Objective of the Game
In Saboteur, players take on the roles of miners digging through a mine in search of gold. However, some of the players are saboteurs who seek to hinder the gold search. The objective is for the miners to build a path to the gold while the saboteurs try to stop them.
Game Setup
- Number of Players: The game is suitable for 3 to 10 players.
- Role Distribution: At the beginning, each player is secretly assigned a role card indicating they are either a miner or a saboteur. The number of saboteurs depends on the number of players.
- Types of Cards:
- Path Cards: These cards create the tunnel (straight paths, curves, T-junctions, etc.).
- Action Cards: These affect other players or alter gameplay (e.g., breaking cards, removing blocks).
- Goal Cards: Three goal cards are placed face down - only one shows gold.
- Start Card: Placed face up on the table. Players begin digging their path from this card.
- Card Distribution: Each player is dealt 6 cards to start with.
Gameplay
Players take turns. On a player's turn, they can: - Play a Path Card: This card is added to the existing tunnel. Paths must connect back to the start. - Play an Action Card: Allowing them to, for example, destroy another player's tool (e.g. a broken pickaxe), by placing the relevant card. - Discard one card onto the discard pile and draw a new one.
Important Rules
- Paths cannot end in a dead end.
- Cards must match up at the edges.
- Action cards can be used to block or repair tools.
- Once the deck is exhausted, no more cards are drawn.
End of the Round
The round ends when the path card reaches the gold or when all the cards have been played or discarded. Players then reveal who the saboteurs were.
Winning Conditions
- Miners win if a path reaches the gold.
- Saboteurs win if the gold is not reached.
The winning side receives gold nugget cards as a reward. After three rounds, the player with the most gold cards wins.
Strategic Tips
- For Miners: Collaborate carefully to avoid unwittingly supporting the saboteurs.
- For Saboteurs: Try to seed mistrust among miners and use disruptions strategically while avoiding detection.
