How to Play

Rococo

2-5 players 60-120 min 7.6 Board Game Geek Rating

In Rococo, players manage dressmaking businesses during Louis XV's reign, preparing for a prestigious ball. Using deck-building mechanics, you play employee cards to hire workers, gather resources, craft elegant garments, and fund decorations. Each employee offers unique abilities and bonuses. After seven rounds, earn prestige points through employee bonuses, renting garments to guests, and contributing decorations. Highest prestige wins.

Published 2013

Get Ready

Setup the game with these step-by-step instructions before diving into your turn.

Place the game board

Put the board in the center of the table with the correct side facing up (2-3 players or 4-5 players as indicated)

Position the Favor card

Place it next to the Favor space on the game board

Create the Employee stack

Sort the 28 Employee cards by level number (1-6), shuffle each level separately, and stack them with level 1 on top down to level 6 on bottom

Prepare Resource tiles

Shuffle all Resource tiles and place them as multiple face-down stacks next to the Warehouse section

Prepare Dress tiles

Put all 42 Dress tiles into the cloth bag and mix them up

Distribute player components

Each player chooses a color and receives 1 Player board, 5 Base Employee cards (placed face down beneath the left space of their Player board), and 16 Property markers

Set up the bank

Place coins (Livre) and Prestige Point tokens beside the board

Prepare Thread and Lace supply

Set up the general supply of Thread and Lace markers next to the board

Give starting capital

Each player receives 15 Livre, 1 Lace marker, and 1 Thread marker

Determine Starting Player

Choose a Starting Player who receives the Starting Player marker

On Your Turn

What you can do during your turn.

Transfer Favor card

If a player acquired the Favor card last round, they receive the Starting Player marker and return the Favor card to its space

Reveal Employee cards

Remove any leftover Employee cards from previous round, then reveal 4 new cards from the Employee stack

Refill Resource tiles

Fill each empty Warehouse segment space with a face-up Resource tile

Refill Dress tiles

Discard Dresses on the rightmost two Window spaces, slide remaining tiles right, then fill empty spaces from the cloth bag

Choose Employee cards

Each player secretly selects 3 cards from their Employee supply

Create new supply if needed

If fewer than 3 cards remain, take all remaining cards, flip your Discard pile to create a new Employee supply, then select additional cards to reach 3

Play one card

Beginning with the Starting Player and proceeding clockwise, play exactly 1 hand card

Perform main action

Execute one of the 6 main actions based on the Employee type played

Use Employee bonus

After completing the main action, optionally use the bonus shown on the played card

Discard the card

Place the played card face up on your Discard pile

Claim the Queen's Favor (Master/Journeyman only)

Take the Favor card if available and gain 5 Livre; become Starting Player next round

Acquire Resources (any Employee)

Take 1 Resource tile from the Warehouse by paying 2 Livre (3-4 tiles in segment), 1 Livre (2 tiles), or free (last tile); keep as silk or discard for Thread/Lace

Make a Dress (Master/Journeyman only)

Pay the Livre cost and surrender required silk bales plus Thread/Lace markers; then either rent the Dress to a guest (place on a Guest space with your Property marker) or sell it for the monetary value shown

Hire a new Employee (Master only)

Pay 5 Livre (4 cards), 3 Livre (3 cards), 1 Livre (2 cards), or free (last card) to take an Employee card into your hand

Depute your Employee (any Employee)

Remove the card from the game to gain 10 Livre (Master), 7 Livre (Journeyman), or 4 Livre (Apprentice); you may still use the bonus before removal

Fund a Decoration (any Employee)

Pay the Livre amount shown and place a Property marker on a free Decoration space (Fireworks, Musician, Statue, or Fountain)

Receive base income

Each player gains 5 Livre

Fountain upper row bonus

Gain Livre equal to the number of your Property markers on Decoration spaces

Fountain lower row bonus

Gain Livre equal to the number of your Dresses on the board

Claim presence bonus

When you have at least 1 Property marker on a Dress or Musician space in each of the 5 halls, immediately place a marker on the highest available "All halls" bonus space