The Midnight Congregation

Cards:

• 45 component cards (15 types × 3 copies)
• 10 Quirk cards
• 11 Judgment cards (including 1 Silence card)
• 13 faction cards
  • 6 x Townsfolk
  • 4 x Cultist
  • 3 x Heretic
• 13 role cards
  • 5 x Townsman
  • 1 x Marshal
  • 3 x Cultist
  • 1 x Custodian
  • 2 x Heretic
  • 1 x Defiler
• 13 power cards
  • 10 x Congregant
  • 1 x Oracle
  • 2 x Cultist
  • 1 x Inquisitor
  • 1 x Medium

Board:

• 3 god boards
  • small (5–7 players)
  • medium (8–10 players)
  • large (11–13 players)

Markers & Tokens:

• 1 x High Priest marker
• 1 x Jail marker
• 1 x Chaos token
• 1 x Devotion token
• 1 x Disruption token
• 8 x Resolution tokens (placed on required components when gathered)

Markers

High Priest Marker

Placed in front of the current High Priest. Passes to the next confirmed High Priest each round. The player holding this marker controls the Officiant Phase.

Jail Marker

Placed in front of a jailed player by the Marshal, secretly while the table has their eyes closed. A player with the jail marker in front of them is out of the game until the Marshal removes it at the start of a round — at which point the Marshal's role is publicly revealed — or until 3 turns have passed, after which the player is released automatically.

Tokens

Devotion Token

Tracks progress on the Devotion track. Advances by 1 each time a required component is resolved. When it reaches the end of the track, the Finalization Round begins.

Disruption Token

Tracks progress on the Disruption track. Advances by 1 each time a non-required component is resolved. If it reaches the end of the track before Devotion, the Townsfolk win immediately.

Chaos Token

Tracks the Chaos counter. Advances by 1 each time a nomination is rejected. When it reaches 3, a random component resolves immediately and the counter resets to 0.

Resolution Tokens

Placed on required components on the ritual track when they are successfully gathered for the first time. A component with a resolution token can still be submitted and played — but resolving it again advances neither Devotion nor Disruption. 8 resolution tokens are included, one per maximum ritual track slot.

Faction Cards

Each player receives one faction card at setup, dealt secretly. This card identifies which faction the player belongs to — Townsfolk, Cultist, or Heretic — and is kept hidden at all times. Faction cards are never voluntarily revealed during normal play. They are only shown when a game effect specifically requires it. When revealed privately, only the viewing player sees it. When revealed publicly, it remains face-up in front of that player for the rest of the game.

Role Cards

Each faction has one secretly assigned role card. The Marshal (Townsfolk), Custodian (Cultists), and Defiler (Heretics) are always in the game regardless of player count — one special role per faction, every session. Remaining players within each faction receive ordinary role cards (Townsman, Cultist, Heretic). Role identities are never revealed at setup — they are discovered through play or revealed only when the holder acts. Faction roles are lost if the holder is lynched and are never transferred.

THE TOWNSMAN

You are one of the faithful — you have no special powers, but your vote, your voice, and your suspicions are your weapons. Steer non-required components toward the High Priest to fill the Disruption track before Devotion fills — and the Townsfolk win.

THE MARSHAL

You are the last line of defence — when the Disruption track hits a jailing threshold, the table closes their eyes and you secretly place the jail token on one active player of your choice. Your identity is not revealed. At the start of each round you may release any jailed player — doing so publicly reveals your role. Jailed players are also released automatically after 3 turns, whether you act or not. If you are lynched, you must also announce your role. Use your jails strategically to disrupt the opposing factions and protect the Disruption track from filling.

THE CULTIST

You are a true believer — you have no special powers, but your submissions, your nominations, and your silence serve the ritual. Ensure a Cultist High Priest calls the god in the Finalization Round.

THE CUSTODIAN

You are the ritual's protector — once per game, reveal this card immediately after a non-required component is resolved, fully nullifying the Disruption increment and cancelling any triggered jailing. Note: playing an already-resolved required component generates neither Devotion nor Disruption — the Custodian's power does not apply in that case. Revealing yourself is the cost. Protecting the ritual is the purpose.

THE HERETIC

You are a saboteur hiding in plain sight — you have no special powers, but every required component resolved brings the Devotion track closer to the Finalization Round. Ensure a Heretic claims the High Priest role and seizes the ritual in the Finalization Round.

