District Noir
2016
Build sets, outscore your rival, and seize the perfect moment to collect the line in this fast two-player card game.
20
minutes
2 - 2
player(s)
10+
Light
About this board game
District Noir is a two-player card game of bluffing and set collection that plays in about 20 minutes. Players compete to build valuable collections, control the growing card line, and decide when to claim cards from their opponent.
To begin, three cards are removed face down from the 45-card deck, and two cards are placed face up to start the line. In each of four rounds, both players receive five cards. On a turn, a player either adds one card from hand to the end of the line or, once per round, collects the five most recently played cards.
This once-per-round collection creates the central tension in District Noir. Waiting may reveal better opportunities, but your opponent can change the line before you act. After all cards in hand have been played, each player receives five new cards and the next round begins.
- Score positive and negative number cards directly.
- For cards numbered 5 through 8, score the value when you have more copies than your opponent.
- Gain 5 points for every complete set containing cards numbered 5 through 8.
- Collect all three special cards to win immediately, even though they are worthless individually.
Normally, the player with the most points wins, but the special cards offer a dramatic alternative route to victory. Their immediate-win condition rewards careful observation and makes every collection decision matter.
First released as Throne and Grail, the game originally focused on seeking the Holy Grail with help from various factions. Other editions retain the same gameplay with chocolate or gangster themes, while District Noir presents the struggle as a contest to take over businesses or seize control of the city.
Mechanics
Designers
Illustrators
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Board Game Rules for
District Noir
Hoboken, New Jersey – 1954
At the head of the largest criminal organizations, powerful leaders vie for territory and support, trying to grow their influence by any means necessary.
At the very center of Hoboken lies District Noir, a highly contested area that will make all the difference in gaining control of the city.
Game Overview
You are engaged in an all-out battle for the control of District Noir.
There are two ways to victory: win over District Noir’s various SUPPORTS, or directly control the CITY’s three strategic locations.
Clever maneuvers require careful choice of your own actions, while also ensuring you control what actions your opponent can take.
Components
47 cards, divided as follows:
- 26 SUPPORT cards: 5 of value 5, 6 of value 6, 7 of value 7, 8 of value 8
- 7 ALLIANCE cards
- 9 BETRAYAL cards
- 3 CITY cards
- 2 double-sided SUMMARY cards
And 1 double-sided FACTION token
Support Cards
These cards represent the groups of major influence in District Noir. Each group of SUPPORTERS has a set number of members, and you will need to get the majority of them to gain their victory points and win the game. However, always keep in mind that having the help of a large variety of SUPPORTERS can also give you an important advantage in controlling District Noir.
Alliance and Betrayal Cards
When war is raging, it’s often difficult to spot the members that might betray you, or on the contrary, give you unexpected support. Be as perceptive as possible to avoid betrayals that could cause you to lose points at the end of the game, and your control over the city.
City Cards
These three cards, when combined, show a panorama of the city where the struggle takes place. If you manage to obtain all three cards, you immediately win the game!
Double-Sided Faction Token
This token shows the two FACTIONS that can be played. Each player will choose one of the two FACTIONS at the beginning of the game and then flip the token to determine who takes the first turn at the beginning of each round.
Game Setup
- Shuffle the 45 cards in the deck. Then remove three cards without looking at them and return them to the game box. They will not be used during this game.
- Deal five cards face down to each player. These cards are your starting hand.
- Place the deck in the center of the table, within reach of both players. Finally, draw two cards from the deck and place them face up in the center of the table, in a row next to the deck.
- Each player chooses a different side of the FACTION token. Toss the token and give it to the player who chose the side that landed face up. They will be the first player of the first round.
Flow of the Game
One game is played over four rounds. Each round, you will take turns to perform one of two possible actions, starting with the first player:
- PLAY a card to the end of the row
- TAKE five cards starting with the last card in the current row.
Play a Card
Choose a card from your hand and place it at the end of the row. If your hand is empty, you can no longer choose this action and MUST choose the second action (see below), taking cards from the center of the table.
Take Five Cards from the Center
Starting with the last card in the current row, take exactly five cards, and place them in front of you, sorting them by type (different SUPPORTERS, ALLIANCE, BETRAYAL, and CITY CARDS).
Note: you cannot choose this action if there are no cards available in the center of the table. However, it is possible to perform this action if there are less than five cards available. In this case, take all the cards that are available.
Important! Players may only perform this action once per round. Once a player has performed this action, they must now perform the PLAY A CARD action on their next turns, until the end of the round.
Example of a Round
Elodie has just placed a value 5 SUPPORT card from her hand at the end of the line [A].
It’s now Lana’s turn and she decides to take some cards to put them in front of her. She picks up the last 5 cards played in the line [B]. It is now Elodie’s turn again.
End of a Round
A round ends when both players have performed six actions. Both players’ hands will then be empty. When the round is over, if the deck is empty the game is over, and each player calculates their score to determine who wins. If there are still cards in the deck, the players draw five cards each to make a new hand and another round begins. Give the FACTION token to the second player, who turns it over to show their FACTION’s symbol and then becomes this round’s first player.
Note: there may still be cards in the row at the end of the round. Leave them in the row for the next round.
Important! During any round, if a player manages to collect all three City cards, the game ends immediately and that player wins the game without calculating scores.
