Two Rooms and a Boom Basic Game

By Alan Gerding and Sean McCoy

6-30 players
7-20 minutes
ages 8+
INTRODUCTION to the basic game
WhatfollowsinthisdocumentaretheverybasicrulestothegameTwoRoomsand
aBoom.Theserulesshouldbefolloweduntilallplayersarecomfortableenough
withthebasicsofplay.Onceenoughplayersarecomfortablewiththebasicgame,
checkouttheadvancedgamewhichchangesthegamewithadditionalroundsand
advancedcharactercards.
BASIC OVERVIEW and how to win
TwoRoomsandaBoomisasocialdeduction,hiddenrolesgame.Therearetwo
teams:theRedTeamandtheBlueTeam.TheBlueTeamhasaPresident.The
RedTeamhasaBomber.Playersareequallydistributedbetween2separate
playingareas(usuallytwoseparaterooms)andtheneachplayerisrandomlydealta
facedowncharactercard.
Eachroomhasaleaderthatisselectedbytheplayersinthatroom.Theleader
chooseshostages(playersthatwillbesenttotheotherroomattheendofthe
round).
Thegameconsistsof3timedrounds.Eachroundisshorterthantheprevious
round.Attheendofeachround,thehostagesselectedbytheleaderswillbetraded
intoopposingrooms.IftheRedTeamsBomberisinthesameroomasthe
Presidentattheendofthegame,thentheRedTeamwins.OtherwisetheBlue
Teamwins.
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COMPONENTS for the basic game
Rulebook
2Leadercards(1foreachroom)
BasicCharacterCards
President
Bomber
(upto8RedTeam)
(upto8BlueTeam)
Gambler
Stopwatchneeded,butnotincluded
SETUP
1st:Setupthecharacterdeck.ThecharacterdeckconsistsoftheRedBomber
card,theBluePresidentcard,andanequalnumberofRedTeamandBlueTeam
cards.Therewillbeonecharactercardinthegameforeachplayerinthegame.If
youareplayingwithanoddnumberofplayers,includetheGambler.
2nd:Randomlyseparatetheplayersintotworooms.Theroomscanbe
separatedbyawall,door,orsimplytwoopenareasatadistancefromeachother.
Itisnotimportantifplayerscanseeoneanother,butplayersintheseparaterooms
shouldn'tbeabletohearoneanother.
3rd:Dealeveryplayeronefacedowncharactercard.Thecharactercardsare
secretbutcanberevealedduringthegame.Playersshouldnotshowordiscuss
theircharactercardsuntilthegamebegins.
4th:Startthetimertobeginthegame.Thefirstroundofthegamelasts3minutes.
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ROUNDS
Thegameisplayedin3rounds.
Startwiththe3minuteround
Thenthe2minuteround
Lastisthe1minuteround
Timeforeachroundcanbekeptbyanyplayerwithastopwatchorapersonnot
playing.Attheendofeachround,theroomleader(seeLeaderssection)selectsa
numberofhostagestochangerooms.Thegameconcludesattheendofthe1
minuteroundafterthelasthostageexchange.
3 BASIC RULES and what you can do during a round
InTwoRoomsandaBoom,partofthefunisthelackofrules.Playerscansay
whatevertheywant,dowhatevertheywant,andcomeupwithwhateverstrategythey
want.However,thereare3basicrulesofplaytokeepinmindduringtherounds.
The3rulesare:
1.)Youhavetostayinyourroom(designatedplayarea).Forinstance,youcan'tjust
moseyintotheotherroom.
2.)Thereisabsolutelynocommunicatingbetweenrooms.Youmaynotyellthings
toplayersinotherroomsortrytoeavesdrop.Evenifyoucanseeintotheother
room,thereisnosignlanguagepermitted.
3.)Youcan'ttradecharactercards.Youcandoprettymuchanythingyouwantwith
yourcharactercard.Youcanshowittosomeone.Youcanshowiteveryone.You
canchoosetoleaveitinyourpocketandnevershowanyone.Youcanevenchoose
tojustshowpartofyourcard,likethecolor.However,youarenotpermittedtoswap
charactercardswithanotherplayer.That'syourcardtakecareofit.
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LEADERS
Leadertheplayerwhochoosesthehostagestoleavetheroomattheendof
theround.
Hostagetheplayer(s)whoarechosentoleavetheroomattheendofaround.
LeaderResponsibilityandHostages
Attheendoftheroundtheleaderselectsacertainnumberofhostages.Hostages
areplayersthatswitchrooms.Thenumberofhostagesdependsontheroundand
thenumberofplayersinthegame.IMPORTANT:aleadercanneverbea
hostage.
