Hidden Agenda: Rules of the Game

Introduction

Welcome to Hidden Agenda, a thrilling game of strategy and deception! In this guide, I’ll walk you through the rules and give you some tips to succeed. So, grab your detective hat and let’s get started!

The Objective

The goal of Hidden Agenda is to unveil the secret agenda cards and figure out who is working for the villains and who is on the side of justice. It’s a game of deduction and clever decision-making.

Game Setup

To begin, each player is assigned a character card. This card will determine if they are a hero or a villain. The game also includes secret agenda cards, which are distributed among the players. These cards will shape their objectives and motivations.

Round Structure

The game is played over a series of rounds. Each round, players take turns either investigating or manipulating. Investigators aim to gather clues and expose the villains, while manipulators try to hide their true intentions and mislead the investigators.

Investigating

As an investigator, your job is to follow the clues and unravel the mystery. You can choose to investigate a location, a character, or an event card. Each investigation will provide you with information that will move you closer to the truth. Use your deductive skills wisely!

Manipulating

If you have been assigned the role of manipulator, your objective is to deceive the investigators and protect the villains. You can manipulate the evidence by playing manipulation cards, which will create confusion and make it harder for the investigators to uncover the truth.

Reaching a Verdict

At the end of each round, the players must vote to accuse a character of being a villain or a hero. Majority rules in this decision. If the majority accuses a character and they are a villain, the investigators win. However, if the majority accuses a hero, the villains win. Choose wisely!

Conclusion

Now that you know the rules of the game, it’s time to put on your thinking cap and get ready for an exciting adventure. Remember, in Hidden Agenda, things are not always as they seem. Can you uncover the truth and thwart the villains? Good luck!

Let me tell you about Hidden Agenda, an expansion for The Resistance that adds new rules and modules to the game. If you want to play with this expansion, you’ll need a copy of The Resistance.

The main objective of The Resistance is still the same, but the specific rules change depending on which module you choose. You can mix and match modules, but it’s best to play each one individually first (without the Plot Cards) before trying out the combined experience.

What’s Included

• There are 6 Character cards for the Assassin (Commander, Assassin, Body Guard, Deep Cover, Blind Spy, False Commander)
• There are 2 Mission Cards (Success, Fail)
• You’ll need a Team Token
• In addition, there are 2 Defector Character cards
• There are 5 Defector Switch cards (3x No Change, 2x Change Allegiance)
• Finally, you’ll find 2 Inquisitor Loyalty cards (one for the spy and one for the resistance)

I. The Assassin Module

I know who the spies are, but we, the Resistance, will only win if we can keep my identity a secret.

Changes to Set Up

Instead of using one Resistance and one Spy character card, let’s use the Commander and Assassin character cards.

When it’s time to reveal, here’s what we’ll do so the spies can identify each other and I can identify them, without them knowing me:

• “Everyone, please close your eyes and extend your hand in front of you, with your fingers in a fist”

Spies: A Game of Intrigue and Deception

Let’s talk about a game called Spies. It’s a game that requires wit and cunning. Spies is a game where you have to figure out who is who and what is what. The game revolves around a group of players, each with their own secret role to play. Some players are Spies, while others are members of an elite force known as the Commanders.

The objective of the game is simple – the Commanders must identify the Spies and reveal their true identities, while the Spies must try to keep their cover and sow seeds of doubt among the Commanders. The game is played in several rounds, each round presenting a new mission for the players to complete.

How to Play Spies

So, how do you play Spies? Let me break it down for you:

• First, all players close their eyes and keep their hands in a fist in front of them. This creates an atmosphere of secrecy and suspense. The Spies, however, extend their thumbs so the Commanders can identify them.
• Next, the Commanders open their eyes and take a careful look around. They must discern who the Spies are based on their thumb extensions.
• Once the Commanders have gathered their information, the Spies put their thumbs down and re-form their hands into fists. This keeps their identities hidden.
• Now, the Commanders close their eyes. This ensures that the Spies’ identities remain undisclosed.
• With everyone’s eyes still closed and hands in fists, the game proceeds to the next phase.

After following these steps, the Spies and Commanders reveal their true identities, and the game continues with new missions and new rounds. The game ends after either three successful or three failed missions. If three missions fail, the Spies claim victory. If the Commanders manage to successfully complete three missions, they secure the win.

Gameplay Changes

In the world of Spies, anything can change in the blink of an eye. Here are some specific changes that can occur during gameplay:

• The game ends after either three successful or three failed missions. This means that every mission counts and has a significant impact on the outcome.
• If three missions fail, the Spies emerge victorious, celebrating their ability to deceive and manipulate.

