Götterdämmerung Rulebook

Table of Contents

Table of Contents

• Components
• The Idea of the Game
• Your First Game of Götterdämmerung
  • Setup
• Playing the Game
  • 1. Conspiracy Phase
    • Being Banished to the Underworld
  • 2. Action Phase
    • The Oracle
  • 3. The Council of the Gods
• The End of the Game
• Subsequent Games
• Playing Without a Game Master
• Hints For Each Phase
  • Setup
  • 1. Conspiracy Phase
  • 2. Action Phase
  • 3. The Council of the Gods
• Overview of the Gods And Their Actions
  • The Actions of Individual Gods

Components

• 27 God cards: 15 Norse Gods and 12 Valkyries
• 15 Faction cards: 5 Conspirators and 10 Protectors of Asgard
• 1 Oracle card
• 4 player aids
• 10 Action cards
• 2 dice

Players: 7–15. Ages: 12 and up. Duration: about 45 minutes.

The Idea of the Game

All players take on the roles of Norse Gods belonging to either of two Factions: the Protectors of Asgard or the Conspirators. However, only the Conspirators know each other. Over several rounds, you must try to banish all members of the other Faction to the Underworld. The first Faction to succeed wins the game.

First, we are going to explain how Your First Game is going to work. Then, from page 14 onward, you can find recommendations for Subsequent Games. On page 18, you'll get Hints For Each Phase, and, starting on page 19, there is an Overview of the Gods And Their Actions.

Your First Game of Götterdämmerung

For your first game, you will only play with three Gods, each with their own action that they can use. Götterdämmerung can be played very well without a game master. However, we recommend that you pick a game master to guide you through your first game. This will help the players focus entirely on their roles. Playing without a game master and with more Gods is described in more detail starting on page 14.

Setup

Depending on the number of players, use the following Faction cards:

Players (excluding the game master)	Protectors of Asgard	Conspirators
7	5	2
8	6	2
9	6	3
10	7	3
11	8	3
12	8	4
13	9	4
14	10	4
15	10

The game master does not receive a God card or a Faction card.

Shuffle the Faction cards and give one to each player (except the game master), face down. You may only look at your own Faction card. These cards determine which Faction you are part of. Three players take on the role of the three Gods, Odin, Thor, and Hel and take their God cards. Odin and Thor also get their matching Action cards, while Hel doesn't have an Action card. The other players each get a Valkyrie. All God cards are double-sided: the front (color) indicates that the God is in Asgard, while the back (black & white) shows that the God has been banished to the Underworld. All God cards start face up, since all Gods begin the game in Asgard. The number in the top left corner of the God cards determines the order of play: Odin has the number 1 and goes first. Thor has a 4 and comes next, then Hel follows with her 15. Valkyries don't have numbers (because they do not take actions), so they may sit in any place between the Gods. Lay out the God cards in a circle and sit down around them. Place the Oracle in front of Odin and the two dice in the middle of the circle.

Playing the Game

As Protectors of Asgard or Conspirators, your task is to banish all Gods from the other Faction to the underworld. However, only the Conspirators know the identity of the other Conspirators. Gameplay continues over several rounds, each consisting of three phases: the Conspiracy Phase, the Action Phase and the Council of the Gods.

1. Conspiracy Phase

Each round starts with a Conspiracy Phase. In this phase, the Conspirators banish one player.

At a command from the game master, all players close their eyes. A few seconds later, the game master gives the signal: "The Conspirators open their eyes." If you are a Conspirator, look around to see who else belongs to your Faction. As a group, silently agree which player you would like to banish to the Underworld. Then signal the game master, who places a die on that player's God card and then instructs everyone: "The Conspirators close their eyes," and a few seconds later: "Everybody opens their eyes."

The player with the die on their God card has been banished to the Underworld. This concludes the Conspiracy Phase.

Being Banished to the Underworld

If a player is banished to the Underworld, they turn their God card over so the black and white Underworld side is showing.

• However, they still get to keep playing as usual.
• Their Faction remains a secret.
• The other Faction has moved one step closer to winning the game.

