Game of Blame
Game of Blame Rulebook
Table of Contents
Table of Contents
Overview
In Game of Blame you must tell the Queen why her Realm is on the brink of ruin... then blame everyone else! Raise issues, make accusations and dodge your responsibilities in this fast-paced, back-stabbing card game for 2 to 4 players.
Experience the schemes and skulduggery of life at Medieval court in Game of Blame. Take on one of six roles as a royal advisor and tell the Queen exactly why her Realm is on the brink of catastrophe. Accuse your colleagues, bury your secrets and dodge responsibility as the deck runs down and incriminating evidence mounts.
On your turn you play up to 3 cards to the 'blame pile'. Each card played must share an emblem with the previous card (some cards have 2 emblems and either can be matched). In an ideal world, you want to utilise symbols that are not your own role as when it comes to apportioning blame (Accusation), the numbers of your cards vs the other person you have accused of being to blame will be counted.
Accusation is achieved by pointing your finger very vehemently at the accused player. Keeping a mental track of what's been played is therefore a really good strategy as looking through the pile is not allowed.
The player with the most of their own emblem in the pile takes the entire blame pile. However, you don't want those cards left in your hand at scoring either. All the other players not to blame may 'bury' a secret and discard one card of their 'own blame type' out of their hand permanently.
The game stops and is scored when the draw pile is exhausted.
—description from the publisher
Components
- 55 cards & rules
- 2–4 players
- Ages 9 and up
- 30 minutes approx.
- Game designed by Richard Wolfrik Galland
- Cover art by Emily Hare
- Made in the UK
The deck is made up of 6 Role cards (one for each of the six Roles), 6 Treason cards, and 42 Issue cards, each Issue marked with one or two Emblems.
Choose Your Role
Each player starts as one of six Roles, each of which comes with a specialisation and is represented with a card. Your Role can be swapped during the game — so don't get too attached to it! Hover over each Emblem to learn more.
Each Role card carries the Role's name, its Emblem, the name of its special ability, and the ability's text, printed exactly as follows:
Viceroy — Master of Estates
As the 'legitimate' heir to the throne, you don't want anyone stealing your role. Keep pretenders at bay and hope that those smelly peasants don't cause too much trouble.
Nobility — If another player swaps your Role, you may immediately draw 3 cards and swap it back.
Archbishop — Master of Faith
The Master of Faith answers only to God. Bestow unwanted issues on your rivals so they can atone for their sins.
Absolution — If you play 1 card, draw 1, then give 1 card from your hand to the player of your choice.
Treasurer — Master of Coin
As Master of Coin you can use the Realm's dwindling wealth to write off your misdeeds. Try not to be too generous!
Baksheesh — If you play 0 cards, draw 3, then bury 1 card from your hand into your Secrets pile.
General — Master of War
Your honour is your shield. If you have no secrets, no one can accuse you… unless the Queen gives your job to someone else.
Honour — If you have no Secrets, you cannot be accused by another player.
Wizard — Master of Magic
Some ignorant fools claim that magic doesn't exist. They'll regret their lack of vision when you use your dark arts to make their credibility with the Queen… disappear.
Sorcery — If you play 2 cards, instead of swapping Roles you must exchange your hand with any other player.
Spymaster — Master of Secrets
Exposing secrets and planting incriminating evidence is the Spymaster's speciality. But even a Master of Secrets knows not to dig too deep. Don't let the taint of treason wash off on you.
Espionage — If you play 3, instead of accusing a player you must take their Secrets into your hand, then give them 1 card from your hand.
Role abilities trigger in place of (or in addition to, as printed) the normal outcome for the number of cards you played — see "Taking a Turn" below for what that normal outcome is.
Untaken Roles
In games with fewer than six players, the remaining Role cards are not used to add extra players — they stay in play as untaken Roles. Untaken Roles are placed face up in the centre of the table, visible to everyone; laying them out side by side (rather than in a pile) is the recommended way to do it. You can swap a taken Role with another taken Role (including your own with another player's), or a taken Role with an untaken one, or even swap two untaken Roles with each other (which has no effect on play, but can be a useful way to spend a 2-card turn without changing anyone's situation).
—placement of untaken Roles per designer Richard Wolfrik Galland ("Wolfrik at Warm Acre"), official reply in the BoardGameGeek rules forum, 16 Dec 2016
Everyone's Got Issues
There are 42 Issues cards, marked with one or two Emblems. An Issue with an Emblem that matches your current Role is your Responsibility.