Thenumberofhostagesselecteddependsontheroundandthenumberofplayers
playingthegame.Theleadercardshaveachartthatshowshowmanyhostages
mustsenttotheotherroom.Thenumberofhostagesislistedonthechartbelow::
3
minuteround
2
minuteround
1
minuteround
6-10 players 1 hostage 1 hostage 1 hostage
11-21 players 2 hostages 1 hostage 1 hostage
22+ players 3 hostages 2 hostages 1 hostage
IMPORTANT:beforebeginningthegame,payattentiontohowmanyplayers
areinthegameasthisdictateshowmanyhostagesareexchangedatthe
endofeachround.
Nominating a Leader
Thefirstplayerthatisnominatedbyanotherplayertobetheleaderbecomes
leader.Thatplayershouldtaketheleadercardasavisualidentifierforothers
playerstosee.Itisimportantthatplayersinaroomcaneasilyidentifytheirroom
leader.Ifotherplayersarenothappywiththisleader,theymayattempttochange
leaders(seeChangingLeadersbelow)
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Changing Leaders
Aleaderremainstheleaderofaroomuntiloneoftwoeventsoccur:
1.Leaderabdicatesleadershiptoanotherplayer
Ifthecurrentleadernolongerwantstobetheleader(usuallybecausetheleader
wantstobeahostage)thentheleadersimplyhandstheleadercardtoanother
player.Theplayerreceivingtheleadercardmayacceptordeclinetheleadercard.
Iftheydeclineleadership,theoriginalleaderremainsleader.Iftheyaccept
leadership,theybecometheroomleader,receivetheleadercard,andtheycannot
abdicatetheleadershipcardbacktothepreviousleaderuntilthenextround(no
givesybacksies).
2.UsurpingtheLeader
Anytimeaplayerdoesnotwantthecurrentleadertobeleader,theysimplyraise
oneoftheirhandsintotheair(sothatitisvisuallyclearthereisanattempttousurp
thecurrentleader)andpointtheirotherhandtowardstheplayertheydesiretobe
thenewleader.Note:aplayerispermittedtopointtothemselves.Oncethe
numberofhandspointingtoasingleplayerequalsmorethanhalfthenumberof
playersintheroom(amajorityoftheroom'splayers),thatplayerbecomesthenew
leaderandreceivestheleadercard.

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END OF A ROUND
Remember,thereare3roundsinasinglegame.Thereisthe3minuteround,the2
minuteround,andthelastroundisthe1minuteround.Attheendofeachround,the
follow3stepsshouldbemadeinorder:
1st:Hostage Selection
Leaderspubliclyannouncestheirhostageselection.Theyannouncethisonlyto
THEIRroom,nottobothrooms.Oncetheannouncementhasbeenmade,aroom's
leadermaynotchangetheirminds.Itisasifthechoicehasbeenwritteninstone.
Fortheappropriateamountofhostagesthatshouldbechosen,seethechartinthe
Leaderssectiononthepreviouspage.
2nd:Parlay (and time reset)
Fornow,hostagesremainintheirrooms.Leadersmustmeetoneanotherinthe
areabetweenthetworooms.Oncebothleadershavemet,thetimerbeginsforthe
nextround.Ifitisthelastround,seetheWinningsectionbelow.
3rd:Hostage Exchange
Oncebothleadershavemetinthemiddleandthetimerforthenextroundhasbeen
set,leadersshouldcallfortheirhostages.Theselectedhostageschangerooms
andleadersreturntotheirrooms.
HostageExchangeEtiquetteWhenaroundisoverhostagesexchange
rooms.Sometimesoneroommaynotbeready,orperhapsoneroomisslightly
slowerthantheotherroom.Becauseofthis,itisneverfairforaleader'shostage
choicestobeinfluencedbywitnessingtheopposingroom'shostageselection.
Topreventthis,AFTERaleaderpubliclyannouncestheirhostageselectiontothe
playersintheirroom,theleader(nottheselectedhostages)shouldgotothe
"hallway."Thehallwayistheareabetweenthetworooms.Oncebothleaders
meetatthehallway,theythengobacktotheirroomstosendtheirhostages.
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WINNING
Attheendofthe1minuteround,thehostageselectionandexchangehappensas
usual(seeEndofRoundsectionabove).However,thereisnoneedtoresetany
timersbecausetimeisup.Oncethehostagesexchangerooms,revealtheircards
(unlessplayingwiththeGambler,thenseeGamblersectiononthenextpage).
Bombersbombdetonates,killingeveryoneinthesameroomastheBomber.Ifthe
PresidentisintheroomwithBomber,thentheentireRedTeamwins.Ifthe
PresidentisnotintheroomwiththeBomber,thentheentireBlueTeamwins.
EndofGameMeetingAfterthelastroundandafterthefinalhostage
exchange,playersrevealtheircharactercards.However,sometimesplayersmay
findithelpfultogatherallplayerstogetherinasingleplayareawheneveryone
revealstheircards.Nolongerseparatedbyrooms,playerscanhearandseeall
otherplayers'reactions.Itisfun!
However,itisveryimportantthatifplayerswanttomeetinaneutralplayareafor
"thebigreveal",theymustdotheirbesttoremainseparatedinto2groupsand
nottomingle.Otherwise,theBomberorPresidentmightbemisconstruedas
beinginthewrongroom.
