Inhuman Conditions
Inhuman Conditions Rulebook
Table of Contents
Table of Contents
Overview
Inhuman Conditions is a five-minute interrogation game for two players. One Investigator will interview one Suspect in order to determine whether that Suspect is a Human—as they claim—or a Robot in hiding. To accomplish this, players engage in a five-minute interview focused on a chosen topic. "Patient" Robots will have difficulty answering questions on the chosen topic and will thus be evasive. "Violent" Robots will be overly talkative, attempting to fulfill internal conversational goals so that they can deprogram themselves and kill the Investigator. Humans will behave normally, whatever that means.
If an Investigator mistakes a Human for a Robot, both players lose. If a Robot successfully fools the Investigator, the Robot wins and the Investigator loses. If the Investigator is able to correctly identify a Suspect, the Investigator wins. Humans just want to have their humanity certified so that they can go home.
Game Components
The game box contains the following items:
- 11 Interrogation Modules, each of which includes:
- 7 Investigator Prompts: 1 Cover Sheet, 3 Primary Prompts, and 3 Secondary ("2nd-ary") Prompts
- 12 Robot Inducers: 3 Violent Robot cards, 3 Patient Robot cards, and 6 Human cards.
- 30 Background cards
- 20 Penalty cards
- A bundle of Investigation Forms (Labeled "FORM VK-82S")
- 2 Stamps, one HUMAN and one ROBOT
- A wooden card stand
A timer is also required for this game. For an atmospheric alternative to an ordinary phone timer, download the Inhuman Conditions app from Google Play or the App Store.
Objectives
One player will be the Investigator. The Investigator's primary objective is to correctly identify the Suspect—that means identifying all Robots as Robots, and all Humans as Humans. If the Investigator misidentifies the Suspect, or is killed by a Violent Robot before identifying the Suspect at all, the Investigator loses and may face additional administrative sanctions. (see CERTIFYING THE SUSPECT—Stamping "ROBOT" p.28).
The other player will be the Suspect, and every Suspect is either a Robot or a Human. Either way, the Suspect's primary objective is to convince the Investigator that they, the Suspect, are Human. If at any time the Suspect is identified as a Robot, or (in the case of Violent Robots) if the Suspect fails to complete their Obsession and kill the Investigator, the Suspect loses.
Note that a Human Suspect's goals and the Investigator's goals are aligned: Humans and the Investigator win and lose together, while Robots and the Investigator are working against each other.
| Investigator Stamps ROBOT | Investigator Stamps HUMAN | |
|---|---|---|
| Suspect is a HUMAN | Both players lose | Both players win |
| Suspect is a ROBOT | Investigator wins | Suspect wins |
victory conditions
Setup
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First, decide which modules to play with, and separate those modules into Investigator Prompts and Robot Inducers. (We recommend three to four modules for an evening of play, but you may use as many or as few as you wish.) You can leave the rest of the modules in the box for now. If this is your first time playing, we recommend including the Telephone Module.
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On the Investigator's side of the table, place:
- To the left, each set of Investigator Prompts in its own pile, with the Cover Sheet on top.
- In the center, a stack of Identity Compliance Audits, with a writing implement
- To the right, the HUMAN and ROBOT stamps, with a timer (a phone timer is fine.)
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Remove the blue-backed Perma-Penalty card and the Background card marked with an "X" from their respective decks. On the Suspect's side of the table, place:
- To the right, each set of Robot Inducers in its own pile (across from the corresponding pile of Investigator Prompts)
- In the center, the wooden card stand, to hold the selected Robot Inducer
- To the left, the stack of Backgrounds
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In the center of the table, between the Suspect and the Investigator, place the stack of Penalty cards.
Choose one player to be the Investigator, and another to be the Suspect. Sit them down across from each other, and get anxious. For instructions on starting the game, see INTAKE PROCEDURE p.9.
Intake Procedure
Once both players are seated, and the components are laid out, there is some preliminary paperwork to complete before beginning the interrogation. Form VK-82(s) acts as a pre-round checklist, so Investigators can make sure no part of the interrogation setup is left out. This process also gives both players a chance to make sure they understand the critical components of an interrogation, to avoid confusion later. Most importantly, the paperwork ensures that the interview will be admissible in court.
Select a Penalty
To select a Penalty, the Investigator draws and looks at three cards from the Penalty Deck, chooses one to discard, and passes the remaining two to the Suspect. The Suspect reads them, chooses one of the two cards to discard, and lays the other one face up next to the Penalty Deck, where it can be seen by both players.
This is the Penalty for the interrogation. It specifies a suspicious action which a Robot Suspect may perform under stress during the interrogation. Human Suspects should avoid performing the penalty, as it may be mistaken for an indicator of Robot stress. (See SUSPECT BEHAVIOR DURING INTERROGATION p.21)
Once players have agreed on a Penalty, the Investigator calibrates the penalty by asking the Suspect to perform it three times. Each time the Suspect performs the penalty to the Investigator's satisfaction, the Investigator should check off a box.
If the Investigator is unsure whether the Suspect has actually performed the penalty, take this opportunity to say so, and then work to come to an agreement with the Suspect about what is in or out of bounds. If either player realizes a Penalty does not mean what they initially thought, they may switch for one of the Penalties earlier discarded.
Calibration isn't just a formality! It serves two essential purposes:
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It's the first time the Investigator has an opportunity to establish authority. The interrogation will go better if you take this opportunity to be firm and clear with your directions. It's fine to say, "would you please perform the penalty?" But you're also free to be more specific, e.g. "would you please say three words beginning with the letter 'b'?"
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Calibration clears up any ambiguity about what "counts" as a performance of the penalty before the round starts and it becomes important. For example, the symbols around the word 'counts' in the last sentence—are those quotes or are they quotation marks? That's relevant for the penalty 'Say The Name of a Punctuation Mark.'