2. Action Phase

In this phase, you try to gain an advantage for your Faction by using your actions and the Oracle.

Important: You can't talk or signal the other players during this phase.

The game master rolls both dice to determine who will be the Oracle for the round. Move the Oracle forward (towards the higher-number Gods) as many players as the result on the dice and place it in front of the corresponding player's God card. Take your Action cards (if your God uses any). In your first game, only Odin and Thor have Action cards.

In the order of play, each player takes their actions. The lower part of your God card shows you which actions you may take: Odin can protect another player from being wounded by giving them his Action card; Thor can wound another player—a player who has been wounded by Thor has one less vote in the voting during the next Council of the Gods; Hel can banish a wounded player to the Underworld. You get to choose whether or not you will use your action each round. Valkyries don't take any actions.

Illustration caption: Odin protects the Valkyrie who has the Oracle card in front of her. Thor wounds another Valkyrie. Hel banishes the wounded Valkyrie to the Underworld.

In later games, you will play with additional Gods, which may result in some players receiving more than one Action card.

The Oracle

If the Oracle is in front of your God card, you are the Oracle for this round. You may take a secret look at the Faction card of another player who is in the same world as you, i.e., in Asgard or in the Underworld.

First, all players in the same world as the Oracle push their Faction cards in front of their God cards. The game master announces: "Everybody but the Oracle, close your eyes." The Oracle looks at one of the Faction cards and puts it back. Then, the game master gives the signal: "Everyone opens their eyes" and the players push their Faction cards back under their God cards.

Illustration caption: In this round, a Valkyrie is the Oracle. She is in Asgard, so all of the other players who are in Asgard push their Faction cards to the front.

3. The Council of the Gods

In the Council of the Gods, you all discuss who you want to banish next. Then you vote on that player's fate.

During the discussion, you may want to ask the Oracle what they've seen and discuss the actions the other players have taken or chosen not to take. It is up to you whether you want to tell the truth or lie. Everything that has happened up to this point can be used for or against you.

This continues until one player says to another: "I accuse you!" Only players in Asgard can be accused. The accuser has to explain why they think the accused is a Conspirator. The accusation has to be supported by at least one other player, who says: "I support the accusation." If this doesn't happen, the accusation is dropped (and does not count towards ending the Council of the Gods—see below).

Next, the accused gets to make a speech in their own defense, explaining their actions and trying to convince the other players that they're innocent. The other players have to stay silent while the accused talks.

Then you all vote. Each player has one vote unless they've been wounded by Thor. (In later games, other Gods may influence your vote as well.) Stick your thumbs out to the side for all to see. At the game master's signal, you all vote at the same time. A thumb pointing down declares that you want the accused to be banished to the Underworld. A thumbs-up means you want them to stay in Asgard. You may not abstain from voting.

If there is a tie or more thumbs up, the accused stays in Asgard. Otherwise, they're banished.

Illustration caption: The voting went 4 to 2 in favor of the accused being banished to the Underworld.

If the accused is banished to the Underworld, the Council of the Gods ends and the next round begins.

Remember, players in the Underworld continue to take part in the game as usual, including voting whether or not to banish the accused.

If the accused player wasn't banished, the Council continues to discuss until one other player is accused. After you've voted on their fate, the next round begins, regardless of the outcome of the vote.

The End of the Game

The game ends when either all Protectors of Asgard or all Conspirators have been banished to the Underworld.

The game master reveals the Conspirators. The Faction that still has at least one player remaining in Asgard wins the game.

Subsequent Games

After your first game, you may want to swap out some of the Valkyries for other Gods with different actions. However, don't add too many Gods to the game at once: try to familiarize yourselves with their actions bit by bit.

We recommend adding the Gods in this order: Saga, Heimdall, Loki, and then Brynhild. If you're playing with more than seven players, we suggest you look at the number in the top right corner of the God cards. It is not recommended that you use God cards with a number greater than the number of players.

