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How to play
Grounded in Caylus's rulebook — cite-checked answers, not guesses.
Get a straight answer with the exact rulebook passage to back it up.
The easy-to-forget bits, straight from the rulebook.
Starting food
Each player takes two food cubes from the stock.
Starting wood
Each player takes one wood cube from the stock.
Starting money
The first player takes 5 deniers, second and third players take 6 deniers, and fourth and fifth players take 7 deniers.
Resource limit
The number of resource cubes available in the game is not limited; the stock is unlimited.
House limit
The number of houses available in the game is not limited; use another available color or take houses from scored castle sections if more are needed.
First turn income
Players receive their normal income of 2 deniers (plus any building bonuses) during the first turn in addition to starting deniers.
General income
Each player gets 2 deniers from the stock, plus 1 denier for each residential building they own, plus 1 denier if they own the library, and plus 2 deniers if they own the hotel.
Fixed buildings
The peddler, carpenter, and gold mine buildings are printed on the board, cannot be removed, are skipped when adding new buildings, and cannot be converted by a lawyer.
Castle building tie-breaker
Among players tied for best builder in the castle, the player who placed their worker first earns the favor.
Building limit per use
Construction buildings (carpenter, mason, architect), the market, and the fixed peddler can only be used to build or trade one item at a time.
To set up Caylus: * Place the game board in the center of the table. * Sort the brown, gray, and blue building tiles by color and place them face up on the side of the board. Pile the green tiles close by. Mix the six pink tiles and randomly place them on the first six spaces of the road (11). * Sort coins (deniers) and resource cubes (representing resources such as wood, food, stone, cloth, and gold) to form the stock next to the board. * Each player chooses a color and takes all corresponding wooden pieces (workers, houses, markers). Each player places one marker next to the turn order scale (2), another on the bridge near the passing spaces (10), and a marker on each of the four fleur-de-lises (King's favor table (3)). The last marker is placed on space 0 of the scoring track (1). * Randomly determine the turn order for the first turn by mixing the markers placed next to the turn order scale (2) and placing them on the numbered spaces. * The player whose marker is on space 1 takes 5 deniers from the stock. * Players whose markers are on spaces 2 and 3 each take 6 deniers. * Players whose markers are on spaces 4 and 5 each take 7 deniers. * Each player also takes 1 wood cube and 2 food cubes from the stock. * Players' deniers and cubes remain visible throughout the game. * Place the bailiff and provost pawns on the last neutral tile of the road.
On your turn, during Phase 2 - Placing workers, you can choose to do one of the following: * Pass [1a]. The first player to pass immediately receives 1 denier from the stock. * Place a worker [1b][1c][1d][1e]: * On a special, neutral, or fixed building [1b]. * On one of another player's buildings [1c]. This player earns 1 prestige point. * On one of your own buildings [1d]. * In the castle [1e]. **Restrictions and Costs for placing a worker:** * Placing a worker on a prestige building (blue), a residential building (green), or an unbuilt space is forbidden. * Placing a worker on a space where another worker already is, is forbidden, except for the stables, inn, or castle. * Placing a worker generally costs the smallest number appearing on the passing scale (Bridge). * An exception is when placing a worker on one of your own buildings or if you occupy the Inn, in which case it only costs 1 denier.
Rules summaries are AI-generated from the official rulebook and may contain mistakes — check the manual for anything critical.
You win the game by having the most prestige points at the end of the game. * Prestige points are earned throughout the game. * At the end of the game, additional points are awarded for leftover resources: * 1 point for every 4 deniers. * 1 point for every 3 cubes (except gold). * 3 points for every gold cube. * The game ends after the scoring of the Towers section of the Castle. * In case of a tie for the first place, all tied players win.
Scoring in Caylus works in several ways throughout the game and at the end: * **Castle Sections Scoring** During the game, specific sections of the King's Castle (Dungeon, Walls, or Towers) are scored. * Players count the number of castle parts (houses) they have built in the section being scored, following turn order. * They refer to a corresponding score table for that section (Dungeon, Walls, or Towers). * Based on the number of houses, players may gain Royal Favors or lose prestige points if they have no houses in that section. For example: * In the Dungeon section: 2 houses or more grant 1 Royal Favor; no houses result in -2 prestige points. * In the Walls section: 2 houses grant 1 Royal Favor; 3 or 4 houses grant 2 Royal Favors; 5 houses or more grant 3 Royal Favors; no houses result in -3 prestige points. * In the Towers section: 2 or 3 houses grant 1 Royal Favor; 4 or 5 houses grant 2 Royal Favors; 6 houses or more grant 3 Royal Favors; no houses result in -4 prestige points. * Houses placed in a subsequent castle section are not counted for the current section's scoring. * **Simplified Favor (Optional Rule)** If using the Simplified Favor rule, whenever a player gains a Royal Favor (e.g., from the joust field, building the church, castle offers, castle section scoring, or building a prestige building tile), they immediately score 3 prestige points. Multiple favors gained simultaneously each award 3 prestige points. * **End of Game Scoring** The game ends right after the scoring of the Towers section of the Castle. At this point, in addition to points scored during the game, players earn: * 1 prestige point for every 4 deniers they have left. * 1 prestige point for every 3 cubes they have left (excluding gold). * 3 prestige points for each gold cube they have left. The player with the most prestige points wins the game. In case of a tie for first place, all tied players win.
The game ends right after the scoring of the Towers section, which is the third section of the Castle. The player who has earned the most prestige points when the castle is finished wins the game. In addition to points scored during the game, players earn final points: * 1 point per 4 deniers they have left. * 1 point per 3 cubes they have left (except gold). * 3 points per gold cube they have left. In case of a tie for first place, all tied players win. Scoring a section of the castle (including the final Towers section) occurs if that section was finished in Phase 6, or if the Bailiff reached or went past a scoring space. During scoring, each player, following turn order, counts their houses in that section and obtains royal favors or penalties.