- Hello and welcome to Overboard, Polygon's board game series. Today we're gonna be doing something a little different. We're going to play some small games. These are great for one of your big board game days. You can play 'em when you're waiting for the latecomers to show up. - 10 minutes is not late, that's on time. - Today we have a special guest, this is Brennan Lee Mulligan. - Hello! I'm Brennan Lee
Mulligan from CollegeHumor. Happy to be here, gang! - And we're here in space?
- In the space. - That's just the space. That space is different from space. - The space! - Hi all!
- Oh, Clayton! - Did you all learn how to play coup? - [All] Yes! - Teach us! - [Clayton] Coup is a game of backstabbing and political machinations that puts your bluffing
skills to the test. To win a player needs to
be the last one standing. To eliminate players, you simply remove both of their influence cards. It took me about five
minutes to explain the rules and a game takes around 20 to 30 minutes depending on how many people are playing. Here's how it's played. At the beginning of the game, players get two influence cards, and a couple of coins which are used to pay for certain actions. The influence cards will be one of five characters, each with their own special abilities. The Duke can take three
coins on their turn and can also block players
from taking extra money. The Captain steals another player's money and can also prevent another
player from stealing. The Ambassador lets you swap cards and can also block a
captain from plundering. The Assassin removes another player's influence card, assassinating them. And the Contessa blocks an assassination. There are also basic actions which any character can perform. Taking one money, taking two money, though a Duke can block this. Or at cost of seven coins perform a coup, and a remove a player's influence card. No card or action could stop a coup. And keep in mind once you have 10 coins, you must coup. On your turn you simply
perform one action. But it can be any action, even if you don't have
the correct card for it. That's where the bluffing comes in. You can claim to have any card and use its power, but the other players can
also call you out on it. If someone challenges a
player's character action, the accused player must
reveal that character. And if they do, the challenging player is the one who has to discard one of
their own influence cards. But if the player using the
character action was lying, they have to pick one of their own influence cards to discard permanently. And remember, once you've lost both
of your influence cards, you're out of the game. But simply ridding your enemies of their influence cards and protecting your own isn't the hard part. It's ensuring that you're not a target in the first place. Bluffing is important in coup, but playing your enemies off one another is just as important. So let's get Machiavellian. Karen's starting.
- Karen we decided least likely to coup. - Cool, cool, cool, cool. I would to exchange a
card with the court deck. - So Karen might have had an Ambassador, but that matters less in the fact that she could have anything now. - She could have two Ambassadors! - 'Cause she could've given up. - If she didn't have an Ambassador, she might have one now! - Yeah.
- That's true. - Interesting. - So we've learned nothing. - Like most politics, some stuff has happened and we're not quite sure what it was. - No. - I'm going to take three coins. - As a Duke? - As a Duke. - Oh. - Oh! - Yeah? - Oh you just wanted the gold. - I want the money! - Simone. - In what way? - Go.
- Oh it's my turn! - In what way! That was a perfect turn of phrase. - I'm taking my income! - That's the coward's way.
- The pussy's option! - Okay! - Please no! Please no! - I thought we were going hard! - Oh my. - As a fellow Duke,
- No. - How do you do fellow Duke?
- I'm calling you out on this! - I'm taking some Duke money! - Nah I can't acknowledge that. - From one Duke to another, how do you Duke? - How do you Duke? Top of the morning to Duke. - Okay. - Interesting.
- No? - Duke you want to challenge? - No I don't. I don'k't! - You don'k't? - I don'k't! - Cool. - I, as a Captain am going to steal two coins from you to break up your gold. - Well I'm afraid my
Captain will see to that and will block that flagrant theft! - Oh! So you're suggesting you have a Duke and a Captain right now. And you're ready to commit to that for the rest of this game? - I'm a man of my word.
- Interesting. - In fact I'm two men of my word! - Very well. - I'm also a Duke. - Interesting! - That's duking too many. - Could you say that's Duke-bious? - Yes. - Can I have that back? I'm sorry. - Are you calling me on it? - No, you're a Duke. - I don't think so. - I see no reason we can't
have three Dukes at the table! - Wow, so you're all fucking lying! - What does Karen think about it though? - Yeah, how many Dukes did you see? - I could make up anything, well honestly I'm kinda
ambivalent about this. You two would know better than I would. - This is a classic
romance novel conundrum. There are always so many Dukes. - There are too many Dukes? And some of them are lying. I've seen the importance
of being earnest, I know one of these gentlemen is lying. - Let me see what my other card is. - Let me just make sure that I'm a Duke. - My other card is. - I see you gentlemen have to check if you're a Duke.
