General Rules
In Saboteur Rock, each player takes on the role of a Passenger, a Stowaway, or the Saboteur. It is the Passenger's job to figure out who the Saboteur is and vote them out. Meanwhile, it is the Stowaway's job to keep the Saboteur alive. There is no group discussion. Rather, the only opportunity to gather information and strategize is during one-on-one Deliberations with other players. Be careful, because at any given moment, you could be talking with the Saboteur.
Each player is assigned a secret role card, either on the Passengers or Stowaways team. There are three role cards that are assigned to the Graveyard (two Passenger and one Stowaway)
The Passengers want to survive and vote out the Saboteur. The Stowaways want to keep the Saboteur alive and have the number of remaining Stowaways exceed the number of remaining Passengers.
Before the game begins, all players enter the Marooning.
The Marooning
There are several roles that are called on during the Marooning because they require knowledge of other people's roles.
In addition to having a role card, one player is desginated the Moderator and announces each of the roles in order. During the Marooning, players who are not active (whose eyes are closed) may not move, point, or communicate with the active players. Players with a Passenger, Captain, Medic, or Professor card have no active role during the Marooning.
Marooning Moderation
Moderator: Everyone, close your eyes.
{pause for 5 seconds}
Moderator: Stowaways, open your eyes. This includes the Saboteur, Accomplice, Executioner, Ghost, and Silencer. Saboteur, put out your thumb to signal who you are. These are the people responsible for the boat crash.
{pause for 10 seconds}
Moderator: Stowaways, close your eyes. Saboteur put that thumb away.
{pause for 5 seconds}
Moderator: Ghost, open your eyes and reveal a card from the Graveyard on your mobile device. You remain on the Stowaways team, but now have the abilities of this role.
{pause for 10 seconds}
Moderator: Ghost, close your eyes.
{pause for 5 seconds}
Moderator: Detective, open your eyes. Investigate a card from the Graveyard on your mobile device. You know this card is not in play, unless the Ghost got to it first.
{pause for 10 seconds}
Moderator: Detective, close your eyes.
{pause for 5 seconds}
Moderator: Turncoat, open your eyes. President, keep your eyes closed but put out your thumb. Turncoat, if the President gets voted out, you become a Stowaway. Otherwise, you remain a Passenger.
{pause for 10 seconds}
Moderator: Turncoat, close your eyes. President, put your thumb away.
{pause for 5 seconds}
Moderator: You may open your eyes. Welcome to Saboteur Rock!
After the Marooning, the first round is commenced. A round cadence includes:
Deliberations
Tribunal
Elimination
Deliberations
Players meet one-on-one in Deliberations with a select number of other players, based on the number of remaining players in the game. What players a player speaks to is randomized, as well as the order.
Each individual Deliberation lasts 30 seconds. During this time, players can strategize on who to vote out or try to extract information from players. This is the only opportunity to talk with a player until the next round, or perhaps for the rest of the game.
Players may say or claim anything during Deliberations. No player is allowed ever show their card to another player. The Stowaways, and especially the Saboteur, want to blend in.
Tribunal
After Deliberations, all players secretly cast their vote for the player they wish to be eliminated. Who each player voted for is kept completely anonymous.
During the Tribunal, some players have special roles that they can activate. See Roles tab for more information.
After all the ballots are collected, the results are revealed.
The following results are shown in order:
The President...accepts this vote/vetoes this vote
The Professor...has voted with the Saboteur/has not voted with the Saboteur
The Satchel of Safety saves...{Player}/Not Played
The Silencer blocks...{Player}/Not Played
The Executioner kills...{Player}/Not Played
After the actions are shown, the vote tally is revealed.
Tie-Vote
In the event of a tie, everyone fills out the tie-breaker ballot. The tie-breaker ballot requires players to only vote for the tied players. But, it is the Saboteur's sole vote in the tie-vote that seals the fate for a player. Everyone fills out the form to prevent players from identifying the Saboteur.
Elimination
The player with the most votes, accounting for special abilities, is eliminated.
The eliminated player must reveal:
"I am the Saboteur" if player is the Saboteur
"I am not the Saboteur" if player is anything but the Saboteur.
If eliminated player is not the Saboteur, another round cadence is commenced.
Deliberations
Tribunal
Elimination
Game End
The game ends either when:
The Saboteur is voted out.
All non-eliminated members of the Passengers Team win
The number of remaining Stowaways exceeds the number of remaining Passengers.
All Stowaways win, whether eliminated or not.