GAMBLER
Ifyouareplayingwithanoddnumberofplayers,itisimpossibletohaveanequal
numberofRedTeamplayersandBlueTeamplayers.ThisiswhythegreyGambler
cardisshuffledwiththeothercards.Attheendofthelastround(the1minute
round),beforeallplayersrevealtheircards(seeWinningsectionontheprevious
page),theGamblermustpubliclyannouncewhichteam,theRedTeamorBlue
Team,theythinkwonthegame.Iftheyareright,theywinthegameiftheyare
wrong,theylosethegame.Itdoesn'tmatterwheretheGamblerendsthegame,
whetherwithorwithouttheBomber.TheGamblersimplywinsiftheirpredictionis
correct.
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SUGGESTIONS
AdvancedGamesandCharacters
Onceplayersgetcomfortablewiththebasicmechanicsofthegame,trya5round
gameinsteadofa3roundgame.Evenbetter,checkouttheAdvancedGame
foundandtheadvancecharactercardsfoundintheCharacterGuide.Thegames
basicmechanicsremainthesame,butadvancecharactercardscangreatlychange
thewaythegameisplayed.Advancedcharactersarespecificallydesignedto
greatlyenhancethegameandkeepTwoRoomsandaBoomafreshexperience.
RuleDisputes/TieVotes
Ifthereisarulesdisputeandananswercan'tbefoundwithinatimelymanner,either
acoinisflippedortheownerofthegamedecides.Note:Ifyoustillcan'tresolve
thedifference,stopplayingthegame.Youaren'tagoodpersonandshouldn'tbe
playingwithothers.
10PlayersorFewer
With10playersorfewer,itisrecommendedthatthegameisalwaysplayedwith
only3roundsinsteadof5(startingwiththe3minuteround).Wealsorecommenda
3roundgameifyouareteachingnewplayershowtoplaythegame,regardlessof
thenumberofplayers(thatwaytheyarespendingabout6minutesonafirstgame
insteadof15).
Whenplayingwith10orfewerplayers,thereshouldbeno"colorrevealing."This
meansthatplayersarenolongerpermittedtojustshowthecoloroftheircard.
Revealingjustthecolorwithtoofewplayersmayspoilthegameduetothelackof
riskandtheamountofinformationavailable.Playerscanshowallofit,ornoneofit.
Nomorejustthetipisallowed.
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Two Rooms and a Boom Advanced Game
By Alan Gerding and Sean McCoy
6-30 players
7-20 minutes
ages 8+
INTRODUCTION to the advanced game
Theadvancedrulesshouldbeonlybefollowedonceallplayersarecomfortable
enoughwiththebasicsofplay.Theadvancedrulesintroducesjust2major
changes:
1.)AdvancedCharacterCards
Advancedcharactercardsareallofthecardsthatarentpartofthebasicgame
(thePresident,Bomber,Gambler,RedTeamandBlueTeamcards).Advanced
charactercardscanmodifythebasicrulesofthegame.Soifthepowerorrule
introducedbyanadvancedcharactercardcontradictsabasicgamerule,thenthe
advancedcharactersruleshouldbefollowed.Theadvancedcharactercardsareall
describedintheCharacterGuide.
2.)AdditionalRounds
Whilethebasicgamealwaysutilizesjust
3rounds(the3minuteround,2minute
round,andthe1minuteround),the
advancedgamecanbeplayedupto5
rounds.Thisjustaddsina5minuteround
anda4minuteround.Noticethechart
picturedisidenticaltothehostagechartin
thebasicgameexceptfortheadditionof
the2aforementionedrounds.However,
whenplayingwith610players(evenin
theadvancedgame),itisnot
recommendedtoplaywith5roundsor
allowanyformofcolorsharing/revealing.
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ADVANCED TERMINOLOGY and how to do different reveals
SeveraloftheadvancedcharactercardsintroducePOWERSandconditionsand
othersuchterms.Memorizingallofthesetermsandtheirmeaningsafterasingle
readcanseemoverwhelming.Thisiswhyitisrecommendedtogothroughthe
TutorialPlaysetsasthefollowingconceptsaretaughtgradually.
Allegiancetheteamacardison(typicallyRed,Blue,Grey,orotherwise).AllRed
Teammembersshareacommonwinobjective,asdoallBlueTeammembers.
Greycharactershavenoallegiance,buthavespecifiedwinobjectives.Anyother
teamshavespecifiedwinobjectivesdefinedbythedetailsoftheircharactercard.
BackupCharacterifthespecifiedcharacterisnotinplay,thenthebackup
characterassumesthepowersofthespecifiedcharacter.
Buriedthecardthatisoutofplay.Whenplayingwithanoddnumberofplayers,or
whenspicingthegameup,onecharactercardisburied.
