King and Assassins is an asymmetrical fantasy game of strategy and deception for two players. One player controls an evil king and his knightly lackeys as they attempt to force their way into the castle through a crowd of angry citizens. The other player controls the crowd itself and - more importantly - three assassins who hide among the crowd in the hope of killing or stopping the ruler so that the people can tackle him with their bare fists. The king only has a limited time before he is overwhelmed by his own subjects, but with the help of trickery and swords from his guards, he can eliminate the assassins and hopefully escape to the safety of his palace.

The gameplay is based on action cards showing a limited number of action points for both parties. First the king and his knights move around the board to secure their position or eliminate dangers by pushing aside the crowd, then the assassins hidden among the crowd prepare for their deadly attack by killing guards or slowing down the progress of to delay the king. It is up to the players to make the most of the action points available in the current round. The king's player wins if he manages to escape from the board through one of the exits or if his knights eliminate all the assassins. The assassins win if they kill the king by inflicting two wounds on him or blocking him long enough for the action card deck to run out.

Choose your strategy, hide the assassins among twelve beautifully illustrated civilians and play through two different scenarios, each with a multitude of choices, in this simple yet rewarding game. And don't forget that every familiar face can hide a sharp knife!

Deluxe edition to celebrate the 5th anniversary of the original release. It has 23 plastic miniatures instead of cardboard stands, a larger board with all new artwork, new, larger box (to house all the components).