End of the Game
The game ends when the players have played four rounds (as the deck is empty). The scores are calculated as follows:
- For each of the different groups of SUPPORTERS, the player who has the majority of those cards scores victory points equal to the number shown on that SUPPORT type. For example, if Player A has five of the value Eight SUPPORT cards, they score eight points.
- If there is a tie for a type of SUPPORT, neither player earns those victory points.
- Each set of four different SUPPORTERS earns the owner five additional victory points.
- Players then add and/or subtract the points on their ALLIANCE and BETRAYAL cards from their victory point total.
The player with the highest total victory points wins the game.
Note: CITY cards are not worth any victory points if the panorama is not complete.
Scoring Example
Overview & Components
Hoboken, New Jersey – 1954
At the head of the largest criminal organizations, powerful leaders vie for territory and support, trying to grow their influence by any means necessary.
At the very center of Hoboken lies District Noir, a highly contested area that will make all the difference in gaining control of the city.
Game Overview
You are engaged in an all-out battle for the control of District Noir.
There are two ways to victory: win over District Noir’s various SUPPORTS, or directly control the CITY’s three strategic locations.
Clever maneuvers require careful choice of your own actions, while also ensuring you control what actions your opponent can take.
Components
47 cards, divided as follows:
- 26 SUPPORT cards: 5 of value 5, 6 of value 6, 7 of value 7, 8 of value 8
- 7 ALLIANCE cards
- 9 BETRAYAL cards
- 3 CITY cards
- 2 double-sided SUMMARY cards
And 1 double-sided FACTION token
Game Elements
Support Cards
These cards represent the groups of major influence in District Noir. Each group of SUPPORTERS has a set number of members, and you will need to get the majority of them to gain their victory points and win the game. However, always keep in mind that having the help of a large variety of SUPPORTERS can also give you an important advantage in controlling District Noir.
Alliance and Betrayal Cards
When war is raging, it’s often difficult to spot the members that might betray you, or on the contrary, give you unexpected support. Be as perceptive as possible to avoid betrayals that could cause you to lose points at the end of the game, and your control over the city.
City Cards
These three cards, when combined, show a panorama of the city where the struggle takes place. If you manage to obtain all three cards, you immediately win the game!
Double-Sided Faction Token
This token shows the two FACTIONS that can be played. Each player will choose one of the two FACTIONS at the beginning of the game and then flip the token to determine who takes the first turn at the beginning of each round.
Setup
Game Setup
- Shuffle the 45 cards in the deck. Then remove three cards without looking at them and return them to the game box. They will not be used during this game.
- Deal five cards face down to each player. These cards are your starting hand.
- Place the deck in the center of the table, within reach of both players. Finally, draw two cards from the deck and place them face up in the center of the table, in a row next to the deck.
- Each player chooses a different side of the FACTION token. Toss the token and give it to the player who chose the side that landed face up. They will be the first player of the first round.
How to Play
Flow of the Game
One game is played over four rounds. Each round, you will take turns to perform one of two possible actions, starting with the first player:
- PLAY a card to the end of the row
- TAKE five cards starting with the last card in the current row.
Play a Card
Choose a card from your hand and place it at the end of the row. If your hand is empty, you can no longer choose this action and MUST choose the second action (see below), taking cards from the center of the table.
Take Five Cards from the Center
Starting with the last card in the current row, take exactly five cards, and place them in front of you, sorting them by type (different SUPPORTERS, ALLIANCE, BETRAYAL, and CITY CARDS).
Note: you cannot choose this action if there are no cards available in the center of the table. However, it is possible to perform this action if there are less than five cards available. In this case, take all the cards that are available.
Important! Players may only perform this action once per round. Once a player has performed this action, they must now perform the PLAY A CARD action on their next turns, until the end of the round.
Example of a Round
Elodie has just placed a value 5 SUPPORT card from her hand at the end of the line [A].
It’s now Lana’s turn and she decides to take some cards to put them in front of her. She picks up the last 5 cards played in the line [B]. It is now Elodie’s turn again.
End of a Round
A round ends when both players have performed six actions. Both players’ hands will then be empty. When the round is over, if the deck is empty the game is over, and each player calculates their score to determine who wins. If there are still cards in the deck, the players draw five cards each to make a new hand and another round begins. Give the FACTION token to the second player, who turns it over to show their FACTION’s symbol and then becomes this round’s first player.
Note: there may still be cards in the row at the end of the round. Leave them in the row for the next round.
Important! During any round, if a player manages to collect all three City cards, the game ends immediately and that player wins the game without calculating scores.
End of the Game & Scoring
End of the Game
The game ends when the players have played four rounds (as the deck is empty). The scores are calculated as follows:
- For each of the different groups of SUPPORTERS, the player who has the majority of those cards scores victory points equal to the number shown on that SUPPORT type. For example, if Player A has five of the value Eight SUPPORT cards, they score eight points.
- If there is a tie for a type of SUPPORT, neither player earns those victory points.
- Each set of four different SUPPORTERS earns the owner five additional victory points.
- Players then add and/or subtract the points on their ALLIANCE and BETRAYAL cards from their victory point total.
The player with the highest total victory points wins the game.
Note: CITY cards are not worth any victory points if the panorama is not complete.
Scoring Example
