Objective

People’s Faction: Identify at least 1 Royal during the Discussion Phase and eliminate them during the Voting Phase.

Royal Faction: Avoid detection during the Discussion Phase and do not get eliminated during the Voting Phase.

Martyr Faction: Convince the People’s Faction that you’re a Royal during the Discussion Phase and get eliminated during the Voting Phase.

Materials

8 Identity Cards, 5 Mask Cards

Players

5 (+1 Narrator, or use a recording for the Hidden Phase)

Deal Phase

All 5 players get 1 Identity card and 1 Mask card, which should be kept hidden from everyone else during this phase. Players should look at their own Identity and Mask. The Identity card determines a player's faction (People’s, Royal, Martyr), and what action they can perform during the Hidden Phase. The Mask card will only activate during the Discussion Phase.

Since there are 8 Identities and only 5 players, the 3 remaining Identity Cards are placed face-down in the middle and are referred to as “Bystanders”. Players will not be able to confirm their cards after the Deal Phase, even if they forget what cards they possess.

Hidden Phase

Everyone closes their eyes. The narrator will call on specific Identities to open their eyes and perform the action detailed on their card. Some actions will not occur, since three Identities are Bystanders. The events of the Hidden Phase should inform the investigation during the Discussion phase.

If there is only 1 Royal in play, that Royal will tap the shoulder of an adjacent player to their left or right. That person is now a Royalist, and their superseding objective is to protect the Royal at all costs. Even if the Royalist is eliminated during the Voting Phase, they still win as long as the Royal survives. The Martyr cannot be selected as a Royalist.

Discussion Phase

All players open their eyes and flip their Mask cards face-up but leave their Identity cards face-down. Players have 7 minutes to talk. During this time, the People’s Faction should try to identify the Royal(s) among them. The Royals should lie, deflect, and mislead, so that they are not suspected. The Martyr should draw suspicion onto themselves. Once the 7 minutes are up, proceed immediately to the Voting Phase.

During the Discussion Phase, Masks are in effect. The player with Mask of the Mendicant cannot speak or write messages, but they can gesture and emote. The player with of the Mask of the Monger can exchange any two players' Masks, but if a Mask effect has been used already, it cannot be used by the new owner. The Mask of the Mendicant applies its silence to the new owner since it is not an activation effect.

Voting Phase

On the count of 3, everyone points to one other player, who gets their vote. The player with the most votes is eliminated. Players cannot abstain from voting except through the effect of Mask of the Vanguard. If a player believes no player is a Royal, they can point to the Bystanders instead. Once all votes are cast, players reveal their Identity Cards to determine who won.

• If multiple people tie for the most votes, they all are eliminated.

• If at least one Royal is eliminated, the People win. If no Royals is eliminated, the Royals win.

• If only the Royalist is eliminated but no Royals are eliminated, the Royal Faction still wins.

• If the Martyr is eliminated, the Martyr wins, superseding all other win conditions.

• If both Royals are among the Bystanders, the People's faction wins if they cast a majority of their votes toward the center. However, if the center contains both Royals and the Martyr, the game ends in a draw.

Identity Cards and their effects, in order of play:

• Pamphleteer (P) – Reveal 1 Bystander by flipping over 1 of the face-down cards in the middle. Once flipped, leave it face-up.

• Spy (P) – Look at another player’s Identity, then flip it face-down again.

• Fugitive (P) – swap Identity with a Bystander and look at your new Identity before flipping it face-down. If your new Identity is called upon later in the Hidden Phase, perform any action accordingly.

• Harlot (P) – Exchange the Identities of two other players, or exchange the Masks of any two players (including your own). You cannot look at any cards during the exchange. Make yourself known to the Martyr when called upon to do so during the Hidden Phase.

• Martyr (M) – Learn if there is a Harlot in play. Make yourself known to the Royals when called upon to do so.

• Queen (R) – Learn if there is a Martyr in play. Turn one of your neighbors into a Royalist if there is no King in play. During the Hidden Phase, conceal any face-up Bystanders and shuffle them or look at your own Identity to confirm your Identity.

• King (R) – Learn if there is a Martyr in play. Turn one of your neighbors into a Royalist if there is no Queen in play. Look at a player's Mask, then exchange it with another player's Mask.

• Executioner (P) – No action during the Hidden Phase. If you receive the most votes during the Voting Phase, choose another player to be eliminated instead.

Mask Cards and their effects

• Mendicant – You cannot communicate using words, but you can emote.

• Confessor – You can reveal your Identity to one other player at any point during the Discussion Phase, but you cannot look at it yourself.

• Vanguard – You can reveal one Bystander at any point during the Discussion Phase, but if you do, abstain from voting during the Voting Phase.

• Gambler – You can exchange your Identity with a face-down Bystander at any point during the Discussion Phase. Do not look at your new Identity.

• Monger – You can exchange two other Masks at any point during the Discussion Phase. If a Mask's effect has already been used, it cannot be used by the new owner.

Script for the Hidden Phase

1. Everyone, close your eyes.

2. Pamphleteer, open your eyes. Reveal one Bystander from the middle three cards and leave it face-up. Pamphleteer, close your eyes.

3. Spy, open your eyes. Look at one other player’s Identity, then flip the card face-down again. Spy, close your eyes.

4. Fugitive, open your eyes. Exchange your Identity with a Bystander. You may look at your new Identity, then flip it face-down. If your new Identity is called upon later during the hidden phase, perform your action at that time. Fugitive, close your eyes.

5. Harlot, open your eyes. Either exchange the Identities of two other players, or exchange the Masks of any two players. Harlot, close your eyes.

6. Harlot, stick out your thumb. Martyr, open your eyes and look for the Harlot. Martyr, close your eyes. Harlot, put away your thumb.

7. Martyr, stick out your thumb. King and Queen, open your eyes. Look for each other and the Martyr. If there is only one Royal, tap the shoulder of the person either on your left or your right. That player is now a Royalist. Martyr, put away your thumb.

8. Queen, either look at your own Identity without revealing it to the King, or flip any face-up Bystanders face-down and rearrange the face-down Bystanders. Queen, close your eyes.

9. King, look at any player’s Mask, then swap it with another player’s Mask. King, close your eyes.

10. Everyone, without opening your eyes, move your Identity card around slightly.  Everyone, open your eyes and flip your Mask face-up.