SABOTEUR

Welcome to Saboteur, a thrilling hidden role card game designed for 3 to 10 players. In this game, you will either be a miner, working hard to complete a path to the glorious golden nugget, or a cunning saboteur, determined to stop the miners in their tracks.

GETTING STARTED

When we play the game of Saboteur, one of the first things we need to do is separate the decks of cards. We’ll need to make the miners and saboteur deck, and the number of miners and saboteurs will depend on how many players are participating.

If there are 3 players, we’ll need 3 miners and 1 saboteur card. For a 4-player game, it’s 4 miners and 1 saboteur card. In a 5-player game, we have 4 gold miners and 2 saboteurs. When we bump up to 6 players, it’s 5 gold miners and 2 saboteurs. For 7 players, we’ll have 5 miners and 3 saboteurs. And if we have 8 players, it’s 6 miners and 3 saboteurs. When there are 9 players, we’ll need 7 miners and 3 saboteurs. Finally, in a 10-player game, we use all the cards.

Now that the decks are sorted, we’ll shuffle the player deck and give each player a card. This card will determine which team they belong to, but it will remain a secret. The remaining card is set aside face-down for the rest of the round.

To get started, we’ll need to set up the play area. First, grab the starting card with the ladder on it and place it right in the middle of the play area. Next, take the 3 goal cards, mix them up, and randomly stack them in a column at one end of the table.

Now, let’s combine the 40 path cards with the action card to create a single deck. Give this deck a good shuffle, and deal out the cards based on the number of players.

If you have 3 to 5 players, deal out 6 cards to each player. For 6 or 7 players, deal out 5 cards per player. And if you have 8 to 10 players, they’ll each get 4 cards. The remaining cards can go faceup next to the players as a draw pile.

Lastly, grab the gold deck, give it a shuffle, and place it to the side. Now we’re all set up and ready to begin the game!

Understanding the Cards

Hey there, let’s talk about the cards used in the game. We’ve got two kinds: action cards and path cards.

Action cards can do all sorts of things – they can help you out, make things harder for others, or give you some juicy info. We’ve got broken tools, fix tools, rockfalls, and maps.

When you play a broken or fix tool card, it affects a specific player. Each tool has a corresponding action, and if someone has a broken tool, they can’t play any path cards. Oh, and you can only have one broken tool and one fixed tool of each type. If you fix a tool, you get rid of the broken one. Some fix tools can even repair two different types of tools, but you can only fix one tool of either type.

Now, rockfalls are a bit different. When you play a rockfall card, it goes in front of you. And guess what? You get to clear one path card from the layout. But hold up – you can’t use a rockfall card on the goal or start card, okay? Those are off-limits.

I love maps! When you look at a map in this game, it shows you one of the goal cards. And guess what? You can actually share that information with everyone else! So, if you think the card on the map is worth digging towards, go ahead and let us know.

Now, let’s talk about path cards. These cards are super important because they help you move closer to your goal. You can use them to make your way forward or even block someone else’s path! But, here’s the catch – you can only play path cards that connect to the other paths. And if you’re attaching them to multiple cards, all the paths must connect. Oh, and by the way, path cards can only be played horizontally, not vertically.

GAMEPLAY

Alright, let’s get into the nitty-gritty of how to play the game. The youngest player gets to start, so it’s your time to shine! On your turn, you have a few options. You can play a path card and add it to the layout, you can play an action card and do something special, or you can discard a card by placing it facedown in the discard pile. Once you’ve made your move, draw the top card from the draw pile and pass the turn to the next player. Simple, right?

If you empty the discard pile, you don’t draw any more cards, but you still play a card on each turn.

The Round’s Conclusion

Let me tell you how a round can come to an end. There are two possible scenarios. The first is when the players manage to create an unbroken path from the starting point to a goal card. When this happens, the round potentially comes to a close. The second scenario occurs when the draw pile is empty, and none of the players have a card that can be played. In this case, the round ends as well.

Now, if a goal card is successfully reached, the player who played the last card to lead to it gets to flip it over. What happens next depends on what lies beneath that card. If it turns out to be the much-coveted gold card, then congratulations! The round ends, and the miners score some points. On the other hand, if the card reveals something other than gold, it is placed along the path, and the game continues.

However, there are times when the round ends before the goal card can be reached. In this situation, all the cards on the table are revealed, and it’s time for the saboteurs to tally up their points.

Scoring Explained

When the miners win the round, the last player who placed a card to reach the goal will shuffle the gold cards and draw as many as there are miners. They’ll have a chance to look at the cards and choose one to keep. Then, they’ll pass the stack to their left, to the closest miner (not saboteur). Each miner will receive one gold card.

If the saboteurs win, they will earn gold based on the number of saboteurs. If there’s only one saboteur, they’ll score 4 gold. If there are two or three saboteurs, each of them will receive 3 gold. And if there were four saboteurs, they’ll each get 2 gold.

All players keep their gold totals secret until the game ends.

After scoring, a new round begins. The player who played the last path card starts the new round.

End of the Game

When the third round is over, that’s it – the game is done. If you managed to collect the most gold, congratulations – you’re the winner.

Hey there! I’m Amber (They/Them), a writer from Austin who knows a thing or two about games. I’m a self-proclaimed gaming master, and when I’m not immersed in virtual worlds, you can find me hanging out with my furry friends, taking care of my leafy green plants, or diving into a thrilling game of Dungeons & Dragons.