Preserved in its original form first published by Fantasy Flight Games in 2002, fans will find the same fantastic art from Jean-Louis Mourier and beloved gameplay that inspired the revised edition of the new and expanded Citadels.

In Citadels Classic, the same inspired and simple gameplay remains, with players attempting to build a fantastical medieval city by constructing different districts. Each round, starting with whoever holds the crown, players will pass around a hand of characters equal to one plus the number of players, secretly choosing one character to employ, taking advantage of their special ability. Among the eight characters you might find, each boasts a different special ability: the Thief can steal all the gold from another player, the King grants gold for each Noble district you have constructed and receives the crown for the next round, and the Architect allows a player to build several districts that turn.

After all players have chosen their character, they are revealed in the order determined by their rank, which is the number printed in the upper lefthand corner of their card. For example, if a player chose the Assassin with its rank of 1, they would resolve their turn first. The next to follow is the Thief with its rank of 2, then the Magician at 3, and so on, skipping characters that were not employed this round, and until all players have resolved their actions.

When you do resolve your turn, you will choose to either take two gold coins from the bank or draw new district cards. Then, if you can afford to pay its cost, you may construct a single district from you hand. You may also resolve your character abilities as they apply during your turn, whether it be naming a character to kill with the Assassin or gaining extra gold with the Trader. Play continues until all players have resolved their actions, then the character cards are reshuffled and a new round begins.

The first player to construct seven districts triggers the endgame, allowing the round to finish and all other players to take their final actions. Each district is worth its cost in victory points, with bonus points awarded for those who construct all seven of their districts and those who have at least one type of each district (noble, religious, trade, military, and unique). Whoever has the most victory points has built the most fabulous city and is crowned winner!