From the publisher's website:

Feats of architecture rise alongside new prisons and slums. Nobles intrigue relentlessly, constructing fortresses and palaces, squeezing the districts of the city for the last ducats. In the shadows, the refuse of the underworld preys on the nobles, with tales of new murders and robberies appearing daily. They say the King will aid a new city in ousting the Merchant Guild, but if the city strongboxes are inexplicably emptied, they may need the Merchants more than they thought… Citadels is a game of city-building and intrigue for two to eight players. In Citadels, each player strives to complete his own city, consisting of eight separate districts. As the players labor to build their cities, they are also forced to vie for the benefits granted by enlisting the support of certain formidable Characters. Timing and careful planning take vital importance in the uncertain business of city construction, and a successful prelate must be willing to bluff and able to switch his plans at a moment’s uneasy notice.