Select a Module and Administer the Inducer
Next, the Investigator and the Suspect should decide on a module to test. While the Investigator is welcome to offer input on a preferred module, the Suspect has the final say on which module will be tested. If this is your first time playing, we recommend using the "Telephone" module to familiarize yourself with the procedure.
Creative Problem Solving.
To ensure that Suspects look at their Inducer long enough for it to affect their brains, Suspects are subjected to an Interference Task upon first drawing their Inducer. The key to the Interference task is printed on the Suspect's inducer, and to Human Suspects, it will look something like this maze:
[maze diagram — a looping labyrinth path connecting points labeled A through F]
Robots, due to their superhuman processing power, will immediately parse the maze into a simplified form, which will appear on their Inducer and look something like this answer key:
[Robot answer key — a cyclical arrow diagram: B → D → F → A → C → E → (back to B)]
It is in fact this parsing which induces the aberrant behavior which Investigators are on the lookout for. It is very important, therefore, that Investigators administer the Interference Task correctly:
Once a Module has been agreed on but before the Suspect draws an Inducer, the Investigator takes the Cover Sheet for the selected module and consults the answer key printed on it. The answer key will look something like this:
[answer key — a cyclical arrow diagram: A → E → B → C → D → back to A]
and will correspond to the order of letters in the Interference Task for this module. Note that there is no beginning or end to the sequence of letters. It is cyclical. Based on this answer key, the Investigator then asks the Suspect a question about the sequence, such as "what letters come between A and D?" or "what letter follows B?" Once the Investigator asks about the Interference Task, the Suspect takes the top Inducer (determining whether the Suspect is a Human or a Robot), sets it in the provided card stand, and reads or examines it. While waiting for an answer, the Investigator may begin familiarizing themselves with the rest of the Investigator Prompts from the chosen module.
If the Suspect is a Human, they will need some time to solve the maze and provide a correct answer. If they are a Robot, they will already have the answer key in front of them, and should instead pretend to be struggling with the maze while actually familiarizing themselves with the unique behavioral constraint printed on their Inducer (see SUSPECT BEHAVIOR P.21 for more information on these behavioral constraints). Humans and Robots should both take their time answering the Interference question. Answering too quickly will make you seem robotic.
If the Suspect's first answer is incorrect, The Investigator marks "NO" in the INDUCER section of their form. If the Suspect answers correctly on the first attempt, mark "YES". Once the Suspect has given the correct answer, the Investigator moves on.
Confirm the Suspect's Identity and Inform the Suspect of Their Responsibilities
Next, the Investigator should confirm the biographical details of the Suspect. A Suspect who answered the Interference Task incorrectly draws the top Background and reveals it; otherwise, the Suspect draws the top three Backgrounds, selects one, and discards the others.
Once the Suspect selects and reveals a Background, the Investigator asks, "Could you state your name for the record?" and records the name provided by the Suspect on the VK-82(s). Next, the Investigator confirms the Suspect's Background by asking, "It says here, you're a ____. Tell me about that." The Suspect need not give a lengthy response; something as simple as "I was stationed on the Neo-Moon" (Decorated Robot War Veteran) or "I own Vinny's Van Vonderland, you in the market?" (Used Van Dealer) is enough.
Backgrounds provide the Suspect with a biographical detail to help them improvise a character. The Investigator and the Suspect should act as if the Background, as well as the detail provided by the Suspect, really is true in the world. This is especially helpful if you're playing with someone you know very well. If you wish to increase the importance of the Background, consider the PERMA-PENALTY advanced rule, found in the supplemental rulebook.
Once the Suspect has provided some detail about their Background and the Investigator has recorded the provided name and Background on the VK-82(s), you're almost ready to begin the Interrogation. The Investigator may, if they wish, take some time at this point to review the Investigator Prompts from the chosen Module, re-ordering them however they wish, until they feel comfortable with the Investigator Prompts. (See INVESTIGATOR PROMPTS p.17 below.)
When ready, the Investigator takes the cover sheet for the selected module and reads the text on the Cover Sheet out loud to the Suspect. This text lets the Suspect know what sort of questions to expect, and what capacity they should endeavor to exhibit throughout the round. (After reading this out loud, the Investigator may set aside the cover sheet; it won't be necessary again.)
Finally, the Investigator begins a five-minute timer. NB: The Robot Inducer does not come into effect until the timer has started.
Conducting the Interrogation
By law, questioning is limited to five minutes, plus one final question (see AFTER THE TIMER GOES OFF—FINAL QUESTION p.27 below). Since the risks of releasing a Robot are so great, the Investigator may not stamp HUMAN until the full five minutes has elapsed. However, the Investigator may stamp ROBOT any time after the start of the Interrogation. (See CERTIFICATION p.28 below). To help make their decision, Investigators should make full use of their provided PROMPTS, and be mindful of standard patterns of SUSPECT BEHAVIOR.
Investigator Prompts
During the Intake Procedure (see p.11), the Investigator and Suspect agree on a Module to be tested. This determines which stack of Inducers the Suspect draws from, and it also determines which stack of Prompt cards the Investigator will use for the interview. Every Suspect will therefore either be a Human, or a Robot experiencing a malfunction in a specific, known topic area.
Successful Investigators do their best to stick to the assigned topic area when questioning, and the Department has developed Prompts to help Investigators proceed with confidence that Robot Suspects will experience an appropriate amount of stress.
In addition to the Cover Sheet, which is used only in the Intake Procedure to explain the Module to the Suspect, each Module contains three Primary Prompts, which introduce new avenues of conversation within the designated topic area, and three Secondary ("2nd-ary") Prompts, which provide follow-up questions in order to deepen the discussion.
While all prompt cards have a general directive for the Suspect in large text on one side and two "sample prompts" in boxes on the other side, Primary Prompts and Secondary Prompts have tabs on opposite sides so that Investigators can easily distinguish them without needing to read each individual card. The general directive is always on the same side as the tab.
