Peasant
€14
Early bird · first 100
- 1 Kings & Peasants deck
EU & UK: before Christmas
On Kickstarter · 10 Nov – 6 Dec
Kings & Peasants
Win the crown. Make the rules.
A medieval climbing card game. Win the round, take the crown, and decree a new law the whole table must obey.
- players
- 3+
- players
- ages
- 8+
- ages
- per game
- 20 min
- per game
- to learn
- 2 min
- to learn
What it is
A card game with a crown on the line
Kings & Peasants comes from the family of climbing games you might know as President or Scum: shed your cards first and you take the throne. The twist is what the King does with it. Every game ends with a Royal Decree, a brand-new house rule, so no two games ever play the same.
Easy enough for an eight-year-old. Cut-throat enough for the pub.
How to play
Deal
Deal out the whole deck. The aim is simple: be the first to get rid of all your cards.
Climb
Lead a single card, a pair or a set. Each player beats it with the same number of higher cards, or passes. When everyone passes, the last player to play leads again.
Crown
First out becomes the King, last out the Peasant. The runner-up is the Knight, the second-last the Servant.
Decree
The King invents a new law for the table. Everyone obeys it, the cards are dealt again, and the climb begins anew.
The pecking order
2 is the mightiest card. 3 is the lowliest.
- …
◀ HighestLowest ▶
Crown and tribute
After every game, the ranks swap cards. Then the King issues a decree.
2 best cards
any 2 cards
The Knight and the Servant swap one card the same way.
The full rules
Two printable pages with every detail: runs, tribute, quick answers and a few decrees from our own table.
The Royal Decree
Then the King makes a law
Silly, strategic or downright cruel: every decree stays in force and they stack, game after game. Draw one to see the kind of thing we mean.
By order of the King
Royal Decree No. I
“Playing a 7 reverses direction and makes 3 the highest card for that round.”
Signed and sealed, His Majesty (until they lose their crown)
What’s in the box
The box itself, front and back.
52
Illustrated playing cards
2
Jokers
1
King card
1
Peasant card
1
Ideas for the King
2
Rules cards
Poker size 62 × 89 mm · 400 gsm matte · Printed in Italy · 3+ players · Age 8+
Kickstarter pledges
Choose your rank
Peasant
€16
Unlimited
- 1 Kings & Peasants deck
EU & UK: before Christmas
Noble
€28
Unlimited
- 2 decks
- One to keep, one to give
EU & UK: before Christmas
Royal Court
€39
Limited · 100
- 1 deck in a wax-sealed box
- Brass Crown coin
- Royal Decree set
- Paper crown
Ships March 2027
Pub Pack
€89
Limited · 15
- Everything in Royal Court
- 5 extra decks (6 in all)
Ships March 2027
Royal Portrait
€299
Limited · 5
- Everything in the Pub Pack
- You, hand-drawn as King & Peasant
- Signed print · name in credits
Ships March 2027
Add-on: extra deck €13 · Shipping charged at pledge
Join the DenStretch goals & delivery
Stretch goals
- €500
- Funded. Every deck ships.
- €1,000
- The Backers' Card. Every Royal Court and Pub Pack gets a second Royal Decree card designed by the backers.
- €2,000
- House rules. A free printable Pub Rules and Family Rules sheet for every backer.
- €3,000
- The Backers' Decree. Backers vote on a new decree. The winner is printed as a card in every Royal Court and Pub Pack.
- €5,000
- Roll of Honour. Every backer's name on the Royal Roll of Honour at goblindengames.com, plus card-art phone wallpapers.
Delivery
- 10 Nov
- Launch. Early bird opens
- 6 Dec
- Campaign ends
- Dec
- Before Christmas. Peasant and Noble decks posted in the EU and UK
- Jan 2027
- Rest of the world. US and worldwide deck orders, posted in December, arrive
- Mar 2027
- The Royal Court. Crown coins engraved; Royal Court, Pub Pack and Royal Portrait ship
Questions
How many players, and how long does a game take?
Three or more players, ages 8 and up. You can learn it in two minutes and a game takes about twenty.
Is it like President or Scum?
It comes from the same family of climbing card games, so if you have played those you already know the bones. The twist: after every game the King issues a Royal Decree, a brand-new house rule everyone has to obey.
When will my deck arrive?
The decks are already printed and in stock in Italy and the UK. Peasant and Noble pledges in the EU and UK are posted before Christmas (complete your survey by 10 December). US and worldwide decks are posted in December and arrive in January 2027. Royal Court, Pub Pack and Royal Portrait ship in March 2027 once the Crown coins are engraved.
How much is shipping?
Shipping is charged at pledge on Kickstarter, so you see the full price before you commit. One deck costs €7 to ship in Italy, €9 in the EU, €6 in the UK and €16 in the US. EU orders ship from Italy and UK orders from our UK stock, so there are no customs charges. US orders are sent duty paid, so nothing is due on delivery. In Canada, Norway and Switzerland the local post office may collect sales tax and a handling fee.
Can the stretch goals delay my deck?
No. Every stretch goal is digital or a small add-in, so none of them can hold up the decks.
How does the Royal Portrait work?
Send your photos through the backer survey. A commissioned illustrator draws you by hand (no AI) as both the King and the Peasant. You approve the proof with one round of changes, then your cards are printed in all six of your decks, along with a signed print and your name in the credits.