- Duke confirmed. - We're not board game
professionals like Brennan. - Whose turn is it? - It's my turn.
- It's Brian's. Oh no, Brian just went. - [Karen] There are three Dukes who can all block foreign aid. - And we will. - The Duke's Alliance. - Ah yes, the tariffs of this sci-fi realm are extremely stringent. - That's the Duke promise. - Very well it being my turn, I shall once again take three coins. - That puts you in coup territory, I kinda wanna call you on Duke. - It puts him in coup territory. Yeah, Brian. - I know I'm a Duke so hard and so I can't figure out if I should call out of of the other two Dukes! - I mean let me say this.
- You wanna start a Duke war. - If you are a Duke,
statistically it's on your side. But only the Dukes know
which of them is lying. And therefore only the Dukes can police their reign.
- I don't wanna call out the guest this early. - Don't you, though? - Duke it. - Duke it.
- Duke it. - Do you wish to Duke it out? - Duke v. Duke. - No, I believe in the three Dukes. - The Triumvirate of Dukes. - Oh yes. - Fucking boys club. - The holy trinity. - I'm going to exchange
cards with the court deck. - We do need to do something about this powerful Duke, though. This Duke has too much power. - Yeah, this is dangerous. - So Simone also has an Ambassador card. - Yes, that's what's going.
- She's saying. And also meaning, implying that you did or ever had or do now. There's a lot of parallel realities I'm trying to balance
in my mind right now. - Doctor Strange. - Yeah. - Well it's time for this Duke, for this Duke's little
friend to come to play. - Oh no. - What?
- Gross. - I don't like this. - It is gross. I'm sorry. I didn't like saying it. I'm gonna cash in for an assassination 'cause I'm Assassin as well. - Who are you assassinating? - Oh wait, I block that. - What?
- What? You didn't even know
who he's attacking yet! - Let him say the thing.
- I'm sorry. - I was gonna try to take one of her Dukes out of the game. - Yeah! - Brian here. - You can block it now. - I think I'm calling out on his shit, I don't think he's an Assassin. - Interesting. - Just to clarify here, either way someone is going to be down a point in this game. - [Brian] Yes. - And at this point you're choosing. - Yes, I'm choosing to
call you on your shit 'cause I don't think you're an Assassin. - Why would it matter? - You're fighting awfully
hard for somebody. - I would like you to lose a card. - Specifically me? - Yeah! - Because knowing that will affect my treatment of you for
the rest of this game. - Is that a direct threat? - Yeah, it stings. - I mean every word that Pat says convinces me more that he
does not have an Assassin. - If we work systematically
to take you down you won't have time to
hurt me on your next turn. - Alright, you wanna pony up? - In what way? - She's challenging you, you have to show or admit it. - [Brian] You have to show
that you are an Assassin. Double checking. - No, I don't have it. (buzzing) - Fabulous. - So now I have to get
rid of one of my cards? - Yes.
- Yeah. - [Jenna] Well played.
- [Pat] Speak of the Duke. - [Jenna] It doesn't go through. - [Pat] Doesn't go through? - It doesn't go through. He's still got that cash? The bank wires the cash back to him? - I'm sorry that hit didn't go through, could you please send me back? - No, it's the bank that's interceding. The bank is saying "I don't know who you think you're paying." - The bank comes in and is like "Hey, you wanted to pay
someone to kill somebody? This isn't the right account, ya dingbat! Hold on to that money!" - Well you've made a powerful enemy. - Yeah, I can't wait. - A Duke, maybe.