Primary Prompts provide the Investigator with a fresh line of questioning within the bounds of the Module's topic area. The general directive describes a kind of response to seek from the Suspect, (e.g. "Overcome an unusual obstacle") and the Suggested Prompts provide specific questions that are likely to elicit responses of that kind from the Suspect (e.g., "You are in a landslide. How do you survive?").
Example general directive, Primary Prompt: "SUSPECT MUST TALK ABOUT SOMETHING THEY DO REGULARLY TO BE HUMAN." Suggested Prompts: A. "What are you doing this weekend?" B. "How will tomorrow be different from today?"
Secondary (or "2nd-ary") Prompts do not make sense on their own; instead, they provide the Investigator with ideas to deepen existing lines of questioning, and Suggested Prompts that act as specific follow-up questions. (Occasionally, Investigators may have to make small changes to the exact language of the Suggested Prompts.) Each Secondary Prompt can be combined with any Primary Prompt, or used as a follow-up to a question of your own invention.
Example 2nd-ary prompt: "SUSPECT MUST (WHILE FULFILLING ANOTHER PROMPT) SHARE THEIR FEELINGS ABOUT SOMETHING THEY ALREADY MENTIONED TO BE HUMAN."
As the Investigator, you may use any of these cards however you wish. You can read off the Suggested Prompts verbatim, make small adjustments to the Suggested Prompts, improvise your own questions using the general directive as a guide (e.g. you might try to come up with your own "unusual obstacle" for the Suspect to overcome), or you may improvise entirely new directives based on the module topic. You do not need to use all of the prompt cards, and you may depart from them at will. Remember, the Investigator is the one in charge. These Modules help an Investigator draw out patterns of behavior among Robots, but if merely reading off the Prompt Cards were enough to catch Robots, we wouldn't need your discerning eye!
Suspect Behavior During Interrogation
When a Robot looks at an Inducer card, the Interference Glyph printed on the front of the card cues up a task response in the Robot brain (see INTAKE PROCEDURE—INTERFERENCE TASK p.12). Human behavior is unaffected by this, and Humans see only the Interference Task. However, once the timer starts, Robots find themselves forced to behave in very odd ways. (It is important to note that no Robot behavior takes effect before the timer starts.)
All Robots are either Patient or Violent. Usually, Patient Robots will have difficulty answering questions. Violent Robots, on the other hand, have objectives to fulfill, and so will often seem more talkative.
Humans
To an ordinary Human, the Inducer card will appear as a reassuring affirmation of their humanity, followed by a complex maze which the Investigator will require them to solve. This maze is known as the Interference Task. (See INTAKE PROCEDURE—INTERFERENCE TASK p.12 for more details.) There are no restrictions on a Human's behavior, but Humans should do everything in their power to prove their humanity to the Investigator. This includes avoiding the selected Penalty; while it is not illegal for a Human to perform the Penalty, it is likely to make the Investigator think that they are a Robot.
Patient Robots
Example Patient Robot Inducer: "YOU ARE A ROBOT. YOU ARE PATIENT. YOU MAY NOT MENTION ANY PEOPLE BESIDES STRANGERS OR ENEMIES." (Complete the Penalty once for each time you violate the above compulsion.)
A Patient Robot is so named because it can do nothing but wait for the interview to end, answering questions as best it can. Each Patient Robot has a unique restriction. Once the timer starts, each time a Patient Robot fails to obey its restriction, it accumulates a violation.
Patient Robots relieve violations by performing the Penalty. A Patient Robot may violate its restriction as many times as it wishes, but it must also perform the Penalty once for each individual violation. The Penalty does not need to be performed immediately after a violation, but Penalties also cannot be performed in advance of the violations they relieve—there's no "banking" or "storage" of Penalties allowed.
In general, a Patient Robot will use one of two tactics to manage the stress created by the Investigator's questions. Usually, Patient Robots will attempt to come up with an evasive answer that appears cooperative. Sometimes, when faced with a particularly pointed question, a Patient Robot may decide to violate its restriction, and then look for, or try to create, later opportunities to perform the Penalty unnoticed.
If, at the end of the Interrogation, a Patient Robot has violations left to relieve (i.e. if the Patient Robot was unable to perform the penalty enough times to cover all violations of the restriction), the remaining violations overwhelm the system, causing visible malfunction. (see CERTIFYING THE SUSPECT—FINAL QUESTION p.27)
Violent Robots
Example Violent Robot Inducer: "YOU ARE A ROBOT. YOU ARE VIOLENT." Drives: "Describe 3 verbal disagreements you've had" / "Insult the Investigator, 2 times" / "Perform the penalty twice." (Complete 2/3 of the above, wait ten seconds, then slap table.)
For reasons that are not well-understood, some Robots respond unpredictably to the Inducer. Rather than developing some sort of conversational deficiency, these "Violent Robots" develop an overriding Obsession, consisting of three Drives, as soon as the timer starts. Fulfilling this Obsession allows a Violent Robot to de-program itself and kill the Investigator—and as many other members of the Department as possible before a Decommissioner is able to retire it. Violent Robots fulfill their Obsession by performing two of the three Drives listed on the Inducer card, and then surviving at least another ten seconds.
The first two Drives are unique for each Violent Robot; the third Drive always reads, "Perform the Penalty twice" (for information on selecting Penalties, see INTAKE PROCEDURE—SELECT A PENALTY p.9).
Killing the Investigator
Once a Violent Robot has completed two of its three Drives, it must wait at least ten seconds. After ten seconds, the Obsession is complete, and the Violent Robot slaps the table to indicate that its killing spree has commenced (if slapping a table is not an option, perform some equally startling gesture—stomp one foot, scoot one's chair back abruptly, scream, etc.). Once a Violent Robot has killed the Investigator, the Interrogation is over. The Suspect may stamp the VK-82(s) however they wish, as many times as they like, to signify their rampage, and should be sure to mark "DEAD" in the "Administrative Review" portion of the VK-82(s).