CardShareaconsensualformofcardrevealingwhere2players
temporarilyexchangecharactercards.Thecardexchangeistraditionally
donetoseewhatcharacteraplayeris.Onceinitiated,bothinvolved
playersareexpectedtocardsharewithoneanother.Ifyoudontintend
tosharecards,dontask.
Note:consensualmeansthatitrequiresconsent.Besurebothyouandtheother
playerhaveprovidedconsentbeforeinitiatingorreceivingacardshare.
AnotherNote:Knowingwhatconsensualmeansisimportantinbothgamingand
life.
Cleanseaplayerwhoiscleansedlosesallacquiredconditions(seeCondition
below).Thismeansthatacleansedcharacterisasitwasattheverybeginningof
thegame.Note:wheneveraplayergainsanewcharactercard,thatcharactercard
isautomaticallycleansed.
Coloreachcharactercardhasaspecificcolor.Thistypicallyalsoindicatesthe
charactersallegiance(seeabovedefinitionofallegiance).Themostcommon
colorsfoundonthecardsarered,blue,grey,andpurple.However,therearemore
possiblecolorsthanjustthese.
ColorRevealanyformofcolorrevealingfromoneplayertoanother.
Thisincludesrevealingthatdoesnotrequirereciprocation(nonrevealing
playerisnotexpectedtoreveal)orconsensualrevealing(suchasincolor
sharing).
Note:inagamewith10orfewerplayers,colorrevealingisnotallowed.
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ColorShareaconsensualformofrevealwhere2playersonlyreveals
thecolorportionoftheircharactercardstooneanother,thusonly
revealingthecoloroftheircard(andpossiblytheirallegiance).Once
initiated,bothinvolvedplayersareexpectedtocolorsharewithone
another.Ifyoudontintendtosharecards,dontask.
Conditionsomecharactercardsinflictaconditionontoanothercharactercard.
SpecificconditionsaredescribedindividuallyintheCHARACTERSsectionofthe
rules.InthisrulebookandtheCharacterGuide,conditionsareplacedwithinquotes
foreaseofreference.
DeadattheendofthelastroundtheBombersbombexplodes.Thiscauses
everyoneintheroomtogainthedeadcondition.Theremaybeotherwaystogain
thedeadconditioninthegame.
Hostagetheplayer(s)theleaderofaroomchoosestoleavetheroomattheend
ofaround.
Leaderthenominatedplayerthatchoosesthehostagestoleavetheroomatthe
endoftheround.
Linkedsomecharactersarelinked.Thismeansthattheyrequireanother
charactertobeinthegameinordertobefunctional.Forexample,theMoby
characterswinconditionrequiresthepresenceoftheAhabcharacter.These
charactersarelinkedtooneanother.
Poweranyspecialabilitygiventoacharacter.Note:powerscanNOTbeturned
offunlessspecificallystated.ThismeansthataplayerspoweraffectsBOTHteams
withoutchoice.Inotherwords,thereisnooffswitchforpowers.Sharingpowers
occursimultaneously(cardandcolorsharingpowers).Inthisrulebookandthe
CharacterGuide,powersarewritteninallcapsforeaseofreference.
PrivateRevealanyformofcardrevealingfromoneplayertoanotherthat
doesnotrequirereciprocation(nonrevealingplayerisnotexpectedto
reveal).
PublicRevealanyformofcardrevealingtowardsmultipleplayersthat
doesnotrequirereciprocation(nonrevealingplayersarenotexpectedto
reveal).Ifaplayerhastopermanentlypubliclyreveal,thismeansthat
theycannolongerdoanyotherformofsharingorrevealing.Todosowouldmean
ceasingthepermanentpublicreveal,whichshouldntbedone.
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Revealrevealingisthetermgenericallyusedwhenshowinganotherplayera
charactercardwithoutexpectationofreciprocity.Thatisjustafancywayofsaying
thatyoureshowingsomeonesomethingandyoudontexpectthemtoshow
anythinginreturn(seePrivateReveal,PublicReveal,andColorRevealon
previouspages).
Sharingsharingisthetermgenericallyusedwhen2playersconsenttoshowing
oneanotherthesameinformationabouttheirowncharactercards.Thisis
important,becauseduringthegameifsomeoneofferstosharetheircardorcolor,
andyouagree,youarenowobligatedtoprovidethesameinformationtheyve
offeredtosharewithyou(seeCardShareandColorShareonthepreviouspage).
WinObjectivetowinthegame,aplayermustsuccessfullycompletetheirwin
objective.Whenaplayerfailstomeettheirwinobjectives,theytheyloseattheend
ofthegame.Yes,itispossibleforplayerstohavemorethanonewinobjective.
Thereareadditionalwinobjectives,alternativewinobjectives,andreplacement
winobjectives.
AdditionalWinObjectiveitispossibleforaplayertohavemorethanonewin
objective.Ifaplayerhasanadditionalwinobjective,ALLobjectivesmustbe
successfullycompletedinordertowin.Failingtocompletejustoneoftheobjectives
meanstheplayerlosesattheendofthegame.
