Description

In Short: Token-based social deduction game.

In Full: Sanctus Malum pits the power of a few against the might of many in this twist on a social deduction game. Acting as a Guardian, you aid angels in ascending to their rightful place. Or are you an Imp in disguise, corrupting the virtuous?

One player is assigned the role of Justice, and receives the Justice token and the Action Card deck (to shuffle). The Justice role moves to the player on this first Justice's left at the beginning of every round. The Justice will make important decisions that affect the outcome of every round, and ultimately the outcome of the game.

Each player, including the Justice, is dealt an Alignment Card - which makes them either a Guardian or an Imp - and a Power Card (they may look at their cards, but must keep them secret). Power Cards give the player either a single-use power, a information trade power, the ability to "mark" a player, or the ability to give your team an extra point at the end of the game. These cards help add an extra level of complexity and strategy to the game.

During the start of gameplay, Action Cards are introduced to the group. The Justice deals two Action Cards to every player, who may look at them, talk about them, but must keep them hidden from other players. Players may play both Action Cards or play one and discard the other.

Action Cards affect the Recruit Tokens:

• Rise takes a single Angel Recruit out of the pool and frees it
• Redeem changes a Demon Recruit into an Angel Recruit
• Truce does nothing
• Corrupt changes two Angel Recruits into Demon Recruits
• Fall takes frees two Demon Recruits.

Justice's Decision: After all players have made their decisions on which Action Cards to play or discard, the Justice may swap players' Action Cards, up to the number of Imps in the game (so, if there are 3 Imps in the game, the Justice may swap up to three players' Action Cards). If a player plays both of their cards, the Justice can now discard both; if a player plays one and discards the other, the Justice can swap those cards around so the discarded one is now played.

The only way for a player to voluntarily discard both of their cards is for them to appeal to the Justice, hoping that the Justice will believe them when they claim that the cards will only do harm to their team.

Reveal: After the Justice has made their decisions, all played cards are collected and given face-down to the Justice, who shuffles them together. All discarded cards, and the remaining Action Card deck, are given to the player on the Justice's left (also face-down).

The Justice reveals the played cards one at a time, enacting the rules on each, continuing until all cards have been followed. At any time, if one team reaches their win condition, the game is over, and players may reveal their alignments.

Justice's Investigation: The final major piece to the game is the Justice's Investigation - on the round that the 10th Recruit is freed (regardless of Alignment, instead a total count of freed Recruits), the Justice chooses a player and secretly looks at that player's Alignment Card - beware, however, that there are Power Cards that may affect the Justice's decision and the outcome! The Justice may be truthful or lie about that player's alignment.

At the end of a round, the Justice role moves to the player to the left, and it all starts over again.

Whichever faction gets the most Recruit Tokens on their side wins the game! Supports up to 15 players.