- All of you are going down. - Yeah, okay. - [Jenna] I'm going to take one coin. And let this continue to simmer. - That's wild. I'm gonna steal. - I'm afraid my good man I'll simply have to block that theft with my own highly paid pirate Captain. - I forgot about that! - [Jenna] He claims that
he has Duke and Captain! - He claims that which is why I want it. Okay, but I can't claim
that his Captain is false. - Can't you though? - Oh you absolutely can, my good Duke. - But I don't want to. - You're a coward Brian David Gilbert! - I am! But it's because I'm a Duke, I'm in my ivory castle, I don't have to be worried about anything. - You don't know what the
world is like out here! - Certainly your Captain
is a very brave sailor? Unless you're lying
about having a Captain. - I would never. - [Jenna] You would never! - I would never. - Yes, perhaps. - Okay, alright. - Is it my turn?
- Karen it's your turn. - Just a bunch of cowards. - Yeah we are. We're not playing hard. - Eight coins scares me, so I'm cashing in three coins to stage an assassination. - No! - Of me? - Yes. - [Brian] He knew. - Simone, look away. - Oh! - You're staging an assassination, you're paying three coins to assassinate one of my characters. - I'm sorry, are you looking to Simone for favor? - No, no! Look away.
- I've got nothing to say. - You could attempt to
claim Contessa here. - Yeah. - I could, but. - That would claim one of them was false. - I'm not a liar, so I don't know what to do about that. Simone. - Yeah? - I would never expect a favor from someone who I'm in
direct competition with. With all these coins, tell me how much is it worth to you to perhaps talk to
your friend the Contessa about perhaps interceding on my behalf. I'm a very wealthy man, I think you will agree. I can't do that? - [Clayton] No. - He can't? - What if I claim to be a Contessa? Will you promise not to kill me Brennan? 'Cause I'll block this right now. - How about this? Are you saying that you
actually have a Contessa? - I'm saying I'm a Contessa, and I'll block it if you promise not to kill me next try. - That is a deal. - Alright, I'm blocking it. - Okay, I don't think that's true. - [Simone] Shit! - [Karen] Okay, fine. - So now that means Karen loses one. - Yes. - Brian goes back and gets another card. - Do I get to look at the cards? No. I just pull. - Does the assassination go through? - No it's been blocked by Contessa. - [Brian] And the money is lost. - I have no money now. - Karen, I'm sorry.
- Wait. - Karen, may I propose an alliance? - Karen. - Now here's the thing. Karen did try to kill me on the left. - She's also the least of your concerns. - I want to establish a
character from my nation here. Of rewarding people that work with me. - So my dear ally, Brian David Gilbert. I'd like to turn it over to you. I'm a man of peace, and given my druthers I would simply collect another three coins this term. However, if you would
like me to destroy Karen, I'd be happy to do that. But I want to involve
you in my decision making based on how generous your people have been to mine. - I don't know if you're a Duke though. - I beg your pardon? - I'm still not sure about that. - Could my condukect be anymore Dukely? - If you claim to be a Duke and you take three more coins, then you are forced to do a coup, so then it's out of your hands. And then you can wash your hands. - But it won't happen til the next turn. - Yeah. And I say that that's more fun. I'm the coward, though. - So you would prefer I
simply take three coins? - Just take three coins. - In that case I shall listen to the wise words of my ally, take my three coins and be done with it. - This is weird energy. - [Simone] I'm gonna take foreign aid. - No you're not. - Okay, you're a Captain now?
- Oh, the Duke. - No, he's been a Duke all along. - A Duke! - Yeah, he has been a Duke all along. - Oh because you resent me, that's why. - Yeah, Simone. - Although, is he still a Duke? - Yeah, 'cause he could've given it away. - And if I were him, I would've given that one up, not whatever other card I had. - You're saying I should
call Pat on his shit? What if somebody else took that risk? No one? Okay. - I'll call out my fellow Duke. Yeah, I don't think you've
been a Duke at all ever this entire round. - How undukely of you. - I don't believe it! Show me the proof! - Oh you're gonna make me turn it over. - Brutal. - Let me put one back in.
- Wow. - And then you're shuffle from that. - [Pat] One coin. - Fair and reasonable. I'm going to steal from you. - I am afraid I am going
to block that theft. - And I'm gonna call! - You don't think that I
have one of the galaxy's most deadly space Captains? - Monsieur, no! - Perhaps this is where my
goose is finally cooked. Or perhaps not. - Worth it. - That's good enough
to get the Captain out so now people can steal more. It's my turn? - Yeah. - I'm a Duke, still. - I'm gonna take two coins please. - Foreign aid, nobody's gonna block? - Oh, I will block!