THE DEFILER

You are corruption made flesh — once per game during the Finalization Round, you may choose to cast your vote with the weight of 2 votes instead of 1 in the confirmation vote. One voice. Two votes. Use it wisely.

Power Cards

Power cards are randomly assigned across any faction — a role claim reveals nothing about loyalty. All powers activate during the Power Window (step 7 of the round loop). Each power may be used once per round and a maximum of 2 times per game. Oracle and Inquisitor powers are lost if the holder is lynched. The Medium retains their power even while lynched.

Power card inclusion scales with player count:

• 5–6 players: Medium only — all other power cards are Congregants
• 7–9 players: Medium + Oracle — all other power cards are Congregants
• 10–13 players: Medium + Oracle + Inquisitor — all other power cards are Congregants

CONGREGANT

"I wish to... actually, never mind."

You have no special power — only your wits, your words, and whatever you can read in the faces around you. Watch carefully. Everyone else is hiding something.

ORACLE

"I wish to consult the Oracle."

The Oracle names a target and privately views their faction card. The Oracle may keep this information to themselves, or choose to make a statement about what they saw — which may or may not be truthful. Maximum 2 uses per game.

INQUISITOR

"I wish to enforce inquisition on [Player]."

After the High Priest has chosen the participating players, the Inquisitor may activate their power before component submission. The Inquisitor names one of the chosen players and publicly announces their punishment: either the target must skip their component submission entirely, or the target must submit both their component cards to the High Priest with no discard. Maximum 2 uses per game.

MEDIUM

"I wish to call for the Absolution of [Spirit]."

The Medium is the only way to reinstate a lynched Spirit. The Medium names a Spirit and triggers an immediate Absolution vote. The table votes yes/no — majority yes returns the Spirit to full active status. If the vote fails, this use does not count toward the Medium's maximum. The Medium retains this power even while lynched. Maximum 2 successful Absolutions per game (3 under Q5). The Medium may also use their Power Window to communicate privately with any Spirit instead of calling for Absolution — but not both in the same round. Spirit communication is private and the Spirit is not required to be truthful.

Component Cards

Component cards form the central draw deck of the game. Each round, players draw 2 component cards, discard one, and submit one face-down to the High Priest. Components are either required or non-required — required components advance the Devotion track when resolved, non-required components advance the Disruption track. Required components are placed face-up on the ritual track at setup. When a required component is resolved for the first time, a resolution token is placed on it — it remains visible and can still be played again.

Each component card has an action that takes effect when it is resolved. Most actions override the default High Priest succession — instead of the next nominee being the player to the left of the current High Priest, the component determines which seat the nominee comes from, or which two players the next High Priest must select to join the ritual. Two components have unique effects: one allows the current High Priest to immediately reinstate a Spirit without an Absolution vote, and one allows them to release a jailed player without the Marshal's approval. The default succession applies if no component action overrides it that round.

The Unhallowed Candle

The next High Priest nominee is 1 seat to the right of the current High Priest.

A Vial Of Tears

The next High Priest nominee is 2 seats to the left of the current High Priest.

The Forbidden Sigil

The next High Priest nominee is 2 seats to the right of the current High Priest.

A Lock Of Hair

The next High Priest nominee is 3 seats to the left of the current High Priest.

The Midnight Incantation

The next High Priest nominee is 3 seats to the right of the current High Priest.

A Sacrificial Offering

The next High Priest must select the 2 players immediately to their left and right.

The Permit — Form 27-B/6

The next High Priest must select the 2 players immediately to their left.

A Drop Of Blood

The next High Priest must select the 2 players immediately to their right.

The Unholy Tome

The next High Priest must select the players 2 and 4 seats to their left.

A Circle Of Salt

The next High Priest must select the players 2 and 4 seats to their right.

The Summoning Bell

The next High Priest must select the players 1 and 3 seats to their left.

The Token Of Suffering

The next High Priest must select the players 1 and 3 seats to their right.

The Binding Oath

The table votes between the players 2 seats to the left and 2 seats to the right of the current High Priest. The winner becomes the next High Priest nominee.

A Relic Of The Old Faith

The current High Priest immediately reinstates one Spirit of their choice. No Absolution vote is required.

The Final Invocation

The current High Priest immediately releases one jailed player of their choice. The Marshal's approval is not required.