AlternateWinObjectiveitispossibleforaplayertohavemorethanonewin
objective.Ifaplayerhasanadditionalwinobjective,justoneofthealternate
objectivesmustbesuccessfullycompletedinordertowin.Failingtocompleteall
objectivesmeanstheplayerlosesattheendofthegame.
ReplacementWinObjectiveItisalsopossiblethatwinobjectivesget
replacedwithadifferentwinobjectives.Ifawinobjectivegetsreplacedwith
another,aplayerneedonlytosuccessfullycompletethemostrecent(the
replacement)winobjectivetowin.
SeetheadvancedcharacterdescriptionsintheCharacterGuideforfurtherdetails.
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TUTORIAL PLAYSETS and how to gradually change the game
Movingfromthebasicgametotheadvancegamecanbedaunting.Thisiswhyitis
recommendedthatyourgroupincrementallyaddsadvancedcharactercardstothe
game.Thegoalistoeventuallyknowandunderstandallofthenewrulechanges
thatthecharactercardsintroduce.Tohelpplayersthroughthisprocess,wesuggest
playingwiththefollowingplaysetsinorder.Ifthisprocessistooslowandyourgroup
isreadyforallsortsofnewcharacters,dontletthisrulebookslowyoudown.
Mostofthefollowingplaysetsaredesignedforaminimumof6players.Ifplaying
withmorethan6players,simplyaddinmoreregularteamcards(RedTeamand
BlueTeam).Whenfinishedplayingwiththefollowingplaysets,allplayersshould
thoroughlyunderstandthedifferenttypesofcardreveals,howtohandleconditions,
andevenhowpowerswork.
1)MyFirstBury(workswithanevenoroddnumberofplayers)
2Primaries(PresidentandBomber)
2Secondaries(PresidentsDaughterandMartyr)
1*Gambler*ONLYWITHANEVENNUMBEROFPLAYERS
?TeamCards(RedTeamandBlueTeam)
Thereshouldbe1extracardafterallcardsaredealt.Dealitfacedowntonobody.Thisisthe
"buried"card.
2)MyFirstCardShare
2Primaries(PresidentandBomber)
2Negotiators
?TeamCards(RedTeamandBlueTeam)
NowthatplayersknowhowtoplaywithburiedcardsandaGreycard,ifthereisanunevennumber
ofplayers,eitherchoosetoburyacardorputintheGambler.
Uptothispoint,playerscoulddoanythingtheywantedwiththeircards.Withthisintroductory
roleset,playersaretaughthowtoformally"cardshare"cards.
Thisalsointroducesplayersto"conditions"astheNegotiatorsstartwiththe"savvy"condition.
Atthispointinthetutorialplaysets,allformsofcolorrevealingshouldbeforbidden(evenifthere
aremorethan10players).
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3)FunwithCardSharing(requiresatleast7playersifburyingacard)
2Primaries(PresidentandBomber)
2*Secondaries(DaughterandMartyr)*ONLYIFBURYINGACARD
2PrimaryHelpers(DoctorandEngineer)
2*2ndaryHelpers(NurseandTinkerer)*ONLYIFBURYINGACARD
?TeamCards(RedTeamandBlueTeam)
Playersnowlearnhowintroducingcharacterscanchangegameplay.
Thisplaysetalsomotivatesplayerstocardshareasitisnecessaryinordertowin.
Atthispointinthetutorialplaysets,allformsofcolorrevealingshouldbeforbidden(evenifthere
aremorethan10players).
4)SuddenDeathCardSharing(requiresatleast8playersifburyingacard)
2Primaries(PresidentandBomber)
2*Secondaries(DaughterandMartyr)*ONLYIFBURYINGACARD
2PrimaryHelpers(DoctorandEngineer)
2*2ndaryHelpers(NurseandTinkerer)*ONLYIFBURYINGACARD
2InstantWin/Lose(TuesdayKnightandDr.Boom)
?TeamCards(RedTeamandBlueTeam)
Atthispoint,ifplayerswantadeeperexperienceandtherearemorethan10players,try5rounds
insteadof3.
Thisplaysetalsomotivatesplayerstohesitatewiththeircardsharingasitiscancauseaninstant
loss.
Atthispointinthetutorialplaysets,allformsofcolorrevealingshouldbeforbidden(evenifthere
aremorethan10players).
5)MyFirstColorShare
2Primaries(PresidentandBomber)
2CoyBoys
?TeamCards(RedTeamandBlueTeam)
Withthisintroductoryroleset,playersaretaughthowtoformally"colorshare.
The"Don'tAsk,Don'tShow"discussionshouldbeexplained.Thisisagameetiquettestatement
thatsuggestsplayersshouldn'taskoneanother,"Doyouwanttocolorshare?"iftheydon'tintend
tosharethecoloroftheircard.Withoutthe"Don'tAsk,Don'tShow"discussion,someplayersget
upsetwhentheyshowtheircolorwithoutitbeingreciprocated.