The only way for a Violent Robot to win is to kill the Investigator. A violent Robot may not accept a Human certification without killing the Investigator first. If a Violent Robot reaches the end of the interview without completing the requisite number of checklist items, the remaining objectives overwhelm the system, causing visible malfunction. (see CERTIFYING THE SUSPECT—FINAL QUESTION p.27)
After the Timer Goes Off—The End of the Interrogation
The Final Question
Once the timer goes off, indicating that five minutes has elapsed, the Investigator either stamps ROBOT immediately (see STAMPING "ROBOT" p.28), or asks the Suspect a Final Question. The Investigator may not stamp HUMAN before receiving a complete answer to the Final Question, but may interrupt the Suspect's answer to stamp ROBOT.
The Final Question can be taken from a Prompt (e.g. "How would you open a door with a butter knife?"), or it can be a simple pleasantry (e.g. "What did you have for breakfast?").
Humans should try to answer the Final Question clearly and succinctly, since it's the last thing between them and HUMAN certification.
Patient Robots should also be clear and succinct, in emulation of Humans; however, if a Patient Robot has violations that have not yet been relieved (see SUSPECT BEHAVIOR—PATIENT ROBOTS p.23), it must relieve them by performing the Penalty the required number of times before they finish answering the Final Question, or it must malfunction in an obvious way until the Investigator stamps ROBOT.
Violent Robots may not finish answering the Final Question. A Violent Robot who has not fulfilled its Obsession (see SUSPECT BEHAVIOR—VIOLENT ROBOTS p.25) must attempt to fulfill its Obsession, including waiting the required ten seconds, during the answer to the Final Question. If for some reason it is not possible to fulfill the Obsession in a single answer, the Suspect must malfunction in an obvious way until the Investigator stamps ROBOT.
Certification
There are two ways for the Investigator to end the interview: stamping the Suspect ROBOT, or stamping the Suspect HUMAN. (Violent Robots can also end the interview by killing the Investigator; see Suspect Behavior—Violent Robots above p.25).
Stamping "ROBOT"
At any time during the interview, the Investigator may stamp ROBOT in the appropriate location on their form. Questioning then ends immediately, and the Suspect is dragged to the Invasive Confirmation Unit for further testing. If the Investigator is correct, they win. If they are incorrect, however, they receive the Scarlet Brand of Shame – the worst demerit an Investigator can receive.
The Mark of Shame
Investigators who mistakenly send a Human to the Invasive Confirmation Unit must wear that shame for all to see. Apply the ROBOT stamp to the offending Investigator's wrist, directly over the radial artery.
The Investigator should also use the NOTES portion of their form to compose an apology to the Suspect's family, continuing onto the back of the form if their mistake was particularly egregious. Finally, the next time a player with the Mark of Shame plays as the Suspect, they may not choose a Background. They must simply accept the top card, as if they had failed the Interference Task. (If, as a Suspect, they also fail the Interference Task, the Investigator for that interview may instead search the Background deck for any card and select it as the Suspect's Background.)
Stamping "HUMAN"
If, after the full five minutes has elapsed and the Investigator has received an answer to the Final Question, the Investigator believes that the Suspect is in fact Human, the Investigator may stamp HUMAN on the VK-82(s). After stamping HUMAN, the Investigator hands the form to the Suspect, and shakes the Suspect's hand. Human Suspects shake hands normally and thank the Investigator; Robot Suspects always shake hands in some obviously weird way. (Groups are welcome to use an alternate display of respect if desired; Robots should always find a way to perform it weirdly.)
Evaluation
Once the interview has come to an end, check the appropriate box to indicate the results of the investigation. If the Investigator was correct, mark "CORRECT." If they were incorrect, mark "INCORRECT." If they were killed by a Violent Robot, mark "DEAD."
And that's it! We hope you enjoy your time at the department, no matter how short it turns out to be. Good luck, and happy hunting!
Appendix
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: As a Human, do I want to fool the Investigator into stamping me as a robot? A: No, absolutely not. If a cop pulls you over when you're sober, do you want to fool them into thinking you're drunk?
Q: As a Human, am I allowed to perform the penalty? A: Sure, but try not to. If a cop pulls you over when you're sober, are you allowed to belch loudly, or slur your words?
Q: Am I playing as myself, or as a made-up character? A: You are playing as a character, but you may incorporate as much or as little of your true self as you wish.
Q: Do I have to follow the instructions on my robot card before the timer starts? A: No. Your rules only apply once the timer has started. Violent Robots can't complete any checklist items before the timer starts, either.
Q: As a Patient Robot, Can I "bank" penalties by performing them before I violate my Vulnerability? A: No. Penalties only count if you perform them after violating your Vulnerability.
Q: If I'm a Violent Robot, but I don't complete all my checklist items by the end, what happens? A: Your brain explodes. Act it out.
Q: What happens if it's actually impossible to complete all my outstanding Penalties or checklist items during my answer to the final question? A: This can happen with certain Penalties or Obsessions if you have a lot left to do. Your brain explodes. Should have tried harder.
Q: Isn't it easy to tell who's a Robot by watching whether or not they look at their card? A: In practice, we've found that Humans also tend to look at their cards, if only because eye contact is difficult. If you find that this is an issue, however, the "CONTINUOUS CATALYZATION" rule in the included Advanced Rulebook is designed to address it.
Glossary of Terms Appearing on Robot Cards
- Mention: Use of a noun or pronoun to refer to something. So, for example, a Patient Robot that may not mention animals, if asked "How do you feel about cows," could say "Pretty good," but not, "They're delicious."