Quirk & Judgement Cards

Quirk Cards

Quirk cards define the rule the god imposes on play for the entire game. One Quirk card is drawn at setup and placed face-up on the god board. The god's first name is printed on the Quirk card. Quirks never contain punishments — consequences belong to Judgment cards.

Gerald Q1

"It insists on transparency. For everyone else."

The chosen players submit their component card face-up rather than face-down, in clockwise order from the High Priest. They are never required to explain their choice — but everyone can see what entered the pool before the High Priest selects.

Inherent sway: Neutral · Moderate

Nul-Veth Q2

"It does not care what you brought. It cares what you reach for."

The High Priest may not look at the submitted pool before selecting. They draw one card blind from the face-down pool and resolve it immediately. The remaining cards are discarded unseen.

Inherent sway: Neutral · Strong

Kevin Q3

"It insists on a second opinion. Kevin always has notes."

Before the confirmation vote on the clockwise nominee, the player to the nominee's left must immediately propose an alternative candidate. The table then votes between the two candidates simultaneously. The candidate with the most votes becomes the next High Priest. In the event of a tie, the clockwise candidate is chosen.

Inherent sway: Neutral · Mild

Brenda Q4

"We've reviewed your congregation's progress and have some concerns."

Each time a player is lynched, one additional required component is drawn at random from the deck and added publicly to the ritual track. The ritual grows with every Spirit created.

Inherent sway: Townsfolk · Strong

Morreth Q5

"It does not want your ritual. It wants your congregation."

Each time a player is lynched or jailed, the current High Priest must immediately adjust one tracker by 1 — adding or removing 1 from either the Devotion or Disruption track. The High Priest chooses which tracker and which direction. This adjustment is mandatory and must be made before play continues.

Inherent sway: Neutral · Strong

Phelgoras Q6

"What you bring to the congregation is yours to keep. For now."

Chosen players do not discard their unused component card at the end of the round — they keep it in hand. If not chosen the following round, they keep it still and draw nothing. When chosen again, they draw only 1 new card, maintaining a hand of 2 cards before submitting.

Inherent sway: Townsfolk · Strong

Mxl Q7

"It wants the congregation to see. Not everything. Just enough."

The High Priest selects 3 players instead of 2 each round. After selecting a component to resolve, the High Priest must publicly reveal one of the remaining submitted components before discarding the rest face-down. The High Priest chooses which one to reveal.

Inherent sway: Townsfolk · Mild

Orrindel Q8

"It offers a gift. Whether you take it reveals something about you."

At setup, the required component list is expanded by one — 6 components must be gathered instead of 5. Draw 3 component cards and place them face-up as a public Boon reserve. Before selecting from the submitted pool each round, the High Priest may take one card from the Boon reserve and add it to the pool. Once taken, a Boon card is gone. The reserve is not replenished.

Inherent sway: Townsfolk · Moderate

Greldo Q9

"It does not care for your politics. It wants to see who's lucky."

Nomination and vote phases are replaced entirely. All active players throw simultaneously in a game of rock paper scissors. If all three signs appear, the sign with the fewest throwers is eliminated — if two signs are tied for fewest, both groups are eliminated. Standard RPS rules apply when only two signs are thrown. Survivors repeat until one player remains and becomes High Priest.
Incompatible with: Judgement 2 - The Watchful (Chaos Count — no nominations means no failed nominations)

Inherent sway: Neutral · Strong

Seraphis Q10

"It wants to see what you're holding. Everyone does."

All players hold their component cards face-out at all times — visible to everyone at the table except themselves, whether chosen or not. Submissions are still made face-down as normal. Players may never look at their own cards, and may never verbally or physically indicate to another player what they can see in their hand.

Inherent sway: Neutral · Moderate

Judgment Cards

Judgment cards add a second layer of god behaviour — Omens, Favours, or Wraths that trigger during play. One Judgment card is drawn at setup and placed face-up on the god board. The god's disposition is printed on the Judgment card. The Silence card is a special Judgment card that has no effect.

The Silent J0 Silence

"It has nothing to add. That is somehow worse."

No Judgment effect this game. The Judgment slot sits empty and face-up, showing only: the Silent. The table knows the god chose not to speak.

Inherent sway: Neutral · Strong

The Impatient J1 Wrath

"Indecision is an offering it did not request."

