The moderator is responsible for managing the game. From selecting the traitors to governing banishments and murders, it is the moderator’s job to keep the group updated and the game on track.

Alan was banished from #TheCastle

Faithfuls make up the majority of the group. It is the job of the faithfuls to seek out and banish the traitors before they get murdered. The faithfuls must expose and banish all traitors to win the game.

Traitors operate in the shadows and, as such, the number of traitors is always unknown. It is the role of a traitor to deceive and murder the faithfuls. If any traitors remain in the game until the end they will automatically win.

Groups

There are 3 official WhatsApp groups where the core gameplay takes place:

• #TheCastle

• #TraitorTower

• #TheGraveyard

It will also be necessary to create smaller break-out groups with fellow players in order to perform certain tasks or, when necessary, speak privately with a smaller group of players.

Direct messages

Each player will have a private conversation with the game’s moderator for the purpose of completing certain tasks and gaining information relating to the acquisition of shields.

Direct messages can also be used to speak privately with other players in the game. Just be careful where you place your trust!

Tasks

The dawn of each new day brings with it a task that the group must perform sometimes individually, sometimes in break-out groups. Successful completion of these tasks will provide the faithfuls with an advantage.

Traitor missions

Traitors will also be set secret missions to help keep the game balanced. Such missions should be attempted with care however.

The traitors will attempt to murder 1 faithful each night throughout the duration of the game.

No murder? Perhaps the traitors targeted a faithful with a shield or perhaps something else is at play…

Note: as well as being added to #TheGraveyard, murdered players will also remain in the #TheCastle muted unable to speak. They must not, via any means, talk to any of the remaining active players about the game.

Every evening between 21:00 - 21:30 a round table will take place in #TheCastle. This is a forum to publicly share suspicions in an attempt to come together, identify and banish a traitor.

Following the round table each player will send a DM to the moderator with the name of the player they’d like to vote for, thus locking their decision in.

Finally, back in #TheCastle, each player will be asked, in turn, to publicly share who they’ve voted for and why.

The player with the most number of votes will be banished and removed from the game right after they’ve revealed their true identity.

Note: as well as being added to #TheGraveyard, banished players will also remain in the #TheCastle muted unable to speak. They must not, via any means, talk to any of the remaining active players about the game.

Through daily tasks all players will have the opportunity compete for a shield which grants them immunity from any murderous plot made against them that evening.

Shields are awarded anonymously. It is at each player’s discretion whether they share this information with other players at any stage of the game.

Shields only protect faithfuls from murder. They are still vulnerable to banishment.

Whilst traitors cannot actually be awarded with a shield, they are able to sabotage its availability to the faithfuls via their own daily secret missions.

Traitors may be given the opportunity to seduce a faithful. If this option is given and subsequently exercised no murder will take place. 

If the player being seduced accepts, he/she is bound by the Traitor’s Oath and immediately becomes a traitor with access to the #TraitorTower group.

If the player being seduced declines, he/she continues their role as a faithful and it remains at their discretion whether they share their attempted seduction with the rest of the group or not.

All players must have the latest version of WhatsApp

All players agree to dedicate a minimum of 30-40 minutes to the game per day for a total of 6 days in a row.

For faithfuls - your presence is required at the daily round table (between 21:00 - 21:30) and the subsequent banishment (immediately afterwards between 21:30 - 21:40).

For traitors - the same is required (as above) plus some added time thereafter to plot your murder.

All other parts of the game are technically optional however your silence may be seen as suspicious whilst your inactivity can put you at a disadvantage in the game.

A typical day unfolds like so:

AM

The previous night’s murder is announced in #TheCastle

The day’s game is announced in #TheCastle. This can be completed at any time throughout the day.

The traitors are also given their optional, daily secret mission in #TraitorTower.

PM

Tasks are completed.

If a shield has been won it will be anonymously awarded to the winning faithful player. A generic announcement will be made in #TheCastle:

A faithful was awarded the shield.

If the traitors successfully complete their mission an alternative announcement will be made in #The Castle:

The traitors stole the shield.

21:00-21:30 - the round table takes place in #TheCastle followed immediately by a banishment.

Sometime, in the cover of darkness, the traitors plot and carry out their murder.

The endgame starts on the evening where 3 players remain. Each player will take it in turn to state whether they believe if all are faithful (🙏🏻) or if they believe there’s still a traitor in their midst (🗡️).

If all 3 players present the faithful emoji (🙏🏻) they will, on request, take it in turn to reveal their role in the game. Should a traitor reveal themselves, the traitors win the game.

If any of the 3 remaining players presents the dagger a vote for banishment will take place.

If the vote ends in a stalemate there will be an opportunity for each player to make a plea. Afterwards, a vote will take place again. Should the vote end in a second stalemate, the player that accumulated the most votes at all round tables will be banished.

Once 2 players remain, roles are revealed to determine the outcome of the game.

1. Only the moderator can use text formatting (i.e. bold, italic and monospace) in #TheCastle group.

2. #TheCastle should be silent between the hours of 10pm and 8am.

3. Traitors must not reveal their identity or the identity of their fellow traitors to anyone at any time.

4. Murdered and banished players must not discuss the game with with any remaining active players.

5. During there round table and banishment there should be no direct messaging between players.

6. The player that receives the most votes at banishment must not say anything to jeopardise future gameplay e.g. sharing theories, dropping hints or pointing fingers. They can say a general thank you and farewell, a quick note on their experience of the game before revealing their true identity.