So, are you ready to embark on a thrilling game of Spies? Gather your friends, put on your detective hats, and delve into the world of intrigue and deception. Remember, in the game of Spies, trust no one.

If we successfully complete three missions, we – the Spies – have one last chance to win the game. All we need to do is correctly guess who among the Resistance players is the Commander. We can discuss among ourselves without revealing any Character cards. The player who has the Assassin character card will then name one of the Resistance players as the Commander. If the named player is indeed the Commander, we win. However, if we fail to name the Commander, the Resistance wins.

If we decide to combine the Assassin Module with any variant that reveals Character cards, we should use the Inquisitor Loyalty Cards instead of passing Character cards. In this case, a spy must pass the spy Loyalty card, while resistance players must pass the resistance Loyalty card.

A Closer Look at the Trapper Module

In the game of Mission Teams, we sometimes have more players than we really need. Why, you may ask? Well, it’s so the Leader can keep a close eye on everyone and see what they’re up to. But here’s the twist: if you happen to be a psy on the Mission Team, you’ll constantly be questioning whether you’re helping the team or unknowingly giving your identity away.

Changes to the Set Up

When you have 8 players or more, things get a little different. You’ll need an extra set of Mission cards and an extra Team token. You can find them in the expansion, right by the Score Tableau.

What Happens during the Game

Now, let’s talk about the new rules for gameplay. When it’s time to assign the Mission Teams, the Leader gets one more Team token than usual. They then select an extra member to join the Team. The Mission Team Vote phase remains the same, so no changes there.

When we reach the Conduct the Mission phase, each of us has a chance to choose a Mission card and place it in front of ourselves without showing it to anyone. After that, the leader chooses one of the Mission cards, takes a quick peek at it, and sets it aside. This card won’t have any impact on the mission’s outcome. Then, the leader collects all the other Mission cards, shuffles them up, and reveals them.

The leader is allowed to discuss the cards that were played, but they can’t reveal the card that they set aside.

Now, let’s move on to the exciting Defector Module!

When playing the game, some players may decide to switch sides and join the opposing team.

Changes to the Game Setup

To represent this change, replace one of the resistance character cards and one of the spy character cards with the defector character cards.

Create a special deck called the Loyalty deck, which consists of 5 defector switch cards. Shuffle the deck and place it face-down next to the Score Tableau.

During the Reveal phase, the defector who is a spy does not open their eyes. Instead, they extend their thumb, indicating to the other spies that they are on their team.

Changes to the Game Play

At the start of the 3rd round and the beginning of each subsequent round, flip over one card from the Loyalty deck.

If the card shows “No Change,” there is no switching of allegiance, and the game continues as normal.

If I happen to draw the “Switch Allegiance” card, something really interesting happens. You see, there are two Defector players in the game, and this card makes them secretly switch sides. So, the spy Defector becomes a member of the resistance, and the resistance Defector becomes a spy! And this switch affects everything – victory conditions, rules for playing Mission cards, you name it. But here’s the catch – they don’t actually show or swap their Character cards.

Now, here’s where it gets even more exciting. The Defectors might switch allegiances once, twice, or maybe not at all during the game. Can you imagine the level of suspense and unpredictability that adds to the gameplay? It’s like a rollercoaster ride of loyalty and betrayal!

Now, if you decide to combine the Defector Module with any other variant that involves revealing Character cards, there’s a little tweak you have to make. Instead of passing around Character cards, you use these cool Inquisitor Loyalty Cards. So, if you’re a spy, you pass the spy Loyalty card, and if you’re a resistance player, you pass the resistance Loyalty card. And of course, the Defector players have to pass the Loyalty card that matches their current allegiance.

This variant adds so much depth and excitement to the game. It’s like a whole new level of strategy and mind games. If you’re up for a thrilling and intense experience, then you absolutely need to try this out. Trust me, you won’t be disappointed. In fact, you’ll be hooked! So, gather your friends, set up the game, and let the adventures begin with the Defector Module Variant #2.

Hey there! Did you know that in this game, the two Defector players actually know each other? It’s a fun twist that adds a whole new level of intrigue, especially in bigger groups.

Changes to Set Up:

When setting up the game, instead of using one Resistance and one SPy character card, you’ll use both Defector character cards.

During the Reveal Phase:

We’re gonna spice things up a bit! At the end of the script, we’re gonna add an extra step just for the Defectors. Ready for it? Here it is:

“Defectors, open your eyes and find your counterpart. Remember, keep it a secret!” “Now, Defectors, close your eyes and keep that secret safe.”