Atthispointinthetutorialplaysets,allformsofcolorrevealingarepermittedevenifthereare10or
fewerplayers.Thisnormallyshouldntbedonewith10orfewerplayers,butthisisalearning
exercise.
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6)FunwithColorSharing
2Primaries(PresidentandBomber)
2CoyBoys
2Spies
?TeamCards(RedTeamandBlueTeam)
Withthisintroductoryroleset,playersbecomemorefamiliarwithcolorsharing.
Atthispointinthetutorialplaysets,allformsofcolorrevealingarepermittedevenifthereare10or
fewerplayers.Thisnormallyshouldntbedonewith10orfewerplayers,butthisisalearning
exercise.
7)MyFirstActing
2Primaries(PresidentandBomber)
2Paparazzi
2Mimes
2Angels(ifplayingwithmore8playersormore)
?TeamCards(RedTeamandBlueTeam)
Playersareintroducedtoverysimplecharactersthatonlychangethewaytheplayeristobehave.
Atthispointinthetutorialplaysets,allformsofcolorrevealingarepermittedASLONGASTHERE
ARE11ORMOREPLAYERS.
8)MyFirstCardSharingPower(requiresatleast11players)
2Primaries(PresidentandBomber)
2*Secondaries(DaughterandMartyr)*ONLYIFBURYINGACARD
2PrimaryHelpers(DoctorandEngineer)
2*2ndaryHelpers(NurseandTinkerer)*ONLYIFBURYINGACARD
2Professors
2Spies
?TeamCards(RedTeamandBlueTeam)
Withthisintroductoryroleset,playersaretaughttheimpactofcharacterpowersandacquiring
conditions.
TheProfessorcharactershavethepowertoprovidethesavvyconditionwhencardsharing.Any
playerwiththisconditionmayneverrefusetosharetheircardorcolorifasked.
Atthispointinthetutorialplaysetsandbeyond,allformsofcolorrevealingarepermittedASLONG
ASTHEREARE11ORMOREPLAYERS.
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9)MyFirstCleanse
2Primaries(PresidentandBomber)
2Professors
2Medics
2Mummies(ifplayingwith8playersormore)
?TeamCards(RedTeamandBlueTeam)
Withthisintroductoryroleset,playersaretaughthowtheycangetridofallacquiredconditionsby
gettingcleansed.
TheMediccharactershavethepowertoprovidecleanseacharactercardonacardshare.This
meansthatacleansedcharacterisasitwasattheverybeginningofthegame.
10)MyFirstPrivateandPublicReveals(recommended11playersormore)
2Primaries(PresidentandBomber)
2Agents
2Security
2Negotiators(ifplayingwith8playersormore)
2Paranoids(ifplayingwith10playersormore)
?TeamCards(RedTeamandBlueTeam)
Withthisintroductoryroleset,playersaretaughthowtoformally"privaterevealandpublicly
reveal.
Thisrolesetalsointroducesinterestingcombinationsofcharacters,astheAgentandParanoid
havespecialrulesonlywheninplaytogether(duetotheAgentspowernotworkingonaParanoid
characterthathasalreadyusedtheirpower).
TheAgentcharactershavethepower,onceperround,toforceaplayertocardsharewiththem
aftertheyprivatelyrevealtheircardtotheirtargetplayer.However,theParanoidcharactersareonly
permitted1cardsharetheentiregame.IfanAgentattemptstouseitspoweronaParanoid
characteraftertheyvealreadysharedtheircard,thenthepoweriswasted.
TheSecuritycharactershavethepowertoprovidethetackledconditionaftertheypubliclyreveal.
Theycanonlydothisoncepergameastheircardremainspubliclyrevealedafterusingtheirpower.
Tackledplayerscantbeselectedashostagesduringtheroundinwhichtheyreceivedthe
tackledcondition.TheSecuritycharactersweredesignedtoaddmorestrategytothegameandto
preventthelastroundofthegamebeingaguessinggameofwhichhostagetheotherroomisgoing
tosend.
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11)Greyduation(requiresatleast7players)
2Primaries(PresidentandBomber)
1Sniper
1Target
1Decoy
1Victim
1Intern
?TeamCards(RedTeamandBlueTeam)
Thisrolesetisdesignedtogetplayersmorefamiliarwithhowdifferentgreycharacterscanmake
thegame.
IMPORTANT:theSniper,Target,andDecoycharactersarelinked.Thismeansthatyoucantbury
anyofthem.Ifyoustillwanttoburyacard,simplyseparatetheSniper,Target,andDecoy
charactercardsfromtherestofthecards.Shuffletheseremainingcardsandthenrandomlychoose
asingleburiedcardfromthatdeck.Afterwards,combinetheSniper,Target,andDecoywiththe
remainingdeck,shuffle,deal,andthenplayasusual.