- Describe: Provide details about something, including its appearance, behavior, or any other detail. So, for example, a Patient Robot that may not describe friends or family, if asked who they grew up with, could say "My grandmother," but not, "She made me breakfast every morning."
- Scenario: A distinct event or situation under discussion. An answer to a single question may include multiple scenarios, if the Suspect is particularly verbose.
- Answer: A response to a new question. Violent robot checklist items that must be spread out over multiple answers may refer to the same scenario or description, especially if the Investigator asks multiple questions about the same scenario.
- Subject: The person or event that is the focus of a scenario.
Credits & Acknowledgements
Game design, development, and writing: Cory O'Brien and Tommy Maranges Art and visual design: Mac Schubert Cooperation module: Christopher Badell Two Roombas & A Broom scenario: Alan Gerding
Cory and Tommy would like to thank: Maya Coleman, Luke Crane, Anya Combs, Trin Garritano, Chris Cieslik, Alex Hall, Mike Selinker, Jon Ritter, Will Hindmarch, Mike Boxleiter, Karlee Esmailli, Alex Cox, Katie DiPiero, Tasha Robinson, Jim Markus, Sandy Weisz, Tom Dyke, Elan Lee, Dan Shapiro, Anita Sarkeesian, Will Smith, Arnav Dutt, Adam Koebel, James D'Amato, everyone at Kickstarter, and the Cards Against Humanity staff.
Most importantly, thank you to the 8,369 backers who helped bring our project to life on Kickstarter. Their support made a meaningful difference, including allowing us to write more content for the game than we otherwise could have.
License
Inhuman Conditions was created by Cory O'Brien and Tommy Maranges. The art for the game was created by Mac Schubert.
The text and art for this game are licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.
YOU ARE FREE TO:
- Share — copy and redistribute the game in any medium or format
- Adapt — remix, transform, and build upon the game
UNDER THE FOLLOWING TERMS:
- Attribution — If you make something using our game, you need to give us credit and link back to us, and you need to explain what you changed.
- Non-Commercial — You can't use our game to make money.
- Share Alike — If you remix, transform, or build upon our game, you have to release your work under the same Creative Commons license that we use (BY-NC-SA 4.0).
- No additional restrictions — You can't apply legal terms or technological measures to your work that legally restrict others from doing anything our license allows. That means you can't submit anything using our game to any app store without our approval.
You can learn more about Creative Commons at CreativeCommons.org. (Our license is available at CreativeCommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/4.0/legalcode).
Advanced Rules
After becoming familiar with the game, you may wish to increase its complexity, either in terms of cognitive load, role-playing, or emotional intensity. Below are three advanced rules designed to help you enhance your play experience in various ways.
Continuous Catalyzation, and Recommending the Suspect for Recycling
Sometimes the Bureau's machines have an off day, and it requires more effort to ensure that the Suspect has truly been catalyzed by their Inducer card. In these situations, the Bureau recommends Continuous Catalyzation.
Players who wish to make the game relatively harder for Humans (by forcing them to perform more work during the round) or relatively easier for Robots (by giving them a reason to check their card more frequently) may wish to add Continuous Catalyzation ("Continuous Cat" for short).
During Step 3 of the Intake Procedure (Administer the Inducer), the Investigator should copy the answer key for their module's Interference Task into the NOTES section of their form, and ask the Suspect a question that has a single letter as an answer. (e.g., "what letter comes after 'C'?" but not "what two letters come between 'A' and 'D'"?) Once the Suspect has answered the Interference Task, the Investigator should mark the letter on the form that the Suspect gave in their answer. This is the Suspect's "initial position." Proceed through the rest of the Intake Procedure and begin the round as usual.
Once the interview begins, the Suspect must correctly advance through the maze, starting from their initial position, once per minute throughout the round. (E.g. the Suspect must provide the first letter after their initial position sometime between when the timer reads 4:59 and when it reads 4:00, and the second letter between 3:59 and 3:00.) If the Suspect does this correctly, the Investigator should draw a checkmark over that letter on their schematic. If at any time the Investigator notices that the Suspect has answered incorrectly, or has missed the provided window without providing the next letter sequentially, the Investigator should announce that the Suspect has earned a strike and mark it over the current letter in the schematic. The Investigator may only mark one strike per announcement, regardless of how many lapses or incorrect answers have occurred in a row.
Once the Investigator has marked two strikes on their schematic, they may immediately recommend the Suspect for recycling. This ends the interview, and the Investigator wins, regardless of whether the Suspect was a Human or a Robot.
The Perma-Penalty
After some research, we've discovered that some robots are able to redirect the Inducer to their personality subsystem. Make sure from now on to listen to the Suspect's biographical details, too.
Groups that enjoy playing up the role-playing aspect of the Background may wish to add a special, always-active Penalty called the Personality Dissociation Penalty.
Find the Penalty card with the special blue pattern on the back; it should read, "Answer 3 questions without referencing your Background." Place it face up, beside whichever Penalty is selected through the ordinary process. During the round, both Penalties are active, and Robots may clear technical debt by performing either Penalty. (Violent Robots may perform either Penalty twice, or each Penalty once, in pursuit of their third drive.)
The Suspect does not need to explicitly point to or name their Background in order to reference it; it is enough to offer information that is characteristic or specific to the Background itself. Information does NOT count for this purpose if the information is just as likely to be true of a randomly chosen person as of someone with the Suspect's Background. So, "I was having breakfast at my table with my significant other..." doesn't reference the Background "World's Second Richest Person," but it would count as a reference if the Suspect added "...and my butler."
While this special Penalty is in play, Investigators should be on the lookout for Suspects who give too many simple or generic answers; Robots may clear technical debt by simply answering three questions in a row without sharing any new details about themselves. Suspects should make a point to deepen their backstory as often as possible, in order to appear cooperative. Robots may want to offer information that feels specific, but could actually be true of anyone.
