In Royals, players take on the roles of the great noble families of the 17th century, battling for supremacy in Europe of that era. With the help of the appropriate country cards, they occupy influential positions and gain advantages in the form of victory points.

The higher the title associated with the position, the more country cards are required. Already occupied positions can be challenged using intrigue cards.

The game lasts for three periods, with scoring after each of them. During the scoring, players with the most influence in each of the four countries earn victory points.

After the third scoring period, the game ends with the scoring of individual titles. The player with the most victory points wins.