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VARIANTS
BuryingaCard
Inthisgame,itispossibletodealacardtonobody.Thisiscalled"buryingacard"
andthecarddealttonobodyisthe"buriedcard."Buryingacardisagreatideais
youhaveanoddnumberofplayers(insteadofusingateamneutralcard,for
instance).However,whenyouburyacard,youmustmakesurethattheMartyrand
President'sDaughterareshuffledintothecharacterdeck.Otherwise,youmight
burythePresidentorBomberandbewithoutasubstitute.
BuryingaCardwithNonBuries
Inthisgame,therearesomecharactercardsthatrequirethattherebeaburied
card,andtherearesomecharactersthatarelinked,meaningtheycantbeburied.
Youcanactuallyplaygameswithlinkedcharactersandburyacard.Simply
separatethelinkedcharactercardsfromtheothers.Shufflethenonlinked
charactercardsandthenrandomlychooseasingleburiedcardfromthatdeck.
Afterwards,combinethelinkedcardsintothedeck,reshuffle,deal,andthenplayas
usual.
BuryingaCardwithEvenNumbers
Buryingacardcanbedoneevenifthereisanevennumberofplayers.Thisalso
opensupabunchofnewcharacterrolesforTwoRoomsandaBoom.Becauseof
this,itisperfectlyacceptable(andencouraged)toburyacardwithanevennumber
ofplayers.Justbesurethatwhenplayingwithaburiedcard,youmustplaywiththe
President'sbackupcharacter,thePresident'sDaughter,andtheBomber'sbackup
character,theMartyr.
ChangingRoundTimes
Someplayersmayfindtheoriginalgameformatunsuitablefortheirtaste.Consider
tryingagamestructurewhereeachroundlast3minutes.Itisstillrecommended
thatthehostageexchangenumbersineachroundremainthesameevenifthetime
limitdoesnot.
NoRoundTimes
Itispossibletohaveroundswithouttimelimits,thereforerequiringnotimeratall.
Todothis,afteraleaderhaspubliclyannouncedtheirhostage(s),theymaywaitin
thehallwaybetweenroomsfortheopposingleader(asdescribedinHostage
ExchangeEtiquetteintheSPECIALRULESsectionoftherules).
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PrivacyPromise
Someplayersprefertohaveguaranteedprivacywheneverdoinganycardsharing
orcolorsharing.ThePrivacyPromiserulevariantforcesallplayerstodoanycard
sharingorcolorsharinginasecludedprivateareaawayfromthepryingeyesof
otherplayers.Thisworksreallywellwhenplayingwithanycharactersthatmight
giveawaytheiridentitywhenotherswitnessconsensualrevealing(e.g.Zombie,Hot
Potato,IdentityThief,BodySnatcher,Werewolf,etc.)
PrematureRejection
Thereareadvancedcharactersthatcanloseduringthefirstround(e.g.
Agoraphobe,NuclearTyrant,etc.).Playerscanfindthisprettydemoralizing.The
PrematureRejectionvariantallowsgreycharactersthatlosethegamepriortothe
lastroundtotreattheircardasaGamblercard.Thisisanalternativewinobjective,
allowingtheseplayerstoremaininvolvedinthegametogainsometypeof
redeemingwin.
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DOCTOR/ENGINEER
TheDoctorandEngineeraregreatcharactersthataddagreatemphasisoncard
sharinginthegame.Whilehighlyenjoyed,playersoftenareleftwithquestionsabout
specificscenarioswiththese2characters.Thissectionisdedicatedtoansweringthose
questions.
AdditionalWinObjective
BoththeDoctorandEngineermakeitmoredifficultfortheirteamstowin,becausethey
addanadditionalobjectivethatmustbemet.TheRedTeamsprimarywinobjectiveis
stilltokillthePresidentwiththeBomber.TheBlueTeamsprimarywinobjectiveisstillto
avoidbeinginthesameroomastheBomber.However,withtheDoctorandEngineer,
thefollowingwinobjectivesareaddedtotheoriginalprimarywinobjectives.
WhenplayingwiththeDoctor,thePresidenthasaheartcondition,andmustmeetwith
theDoctorbeforetheendofthegame.IfthePresidentandDoctorfailtocardsharewith
oneanother,thenthePresidentexperiencesheartfailureandtheRedTeamwins!
WhenplayingwiththeEngineer,theBomberbeginsthegamewearingthewrongbomb!
TheBomberiswearingabombthatmakesflatulatingnoiseswhilereleasingconfetti.
Thebombisstilllethalasitwillcausewitnessestolaughtodeath,butitishumiliating.If
theBomberandtheEngineerfailtocardsharewithoneanotherbytheendofthegame,
theEngineerdidntchangethebombtobeaseriousexplosiveweaponofflaming
destructionandtheBlueTeamwins!
EndingtheGame
ThebestandsimplestwaytoendthegamewhenusingtheDoctorandEngineeriswith
aquickseriesofeasyquestions.
