Viva Revolution! (The Resistance)

You're meant to meet the mark in an hour, but you can't stand the waiting.  Everyone is in their place, slowly waiting. You look up, and see the glint of the gun.  There, off to the left, is your backup, making sure the mark doesn't run. Then, you hear the klaxon of alarms, and guards start rushing your location?  As you bolt down the sewer, you wonder: Who tipped them off?  This is a grave threat to The Resistance.



GAME DESCRIPTION:  The Resistance is a social bluffing game designed for 5 to 10 players.  At the start of the game, each player is either a Spy or a Resistance Member.  The Spies job is to have at least three missions to fail, whereas The Resistance must have three succeed.  Above all, discussions and accusations are primary and encouraged, as long as it's possible for everyone to hear.

SET-UP:  Each player is dealt 1 Character card, with a mixture of blue Resistance and red Spy cards according to the number of players.  Then, each player is given a vote Approved and Rejected card, and a Mission Pass and Fail card. The progress board is placed in the center of the table for all to see.  Spies then discover all other spy players, usually by having all Resistance players close their eyes.  Then, the Leader card is given to the first player.

TEAM BUILDING:  The Leader chooses a select number of players to go on the mission, determined by the number of players and mission number, by using the Gun tiles.  Then, players place either the Approved or Rejected card face-down.  When all players have chosen, all cards are flipped face-up.  If the majority are passes, the mission continues.  If the majority are rejected, the next player becomes leader, but the Mission number remains the same.



MISSIONS:  At this point, only the players chosen may vote.  All players place a Fail or Pass in the center face-down, and hand the rest to the dealer.  The cards are shuffled and revealed.  Resistance players may only play Pass cards.  If all the cards are Pass cards, the Mission is a success, and you place a success/blue Score Marker on the progress board in the appropriate spot.  If there is at least 1 fail, your cover is blown and the mission fails.  A red Score Marker is placed on the progress board.  Then, the leader card is passed to the next player.

VICTORY:  Once there are 3 markers of a single color, the game ends.  If there are 3 Red Markers, the Resistance crumbles, and the Spies have won.  If there are 3 Blue Markers, then the Resistance has become victorious.

CONCLUSION:  This is one of the first games I've played where the concept of something like Are You The Traitor? is done properly.  The structured turns, obvious goal, and focus on getting people to talk rather than say nothing help make this a very solid game.  This definitely creates a more at ease feel, like a gathering than a game.  If I had a criticism, it's that it's perhaps a bit too generic, no real theme with something like Secret Hitler or Sheriff of Nottingham. Still, this is a solid game for a solid group.