The Resistance

Frequently Asked Questions

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How many fail cards cause a mission to fail?
Usually one
Just one card causes a failure. Exception: for one mission, the tableau indicates that two fail cards are needed.
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Can evil players choose to support a mission?
Yes!
Evil players have a free choice whether to support or sabotage -- it depends what they think will best further their ends.
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Can good players choose to sabotage a mission?
No
No, good players must choose to support a mission. (Why would you want to sabotage it anyway?)
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What is a 'tableau'?
The board
It's just a fancy name for the game board.
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How many players must be on a team?
It depends
The tableau shows how many team tokens to give out for each mission.
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Is the inquisitor secret?
No
No, everyone knows who has the token.
Is the inquisitor a character card?
No
No, it's a token. You get a character card too.
Who starts with the inquisitor token?
Leader's right
The player to the right of the leader gets the token at the start of the game.
Can I choose which mission to attempt?
No
You have to do the missions in order. The leader can't choose a mission unless you're using the targeting variant, and even then, there are some rules about what's what.
Do the spies always know each other?
Yes
In the regular game, yes. If you don't want this, you can use the blind spies variant.
Who is the starting leader?
Randomly choose
Just pick someone at random.
When does the game end?
After the third successful mission (Resistance wins), or the third failed mission (Spies win), or if there are five consecutive failed votes in a single round (Spies win).
Can I show my character card?
No
No, this would break the game. You can tell people what card you hold (or lie about it), but never actually show it.
Can the leader nominate himself or herself for a team?
Yes
Yes
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Can the leader vote for his or her own team?
Yes
Yes!
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What happens if the vote for a team is a tie?
It is rejected
A majority is needed to approve a team. So if the vote is a tie, it is rejected.
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Can a player receive more than one team token?
No
Not at the same time, no.
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What is and isn't allowed during discussion?
You are allowed to lie or tell the truth about your affiliation or other players'. You are allowed to admit or misrepresent your beliefs and any information you have. However, you are not allowed actually to REVEAL your affiliation or anyone else's, e.g. by showing others your character card or describing its appearance.
What if the spies win too often?
Use variants
You can use the inquisitor or blind spies variants to make the game more difficult for the spies if you find that they win too often.
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