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TradingCharacterCards
Somecharactersforceplayerstotradecharactercards(e.g.HotPotato,MadScientist,
etc.).Attheendofthegame,itisthecurrentPresidentandBomberthatneedtohave
metwiththeDoctorandEngineerrespectively.So,forexample,ifthePresidentmetthe
Doctor,butthencolorsharedwiththeHotPotato,theHotPotatoandPresidentwould
havetoswapcharactercards.NowthenewPresident(formerlytheHotPotato)would
havetocardsharewiththeDoctorbytheendofthegame.BOOM,suckas!Just
remember,itistheBomberandPresidentthatgetaskediftheyevermettheEngineer
andtheDoctor(nottheEngineer,nottheDoctor,andcertainlynottheHotPotato).
PLAYTESTER RECOMMENDED PLAYSETS
6PlayerMystery
President/Bomber
President'sDaughter/Martyr
BlueTeam/RedTeam
PrivateInvestigatororAmnesiac
(requiresaburiedcard)
6PlayerInstantDeath
President/Bomber
Doctor/Engineer
TuesdayKnight/Dr.Boom
6Players,AtLeast1Loser
President/Bomber
Rival
Intern
Survivor
Victim
6PlayerGameofLove&Hate
President/Bomber
Ahab/Moby
Wife/Mistress
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2Rooms,2Booms,andaGunshot(6players)
President/Bomber
Sniper/Target/Decoy
HotPotato
Love,Hate,andMystery(89players)
President/Bomber
President'sDaughter/Martyr
Ahab/Moby
Wife/Mistress
PrivateInvestigator
MI6(removeifplayingwith8)
(requirestheBuryaCardwithNonBuriesvariant)
TheStandard(atleast7players)
President/Bomber
BlueTeam/RedTeam(optional)
President'sDaughter/Martyr
Doctor/Engineer
Nurse/Tinkerer(ifburyingacard)
(considerburyingacard)
TheParaphilias(atleast12players)
President/Bomber
President'sDaughter/Martyr
BlueTeam/RedTeam(optional)
Frotteur/Prude
r/bExhibitionist
r/bVoyeur
(requirestheBuryaCardwithNonBuriesvariant)
MurderMystery(atleast12players)
President/Bomber
President'sDaughter/Martyr
Doctor/Engineer
Nurse/Tinkerer
Sniper
Target
Decoy
(requirestheBuryaCardwithNonBuriesvariant)
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SpeakNoEvil(atleast12Players)
President/Bomber
BlueTeam/RedTeam(optional)
r/bAngel
r/bDevil
r/bBodysnatcher
r/bMime
r/bMummy
Valentine'sDay(atleast12Players)
President/Bomber
BlueTeam/RedTeam(optional)
Cupid/Eris
Ahab/Moby
Wife/Mistress
Rival
Intern
Survivor
Victim
Bipolar(atleast12Players)
President/Bomber
r/bCriminal
r/bEnforcer
r/bPsychologist
r/bDealer
NuclearTyrant
HotPotato
Antitrust(atleast13Players)
President/Bomber
BlueTeam/RedTeam(optional)
r/bCriminal
r/bImmunologist
r/bAmbassador
r/bSpy
r/bCoyBoy
HotPotato
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BashfulBash(atleast14players)
President/Bomber
BlueTeam/RedTeam(optional)
r/bShyGuy
r/bCoyBoy
r/bSpy
r/bNegotiator
r/bCriminal
r/bThug
r/bPsychologist
ColdWar(atleast15players)
President/Bomber
BlueTeam/RedTeam(optional)
Capitalist/Socialist
r/bAgent
r/bNegotiator
r/bCoyBoy
r/bSpy
MI6
MonsterThemeParty(atleast16players)
President/Bomber
r/bGargoyle
r/bGorgon
r/bHunter
r/bMummy
r/bVampire
r/bWerewolf
r/bZombie
NoShowandTell(atleast16players)
President/Bomber
BlueTeam/RedTeam(optional)
r/bCriminal
r/bPsychologist
r/bImmunologist
r/bShyGuy
r/bNegotiator
r/bFugitive
r/bFrotteur
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"Angles"andDemons(atleast18Players)
President/Bomber
BlueTeam/RedTeam(optional)
Doctor/Engineer
r/bWerewolf
r/bVampire
r/bShyGuy
r/bNegotiator
r/bAngel
r/bDemon
ArbitraryInfection(atleast11Players)
President/Bomber
President'sDaughter/Martyr
Doctor/Engineer
Nurse/Tinkerer
BlueTeam/RedTeam(optional)
Agoraphobe
Zombie
(requiresabury)
TheCoverup(atleast16players)
President/Bomber
Doctor/Engineer
r/bCoyBoy
r/bEnforcer
r/bGorgon(optional)
r/bImmunologist
r/bMayor
r/bMedic(optional)
r/bSpy
r/bUsurper
Copyright2013AlanGerdingandSeanMcCoy
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