The Gods Idun, Skadi, Loki, Saga, Hel, and the Valkyries don't have Action cards. If you are playing one of the other Gods, take their corresponding Action card.

The number in the top left corner of the God cards determines the order of play during the Action Phase. With Odin as the first player, the Gods take their actions in ascending order, but it's okay to skip numbers when choosing which Gods to use.

The Valkyries are not affected by this ranking and may sit in any place.

You can either distribute the Gods according to your positions at the table or pick the Gods first and then sit down in the correct order around the God cards.

Illustration notes (Setup for 8 players): one God is labelled "Number 13 in the order of play"; another is labelled "Recommended for a game with at least 8 players".

Playing Without a Game Master

Götterdämmerung plays very well without a game master. During setup, make sure that all players have easy access to all cards and can see them okay. In the first phase, the Conspirators have to be able to place the banishment die without giving themselves away by making sounds.

One player, we recommend Odin, gives the official commands for the group to close their eyes, open them again, and so on, while of course following the instructions themselves, too. During the Conspiracy Phase, they count down loudly from 15. During this time, the Conspirators must choose a player and place the die on the according God card.

The Conspirators call an end to the game as soon as all players from either Faction have been banished to the Underworld.

Hints For Each Phase

Setup

The game master should try to create a fitting atmosphere for the game as well as guiding the players.

1. Conspiracy Phase

As Conspirators, you should take special care not to give yourselves away by sounds or movements. The Protectors of Asgard need to be especially alert during this phase to determine the direction suspicious sounds may be coming from.

2. Action Phase

It isn't always easy to remain silent during the Action Phase. However, doing so helps keep up the flow of the game. The game master should make sure everybody sticks to this rule.

3. The Council of the Gods

As Protectors, you should share the information you've gleaned from the Oracle with the other players. In general, you may (and sometimes must) lie in some situations. On the other hand, if your lie is discovered, you run the risk of being accused of being a Conspirator very quickly.

Overview of the Gods And Their Actions

You may receive several Action cards from the other players. For example, the loss of your vote can be countered if you receive an additional vote. If you have more than one vote, stick out another finger for each additional vote. You have to vote the same with all of your votes.

The Actions of Individual Gods

1. Odin — Place your Action card with another player's God card. They cannot be wounded.

2. Brynhild — Place your Action card on top of another player's God card to wound them. This player cannot take their action this round.

3. Sif — Place your Action card on top of another player's God card to wound them. This player cannot take their action this round. However, they receive one additional vote during all votes this round.

4. Thor — Place your Action card on top of another player's God card to wound them. This player cannot take their action this round. Furthermore, they have one less vote during all votes this round.

5. Idun — Remove a wound and return the Action card to its owner. If the removed Action card has a secondary effect, you remove that as well. If the player you've removed the wound from comes after you in the order of play, they are no longer wounded and can take their action as normal.

6. Njörd — Place your Action card with another player's God card who has been wounded. When it's their turn, if they're still wounded, you carry out their action instead of them.

7. Heimdall — Place your Action card with another player's God card. This player now has one additional vote during all votes this round.

8. Balder — Place your Action card with another player's God card. During this round's vote, that player has to vote normally, but must then adjust their vote(s) to match yours.

9. Freya — Place your Action card with another player's God card. If that player is accused, add the votes printed on this card to the result. Depending on how you vote, this means either two additional votes for banishment or two votes for them to stay in Asgard.

10. Tyr — Place your Action card with another player's God card. As long as your Action card remains with this player, they cannot be accused during the Council of the Gods.

11. Skadi — Remove one Action card from another player and give it back to its original owner. You can't remove the Oracle card in this way.

12. Loki — Place the Oracle card or an Action card another player received this round on your God card.

13. Dvalin — Place your Action card with another player's God card. As long as your Action card remains with this player, they cannot be banished to the Underworld, not even by Hel's action. You may not give your Action card to the same player again in the next round.

14. Saga — Move the Oracle card to either of the two neighboring God cards.

15. Hel — Point at another player who has a wound on their God card to banish them. They flip over their God card to show the black and white Underworld side.