- I feel pity. - Oh my God. - Oh no. - I am so very sorry. - Oh God. - Doesn't sound sorry to me. - So you need to kill somebody now. - I'm afraid I must, and I've been wronged by
several of you people. At this table I've been wronged by Jenna. I've been wronged by Karen. But I'm afraid in the game of politics personal emotion must fall and give way to real politic. And as the only person that has the financial means to destroy me, I'm afraid I'm going to kill Brian. - You turned on me!
- Interesting! - You turned on me! - Brian whatever am I to do? - I'm quitting! Holy God entirely! I'll stay at the table and
just watch as this burns. But I'm dead. - Now if this were a real war. - There's no Contessa to challenge this? - No 'cause it's a coup It has to happen. - Oh, fuck.
- Yeah. - Have fun, everyone. - Now if this were a real war, I would get Brian's coins. But you're not even checking the rules. Do you wanna check the rules? Are you sure? - What is the likelihood of there being any
Assassins out there still? - That's a good question. - They could be among us. - Karen might still have an Assassin. We don't know what you're dealing with. - Yeah. - Like emotionally or with the cards. - A whole deep, deep pile of mess. - We know he had a Captain. Probably maybe he has a Duke, but his other card's a question mark. - [Pat] Yeah, could be an Assassin. - [Jenna] And Pat is just
a wildcard in my opinion, in most things. - I'm not acting according to any logic. I only have loyalty towards Karen, that's all I have. Nothing else. - That's great, you could do way worse. - You saw what happens with
loyalties in this game. - Yeah, that is the thing. - But Karen! - But Karen, least likely to throw a coup. - Karen least likely to throw a coup Han! - Proven lawful good! Well actually that's not true, I did try to kill you! - Everyone sings the song of the victim after their schemes have been thwarted! - Let's see about that, 'cause I'm going to assassinate you. - Me? - No, him.
- Oh shit. - Great. - You're going to assassinate me? - With an Assassin? - With an Assassin. - Cool.
- Great. - I'm not gonna step in. - Did you think about it? 'Cause you have a Contessa? - That indicates we know. - Patrick poker face Gill! - So you do have a Contessa? - I will not contest
that I have no Contessa. I'm not a contesto when it
comes to having a Contessa. - [Brian] What is it about this game? - Well how about this? - Yeah. - I would like to do this. So you're coming for me with an Assassin.
- Don't listen to his lies. - I saved him before, he killed me! Don't listen to anything
he says right now! - Yeah, absolutely not. - Here's the thing, Brennan. Here's the thing, you can either contest what I'm doing because you think I'm not an Assassin or you can die. - I think we find-- - Nobody here is gonna save you. - What! - What will you do for me? - Pat, you will notice that you have a single card left. I have but these coins right here. So what I'm offering to you is this: I will make my target at the table whosoever you choose
if you are kind enough to block this assassination. - So you'll do anything? - I'll do fucking anything. - Then perish. Get him, get him, get him! - Alright. - Die, you bastard! This episode's gonna win an Emmy! - Alright.
- Okay! - That's that. - Good job. - You're a monster now, how do you follow it up? - I'm gonna take you the rest of the way out of the game. - Yeah? - Yeah, just because
you've been a real jerk. - You're an Assassin? - Yeah. - Oh! - I contest that you do
not have an Assassin. - Then you're still out of the game. - No!
- Hell yeah! - Rough, now you get to pick a new one! This is so bad. - That was effective communication. - Wow, the boys club did eradicate itself. - As it should in real life! - That's just toxic masculinity, baby! - From here we build a
utopian good society. - Yeah! - No men fighting. - Yeah. - Somebody told me that
the utopian society is not coming.
- It's gonna be a hard one. - Here's the thing as we are still wins to the structures that we live in. Do mean the murders. - Okay. - You and me are still good, right? - Oh yeah, for sure.