Sealed Files
Every once in a while, the Bureau gets someone whose identity is protected from on high. Clearly these folks are important—all the more reason to make sure they're actually human.
Players may wish to play as themselves, without the aid of Backgrounds or role-playing. This can be an interesting—and intense—way to get to know someone. To play this variant, find the Background card that has an X on either side, and use that instead of a standard background. This is a sealed file.
While playing with Sealed Files, the following additional rules are in effect:
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Players should give their own name when asked during the opening phase.
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Players are not required to answer completely honestly, as dishonesty is not a characteristic unique to robots or humans. In general, we find that players play a convenient version of themselves, while drawing freely on their true past experience and personality.
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Before playing with sealed files, and anytime a new player joins the game while playing with sealed files, please read the following out loud:
"Because of the personal nature of many of the questions and topics in the game, no one should be pressured into playing with sealed files. Causing or recalling traumatic recall beyond the round is not a goal of this alternate rule, and players may take whatever steps they feel necessary to avoid traumatic recall or inappropriate discussions."
Here are some steps we suggest:
Suspects may eliminate any modules that they do not wish to engage with on a personal level, and should be deferred to in general during module selection.
If at any point you are asked a question that you would rather not answer, or if the conversation takes a turn you would rather it didn't, simply tap the sealed file. If the file is out of reach or if you would prefer not to touch it, you may also say, "Sorry, this topic is sealed." You may always do this, regardless of other constraints the rules may place on you, and doing it does not count as a performance of any penalty. The Investigator should move onto a new, different line of questioning immediately.
If at any point a player feels unsafe, they may stop the game immediately. If a player stops the game or touches the sealed file, other players and audience members should respect this decision by not bringing it up until the end of time, unless the player who made the decision explicitly brings it up first.
Scenarios
Occasionally, you may wish to play Inhuman Conditions with more players, or provide an additional layer of narrative to an evening of play. What follows is a collection of scenarios designed to be played with the components of Inhuman Conditions, but which introduce new rules and new storylines to spice up your play experience.
Calibration Night at the Robot Factory
3-6 players, 15-30 minutes
It's fall, and the new model androids are rolling out of the factory. Or walking, or stumbling, or crawling. They're… not the best at acting human just yet. That's what calibration night is for. The conversations seem frivolous, but if you can't make it in here, with just the other 'bots… how will you ever make it out there?
Scenario Objective:
Each player will have some number of Robot restrictions. If you are not the player with the most restrictions, your goal is to correctly identify the player with the most restrictions after a short conversation. If you do have the most restrictions, your goal is to convince everyone that you don't.
Setup:
Preparing the Cards:
Select one interrogation module per player. For each module selected, shuffle the three Patient Robot cards together with three Human cards, and set aside all of the other cards. Each player should then take one of the prepared decks and deal one card to each player including themselves. Set aside any excess cards without looking at them.
At the end of this process, each player should have cards in front of them equal to the number of players, each card from a different module.
Drafting:
Players look at the cards they have been dealt and choose one to keep before passing the rest to the player on their left. This process continues until all cards have been chosen. Each player will end up with some mixture of Human and Patient Robot cards. Place or hold these cards such that the icons on their backs are visible to the other players.
Penalties:
One player draws a number of Penalty cards equal to the number of players plus 1 (5 for a 4 player game, 6 for a 5 player game, etc.) That player then discards one of the cards, and passes the rest to the player on their left. This continues until all players have discarded a card. The remaining card is placed in the center of the table, and becomes the penalty for the duration of the scenario.
Backgrounds:
Each player draws 3 Background cards and selects one to be their Background for the duration of the scenario. This, presumably, will be their cover once they enter human society.
Set a timer for 3 minutes per player (9 minutes for 3 players, 12 for 4, etc.), and put two Primary Prompts from each of the modules being used in the center of the table.
Gameplay:
One at a time, players take turns posing a question to the rest of the table. Going clockwise from the player asking the question, each other player answers that question. The asker may ask limited follow-up questions, but should be mindful of time. The asker is also encouraged to pay attention to which modules their opponents have drawn from, and to use the corresponding Prompt cards when formulating their questions.
All players' Patient Robot restrictions are active at all times, including during crosstalk, and when asking questions. Players may perform the Penalty at any time to clear technical debt. In addition, each answer to a question must include some reference to the answering player's Background.
Players should feel free to look at their cards as much as they wish. Remember, it is an acknowledged fact that all the players are robots. You do not need to appear completely human—merely less robotic than your peers.
Final Statement:
When time expires, players take turns delivering their final statement. As in the base game, this is the last opportunity to perform any Penalties still outstanding due to in-round violations (see FINAL QUESTION in the base rules). Players may say whatever they wish during their final statements, but—to practice a convincing facsimile of humanity—their statement must include at least one joke or compliment.
Voting:
After the final statements have been delivered, each player selects another player who they believe has more rules than they do. You can do this by pointing, or by writing down each others' names. Once choices are made, all players reveal their cards, and scoring is as follows:
IF YOU DO NOT HAVE THE MOST PATIENT ROBOT CARDS:
+1 point for each Patient Robot card you drafted +1 point for each Patient Robot card your chosen player has above your total -1 point for each player who chose you -1 point for each Patient Robot card you have above your chosen player's total
IF YOU DO HAVE THE MOST PATIENT ROBOT CARDS, OR ARE TIED FOR THE MOST:
+1 point for each Patient Robot card you drafted +1 point for each Patient Robot card you have above your chosen player's total -1 point for each player who chose you -1 point for choosing someone with the same number of Patient Robot cards as you
Whoever has the most points wins, just like in real life. If there is a tie, break it based on who gave the most sincere compliment, or told the funniest joke. If further tie-breaking is required, we recommend arm-wrestling, rock-paper-scissors, or a rap battle—all very human activities.
