the 5 of Dwarves leads the first trick.
- Following Suit: Players must follow the suit played (Dwarves, Goblins, or Knights).
- If a player cannot follow suit, they may discard any other card.
- The player with the highest card of the suit led wins the trick and leads the next one.
- Special Cards: These cards often modify the rules of the trick (e.g., changing the suit or the value of a card). Their effect triggers immediately when played or during scoring.
4. End of Round & Scoring
- Once all cards have been played, players calculate their points based on the chosen Contract.
- Points are recorded on the score pad. The special card is removed from the game, and a new round begins.
Card Categories & Symbols
- Dwarves (Red): Often the target of contracts (positive or negative).
- Goblins (Green): Usually low values, often "trouble" cards.
- Knights (Blue): High values, crucial for winning tricks.
- Special Cards: Unique effects that vary each round.
- Contract Cards: Determine which cards are "good" or "bad" for the current round.
End of Game
The game ends after the 7th round. The player with the highest total score is crowned the new Dwarf King.