- Okay, cool. 'Cause we still got some powerful
players on the board here. - Yeah. - Choose cards, Simone. - So it's my turn. I'm gonna take foreign aid. - [Brian] No one can stop you. - I'm gonna say no. - Claiming Duke. - He's back to Duke. - Claiming Duke, huh? Fine. - Call him out. - Yeah?
Where did that get you, Brian? - You're not gonna take
me to Duke claims court? - Not right now.
- Okay. - Maybe another day. - I would like foreign aid, please. - I'll allow it. - Thank you. - Oh this is insufferable!
- The loyalty. - I'm going to exchange
cards with the court deck. Do I shuffle this? - Just take the top two.
- No just the top two. Wait! Claiming Ambassador, huh? - Yeah.
- For the second time. - Yeah. - I think it's not
unreasonable at this point. - I think it's... Yeah, I'm gonna allow. Not gonna argue. - Okay. - Do it. - I'm second guessing myself 'cause I really want money. - I'm out of the game so I got no dog in this fight. - Yeah. - Is it reasonable to assume that Simone would use the
Ambassador to get two cards and keep one of the cards as the card that lets you get two cards? - As someone who's deeply
familiar with Simone and Simone's inner workings, I think yes because having the knowledge that you get being the Ambassador is a huge emotional weight lifted. And I think Simone would keep that. - Simone needs a security blanket in these games for sure. - I mean and I can't blame her! - She nailed me! - I think first of all
it's a good smart strategy and I think that's what's happening. - I'm up? - Yeah. - Ah shit, it's gonna be like two turns before I can do another coup, huh? Oh well. - The Duke thing. - Just doing the Duke thing. Just doing the Duke. - Yeah. It's lonely as a singular Duke, isn't it? - He's just got one of those t-shirts that Facebook tries to sell you that says it's a Duke thing you wouldn't get it. - I'm a Duke born in February and I love horses. - [Simone] Deal with it. Yeah. - [Karen] We're all stuck in a no money situation at the moment. - Yeah, it's a slow trickle. - I think we're all scared. - I'm gonna take one more coin but shit's gonna pop off real quickly. - Yeah. - I'm gonna take two coins, please. - I'll allow it. - Thank you! - I'm also gonna take two coins? - Simone.
- Patrick. - You remember what you did to me, right? - We took him down together and it was a really beautiful thing like I came in, I snuck in through the window and I stabbed in him the belly. - She's got two cards though. - And he wouldn't die and then you dropped
down from the ceiling. - You're the most powerful
player on the board right now. You think I'm gonna give you more power? Simone, no. - [Jenna] You chose to go for two coins and you did not get it. Mademoiselle. - Fairweather friends united only by their hatred for a shared enemy. - Holy shit, I'm just taking one coin. - Seems the monkey's fist
is caught in the vase. - The vase? - In the vase!
- In the piggy bank! - What's the monkey trying to get? Flowers?
- Nuts! - There's a plum in the vase.
- There's a plum in the vase! - And he's trying to get the plum out, but his hand's too big. - He's grabbing too many so-- - Alright, it's fucking
continental bullshit! It's a jar! The monkey gets his hand stuck in a jar! A blue collar fucking monkey!
- It's a glass vase! So you can see the plum and that's where. - It's a tube of Pringles. - He's a monkey, he's
trying to get the Pringles, he can't get 'em all! - Anyways yeah, I'm sorry Simone. - You say that now, but we'll see. - I'm gonna take three more coins. - [Brian] Someone's gonna throw in a coup. - I mean the game's call coup, so. - Yeah. So's kissing, but we know. - Aggressive energy. - We're in such a pattern and I feel like I cannot wait for-- - Just take your turn! - Karen it's your turn. - It's my turn?
- I took my coin, nobody could stop me.
- I'm gonna commit an assassination. - [Brian] On who? - [Karen] Two cards. - [Brian] Oh, two cards. - [Jenna] Ol' two cards! - But Pat's gonna coup the shit out of us! - That's fine.
- They got an alliance. - Please Karen, reconsider! - Karen knows that
it'll be me and her last and when I stab it'll be in the face not the back. - This is what I'll say, if these two end up
having to kill each other that's the highest to most perfect dramas! - Stabbing in the face is not even lethal! - It's just mean! - It's just mean! - I'm sorry.