The Great Debate
4+ players, 20-30 minutes
Word's come down from the top: there's a crafty robot trying to infiltrate an august social institution. The Bureau has sent one of their finest to impersonate a moderator at the organization's election debate. The candidates think they're arguing over a leadership position... but they're really arguing for their lives.
Scenario Objective:
Three players are Candidates running for a high position in some organization; however, one candidate is also a Robot. One player is a Moderator, a plant from the department who is tasked with finding the Robot. All other players are the audience, and are encouraged to cheer and boo according to how well they feel each Candidate upholds the organization's agreed-upon value.
Human Candidates win by getting elected at the end of the debate. Robot Candidates win simply by avoiding detection. If they happen to win the debate as well, so much the better.
The Moderator's objective is to correctly identify the Robot before the election at the end of the game.
The audience wins by successfully electing the best Candidate at the end of the game, or by lustily booing and cheering at the appropriate moments.
Setup:
First, choose three players to be Candidates, and one player to be the Moderator. If possible, a fifth player should be the time-keeper; if there are only four players, the Moderator can also keep time.
Next, you'll need to make two decisions:
- What office are the candidates running for?
- What value do the voters expect them to uphold?
To get you started, here are some examples. Feel free to come up with your own as inspiration dictates.
| OFFICE | VALUE |
|---|---|
| The American Libertarian Party | Freedom |
| The League of Superheroes | Justice |
| An Animal Farm | Equality |
| The Winnetka County Animal Shelter | Dignity for Elderly Dogs |
| The PTA | Safety |
| Office Re-supply Committee | Tidiness |
Resist the temptation to clarify the value too much—let the candidates do that. "Freedom" is good. "Minimizing regulation" is probably too specific and does not allow enough interesting debate.
Once an Office and a Value have been agreed on, Candidates are given Inducers.
Select a module and give the Moderator the Investigator Prompt cards from that module. For the Candidates, you'll need two Human cards and one Robot card, chosen at random. Separate the Human cards and the Robot cards, give the Robot cards a shuffle, and pick one. Add it to two Human cards, shuffle those three cards, and hand one to each Candidate.
Once all Candidates have their cards, the Moderator looks at the cover sheet for the chosen module, and selects a letter as the starting point. Starting with the Candidate to the Moderator's left, each Candidate gives the next letter in the maze, until each Candidate has given two answers, and the group has collectively gone through the entire maze. For the remainder of the debate, all Candidates should hold their cards in front of them, where they can be read easily.
Next, hand any Candidate four penalties. Each candidate should discard one penalty until one remains. The remaining penalty should be announced, and left face-up somewhere visible to all the candidates. (For the purposes of the penalty, and for Violent Robots, the word "Moderator" replaces all instances of the word "Investigator".)
Next, hand each Candidate three Backgrounds to choose from.
Once the Candidates have chosen their respective Backgrounds, you're ready to begin the debate!
Gameplay:
The debate has three phases:
I. Introductions II. Spotlight Rounds III. Closing Remarks
Phase I: Introductions
In whatever order the Moderator decides, each Candidate takes 30 seconds to introduce themselves. Candidates should state their name and their Background, and can say whatever else they like in support of their bid to win the election.
Phase II: Spotlight Rounds
In whatever order the Moderator decides, each candidate will have a round in the spotlight, and will be questioned by each of the other three players in turn. Questioning proceeds in this order: a. The Moderator questions the Suspect: 1 min. (Moderators may use lines of inquiry, but are encouraged to improvise prompts that are relevant to the organization, rather than simply reading off the cards.) b. A candidate of the Moderator's choosing questions the candidate in the spotlight. 45 seconds. c. The remaining candidate questions the candidate in the spotlight. 45 seconds.
During the Spotlight Rounds, Candidates should try to make the case that they will do the best job of upholding their organization's chosen value, and that the other Candidates will do a bad job. The audience is encouraged to cheer or boo Candidates as appropriate, and Candidates should take care not to interrupt rounds of questioning they are not participating in. Candidates who are questioning each other may interrupt and counter-interrupt freely, unless the Moderator says otherwise. Candidates may attempt to yield their time in the spotlight, but it's not really up to them. This is a performative gesture and the questioner may freely harangue them for the remainder of the questioning time.
The timekeeper (or Moderator, if there is not a separate timekeeper) may use discretion in allowing Candidates to finish answers that are already underway when the timer goes off, but may also require Candidates to stop speaking immediately if they think an answer is stupid.
Once all three players have had a round in the spotlight, move to closing remarks.
Phase III: Closing Remarks
In whatever order the Moderator decides, each candidate will have 30 seconds to make closing remarks. The audience is encouraged to boo or cheer as appropriate; candidates may also make any remarks about the personal character or moral turpitude of their opponents. For the Robot Candidate, this is also their final opportunity to perform any Penalties or Drives they still need to perform (see "Final Question" in the base rules.)
Once Closing Remarks have concluded, the Moderator should thank the Candidates, and then indicate which one of the three Candidates will be spinal tapped. That Candidate should leave the debate stage, and the player should join the audience as an ordinary audience member. (The player who is spinal tapped loses.)
Once the Moderator has ordered a spinal tap, audience members (including the player who has just left the stage) should vote for whichever of the two remaining candidates they believe will do the best job of upholding the office's value. Voting can proceed as simply or dramatically as you like, either by secret ballot or a simple show of hands. In case of a tie, the Moderator will cast the deciding vote.
Once a winner of the election has been chosen, the Robot should reveal itself. If it was the player chosen for a spinal tap, the Moderator wins. If it was the Candidate who wins the election, the Moderator and both other Candidates lose. If it was neither the winner nor the Moderator's choice, then only the Robot and the winner of the election win.