Issues are taken from the Draw pile into your Hand and played from your hand onto the Blame pile. Issues can also be buried from your Hand into your Secrets pile.
If a player accuses you and the Blame pile contains more Issues of your Responsibility than theirs, you must take the Blame (all the cards in the Blame pile). At the end of the game, only the Issues in your Hand that are your Responsibility count towards your final score. The higher your score, the worse your situation.
Treason!
There are six Treason cards in Game of Blame. A Treason card is a serious Issue that counts as having all Emblems and can follow, or be followed by, any card.
You can only play a maximum of one Treason card on your turn. Treason cards in the Blame pile do not count towards either player's Responsibility. Each Treason card in your Hand adds 6 points to your final score.
The Treason card itself reads:
Treason
This card counts as having all Emblems and can follow or be followed by any card.
Only 1 Treason card can be played on your turn.
Treason cards in the Blame pile do not count towards either player's Responsibility.
Each Treason card in your hand counts as 6 points towards your score at the end of the game.
Secrets
Secrets are Issues that are removed from play and 'buried' face down under your Role card. This Secrets pile does not count towards your Hand or your final score. Your Secrets do not move if your Role is swapped.
'Her Majesty Will See You Now' (Take a Turn)
Play up to 3 cards from your Hand onto the Blame pile, face up and one at a time. Each card played must share at least one Emblem with the card beneath it. Once you play a card, you cannot take it back. If you make a mistake, you must take the Blame.
The number of cards you played determines what you must do next:
| If you play... | You must... |
|---|---|
| No cards | Draw 3 cards into your Hand. |
| 1 card | Draw 1 card into your Hand. |
| 2 cards | Swap 2 Role cards. See "Swapping Roles" below. |
| 3 cards | ACCUSE another player. See "Accusing a Player" below. |
Remember that a Role's own special ability (see "Choose Your Role" above) can change what happens for a given number of cards played — follow the Role card's printed ability when it applies.
Swapping Roles
After playing 2 cards you must swap the locations of the two Role cards whose Emblems match the top card of the Blame pile.
If the top card has only 1 Emblem, you choose the other Emblem to swap with. If the top card is a Treason card, you choose both Emblems.
You can swap two players' Roles (including your own) or a player's Role with an untaken Role.
Once you have swapped the Roles, your turn ends and the next player takes their turn.
Accusing a Player
After playing 3 cards you must accuse another player.
You cannot accuse a player who has no cards in their Hand. If there are no players you can legitimately accuse, you must take the Blame yourself!
You and the accused player must go through all the cards in the Blame pile. Count up the cards that are your Responsibility (match your Role's Emblem) and those that are the accused player's Responsibility.
If the accused player has more Responsibility than you, they must take the Blame. If the Responsibility is equal or you have more Responsibility than the accused, you must take the Blame.
Accusation is achieved by pointing your finger very vehemently at the accused player. Keeping a mental track of what's been played is therefore a really good strategy, as looking through the Blame pile before an accusation is not allowed.
Take the Blame!
When you are told to take the Blame, you must take all the cards from the Blame pile into your Hand. Then, everyone except the player who took the Blame may put one card from their Hand into their Secrets pile.
End of Game & Scoring
The game stops and is scored the moment the Draw pile is exhausted.
At the end of the game, only the Issues in your Hand that are your Responsibility (matching your current Role's Emblem) count towards your final score, plus 6 points for each Treason card in your Hand. The higher your score, the worse your situation — the aim is to have the lowest score.
Card Notes
Issue cards are illustrated and titled after the misfortunes befalling the Realm, each stamped with one or two of the six Role Emblems. Examples printed on the cards include "Plague," "Pirates on our Trade Routes," "Druids Demand Rites," "Corrupt Officials," "Orcs Coming," "Enemy Spies," "Murderous Plots," and "Defective Love Potions." The Emblems are colour-coded to match each Role (Viceroy green, Archbishop purple, Treasurer orange, General red, Wizard blue, Spymaster grey) so that a card's Responsibility can be checked at a glance, in addition to its printed icon.
Designer Clarification: The Blame Pile
Players may not look through the Blame pile at will — the intent is for players to track what has been played from memory. The Blame pile is only examined card-by-card when it is actually being counted for an accusation. As designer Gavin Tyler put it in the game's official BoardGameGeek rules forum: "It was intended not to look into the discard pile and have to rely on your memory on what the pile contains, however you can play it how you wish depending on how you and your friends play. You need to open up the pile to count your's and your opponent's cards to see who is at fault for [an accusation]."