- You're not sorry. - You're right I'm not. - No one is sorry for
what they've done to me. Gonna take my fucking coin. - Simone, I'm sorry. Just real quick.
- Oh can I take foreign aid? - Is it my turn?
- Your turn, buddy. - Yep. - How many do I need to kill somebody? - Seven. - Ah Simone, Simone. - And that's a coup? - That's a coup. - Nobody's gonna stop him?
- Is it gonna be stoppable? - I cash in for a coup against Simone. - Why me? Why me and not one of these two? I have no power right now, I don't even have two cards. - What card are you claiming? - Do you want me to save your ass? - I want you to tell
me what you're playing. - I have a Contessa. And I will save you. - I also have a Contessa, and will save you. - I think that might actually be true. - Okay then you're gone, sorry. - What? - Because we've got bad blood, we don't have bad blood. - We don't have bad blood, we just helped kill this man together! Patrick!
- Listen, we're firing in the same direction. - I've been couped! - Alright. - Consider yourself spared.
- I do. - Well actually wait no, it's just down to the three of us. - Yeah, this is bad. - Oh God.
- Yeah it's really not good. - Guess what? And she has a lot of money! - I have five coins. - [Brian] Yeah, she's a
Contessa, according to her. - I got time. - Yeah. - I'm gonna block it, foreign aid. - Yeah and so I'm gonna take my one coin. - The slow grind. No! - How long does our alliance last for? - This is nightmare.
- Until it's just us. - Okay, I'm taking two coins. - You may.
- Thank you. - Okay, here's the thing though. She has an Assassin, or she claims to. - Which means she's gonna take you out. - As a Contessa, she cannot assassinate me, Pat. - [Brian] But the Duke's got two turns, and she's only got one to get to coup territory.
- Yeah. - You've put yourself in a bind, Patrick. - Wow, seems like someone
shouldn't have killed me. - But also if I take Pat out that's automatically killing myself even though I can't actually
kill Jenna without couping because I won't have enough time to get the coins back up to kill her. - Yeah but I'm gonna kill Pat. - But! - 'Cause you can't do anything to me until you make it up to coup money. - That's true.
- Wait, oh no! We've rock paper scissored!
- Yes! - No, hold on. - I'm gonna still take foreign
aid if Pat's off the board. - Karen's gonna win. - Yeah, 'cause you can't take me out. - There's no way Karen can't win. - I will have enough money.
- If anyone takes a player out they are ensuring that
the third player wins. - Yeah. (old western music) - Holy shit. - If anyone takes an action
against another player they're almost ensuring that--
- If you want, Brennan, Simone, and I can leave and you can just punch each other until one of you actually-- - Yeah.
- Yeah! - Turn off the cameras,
Clayton! Let them work it out. - Here's the thing, I will win that! So yeah, deal? Handshake? - Oh God, no! Oh my God, this is a fucking bind!
- Whoever moves first loses! - Wow.
- Wow! - Just continue and the only winning move is not to play! - We're in an orbera of coup!
- Yeah! I can't believe how perfectly this is happening!
- This game kicks ass! I'm going to take my Duke salary. - Your Dukery. - Yeah. - This is miserable.
- I know! - Are you indecisive?
- You have the power! - Yeah, I will have the
power to kill after this. Were I a Duke. - Are you gonna claim that you're not a Duke, now? - Yeah. - What are you gonna claim to be? - Ambassador. - Interesting. - Here's the thing, I want this to end. - Pull the trigger! - I don't think you are an Ambassador.
- Pull the trigger, piglet! - Here's a grenade, here is my body.
- Yeah. - Is it gonna go off? - The Duke! (buzzing) The Duke was your downfall! - Yeah, I'm out. - Oh which means it's my turn! - God, Jenna! - And I have enough money to cast a coup on my only remaining opponent! - To cast a coup!
- Well done! - Thank you, Madame! - The use of that word does
mean this coup was magical. This was a spell that was cast. - What did you have? You actually had a Contessa! - I am the Contessa! - That was unreal! - That was awesome! - I can't believe that! - That's the problem with being honest! - You can't be honest in this game. - That was expertly, expertly done. - Well done, Jenna. - That was good.
- Oh my God, that was so stressful. - Cops! Police! - No! - Brutal! (soft piano music)