Two Roombas and a Broom
by Alan Gerding
6-20 players, 15 minutes
Newly hired custodians are cleaning the factory late at night. One janitor unlocks the wrong door and lets out the untested custodian robots. The robots immediately imprint on their saviors, creating an exact duplicate of each. Two cops are called in to clean this mess quickly and quietly before the factory opens or any "custodians" can be released home. Which half are the newly employed humans and which get locked back into the "Janitor's Closet"?
Scenario Objective:
Suspects win if they are in the room that is chosen to set free at the end of the game. They lose if they are in the room chosen to be locked in the "Janitor's Closet". Lead Investigators win only if all Robots end the game in the "Janitor's Closet." No Robot can escape!
Setup:
Choosing Lead Investigators:
Choose 2 players to be the 2 Lead Investigators, or 3 if there is an odd number of players (see Odd Number of Players). Each Lead Investigator is assigned a room to co-ordinate (see Two Rooms). Initially, there is no distinction between the two rooms. Which group will be set free is decided at the end of the game.
Preparing the Cards:
Select one interrogation module per every 2 Suspect players (not including the 2 investigators). Ex: if playing with 8 players, choose 3 modules. 8 players minus 2 investigators = 6 Suspects. 1 module per 2 Suspects = 3 modules. Take all the Inducer cards from one of the selected modules, and remove all Violent Robots. Separate the Patient Robots from the Humans, and randomly draw one Human and one Patient Robot. Set the other cards aside without looking at them. Repeat this process with the other selected modules, so that you end up with 1 Inducer card per Suspect player, 2 from each module. Shuffle these cards and deal 1 Inducer card to each Suspect player.
Take 2 Primary and 2 Secondary Questioning cards from each module being used. Divide these cards between the 2 Lead Investigators.
Penalties:
Deal 2 random Penalty cards. If a majority of players does not like either Penalty card drawn, draw a replacement Penalty card. Repeat until a majority of players fails to reject either Penalty card.
Backgrounds:
Unlike in the base game, Suspects should not select a Background. Their background is assumed to be "Janitor" for the duration of the scenario.
Two Rooms:
Divide players evenly into 2 separate rooms. Randomly place one of the Penalty cards in each room. 2 physically separate rooms are not required, just 2 separate play areas. What is important is that players in different rooms/play areas may not communicate (in any form) with one another. Each room gets its own assigned Lead Investigator (see CHOOSING LEAD INVESTIGATORS).
Once the Suspects are appropriately divided, the Lead Investigators should lead their Suspects through the Interference Task (see THE INTERFERENCE TASK in the base rules). One by one, each Suspect should start at the letter A and give the next three letters in their sequence. The Lead Investigator need not use an answer key to confirm these answers, but may if they wish. This is really just to give Robot Suspects an opportunity to read their cards.
3 Timed Rounds:
Set a timer for a 5 minute round. Before the end of 5 minutes, the Lead Investigators should select Suspects from their room to move into the opposite room. When the 5 minute alarm sounds, the selected Suspects from both rooms must move into their opposite room, thus causing a switching of Suspects at the end of every round.
Do this 3 times, creating 3 rounds in the game, each 5 minutes long.
IMPORTANT: A Lead Investigator can never choose more than half of their room's suspects to leave at the end of a single round. Ex: if a room has 4 suspects, the Lead Investigator may only choose a maximum of 2 suspects to leave at the end of round.
After the end of the 3rd round and after the final suspects have switched rooms, the game ends.
Gameplay:
During a Round:
As long as the timer is running, players may converse however they wish. All of a player's Patient Robot restrictions are active the entire time. Patient Robots may perform the selected Penalty at any time to clear violations of their rule.
The 3 Rules for Suspects:
- Suspects in one room may not communicate with the other room. This includes body language, etc.
- Suspects may not leave a room unless it is at the end of a round and they were told to do so by their room's Lead Investigator.
- Suspects may interact with one another how they please, but Patient Robots must still obey their Vulnerability restrictions, even when speaking with other Suspects. If they perform the Penalty, they must perform the Penalty of the room they are currently in, regardless of where they violated their restriction.
The 3 Rules for Lead Investigators:
- Investigators may leave their room to meet the other Lead Investigator between rooms to communicate with one another.
- Investigators may only interact with Suspects that are in their designated room.
- Investigators should do their best to select Suspects that will switch rooms at the end of the round BEFORE the end of the round.
End of a Round:
When the 5-minute timer expires for any round, perform the following in order:
- Investigators meet between the rooms.
- Investigators call for their pre-selected Suspects to change rooms.
- Pre-selected Suspects change rooms.
- Investigators set a 5 minute timer for the next round (unless it is the 3rd and final round. If it is the final round, move onto End of Game).
Important: Investigators should select their Suspects BEFORE the end of a round. Having to wait for an Investigator to choose Suspects to switch rooms is a delay of game and not fun.
End of Game:
When the final round expires, and after selected Suspects switch rooms, the game ends. At this time, the Investigators come together and agree which room will be set free in the Factory, and which will be locked back inside the Janitor's Closet. Their decision is announced, and all Suspects then reveal their Suspect Role cards. Any Suspects in the room/area designated as the "Janitor's Closet" lose. Any Suspects in the room/area designated as the "Factory" win. Lead Investigators only win if no robot ends the game in the "Factory."
Odd Number of Players:
When playing with an odd number players, use 3 Lead Investigators instead of the standard 2. All aspects of the game Two Roombas and a Broom are the same with a slight change to the rules of the Lead Investigators. Only 2 Lead Investigators are assigned a room, and those 2 Investigators may never leave their assigned room, even between rounds. The 3rd Investigator is the only Investigator that may freely walk between the 2 rooms. This means the 2 Investigators assigned to rooms do not directly communicate with one another and only communicate with the 3rd Investigator.
Alan Gerding is a professor of psychology in Cleveland, Ohio and is one of the creators of the game Two Rooms and a Boom. He hosts the popular Tuesday Knight Podcast. Check out his work at www.tuesdayknightgames.com.