Each time a nomination is rejected, the rejected nominee is denied participation — they may not submit a component card that round. If the counter-nomination rule is in play (Q3), both rejected nominees sit out.

Inherent sway: Cultists/Heretics · Moderate

The Watchful J2 Wrath

"It watches the balance tip. It does not approve."

At the end of each round, if cumulative Disruption exceeds cumulative Devotion on the ritual tracks, advance the Chaos counter by 1. This is in addition to Chaos generated by failed nominations.
Incompatible with: Quirk 9 - Greldo (RPS tournament produces no failed nominations)

Inherent sway: Townsfolk · Strong

The Generous J3 Favour

"It acknowledges your failure. It offers something in return."

Each time a non-required component is resolved, the current High Priest must privately look at the top 4 cards from the draw pile and return them in exactly the same order. The High Priest must announce that they have looked — but what they report seeing is entirely their own business.

Inherent sway: Townsfolk · Moderate

The Insecure J4 Omen

"When the end nears, it remembers something you forgot."

When 2 components remain on the ritual track, draw one additional component card and add it to the required list. The ritual is not complete until this final component is also gathered.

Inherent sway: Townsfolk · Moderate

The Devout J5 Favour

"It rewards progress with knowledge."

Each time the Devotion track reaches an even number (2 or 4), the current High Priest must privately view one other player's faction card of their choice. The peek happens before any lynching vote triggered at Devotion 4. The High Priest must announce that they have looked, but what they report seeing is entirely their own business.

Inherent sway: Cultists/Heretics · Moderate

The Merciful J6 Favour

"Death teaches you things. Mostly about the living."

When a Spirit is reinstated via Absolution, they immediately and privately view one other player's faction card of their choice. They must announce that they have looked, but what they

Inherent sway: Neutral · Moderate

The Bureaucrat J7 Wrath

"Form 27-B/6 must be stamped. This is non-negotiable."

After the required component list is drawn at setup, check whether The Permit — Form 27-B/6 is included. If it is, proceed normally. If it is not, draw 2 additional required components and add them to the ritual track — one of which must be the Permit. The ritual now requires 7 components instead of 5.

Inherent sway: Neutral · Mild

The Restless J8 Omen

"When the end nears, it grows impatient with secrets."

When 2 components remain on the ritual track, all current Spirits have their faction publicly revealed to the table. From this point forward, any player who is lynched has their faction revealed immediately upon becoming a Spirit.

Inherent sway: Cultists/Heretics · Mild

The Theatrical J9 Omen

"It wants the table to know what's coming. It wants to watch them panic. It gives you the knife."

When 2 components remain on the ritual track, the current High Priest must choose 2 players — active or Spirits, including themselves — who immediately reveal their role card publicly to the entire table. The revealed roles remain public for the rest of the game.

Inherent sway: Neutral · Moderate

The Hungry J10 Wrath

"The dead are watching. The god is listening to the dead."

Each time a Spirit is reinstated via Absolution, or a jailed player is released by the Marshal, the Chaos counter advances by 1.

Inherent sway: Neutral · Mild

God Board

The god board is the central play surface. At the start of each game, players assemble tonight's god by drawing one Quirk card and one Judgment card and placing them face-up on the board. The god's name is read aloud once both cards are placed: "Tonight we summon [First Name], [Disposition]."

Standard game: Draw 1 Quirk + 1 Judgment (may be Silence).
First game / introductory: Draw 1 Quirk only. No Judgment slot.
Advanced / experienced tables: Draw 1 Quirk + 1 Judgment, then optionally swap any one drawn card for a hand-picked alternative from the deck.

Before starting the game, consult the Incompatibility Reference to check whether the drawn Quirk and Judgment are compatible. If flagged as incompatible, redraw the Judgment card and check again.

The board holds the Quirk and Judgment card slots, the Devotion track (0–8), the Disruption track (0–8), the Chaos counter (0–3), the ritual progress track (5–8 slots for required component cards), and designated slots for the draw pile and discard pile.

The draw pile is the shuffled face-down stack of component cards players draw from each round. The discard pile is a separate face-down stack where discarded cards are placed during play — both cards discarded by chosen players during Component Submission, and the unselected pool cards discarded by the High Priest after the Officiant Phase. When the draw pile is exhausted, shuffle the discard pile to form a new draw pile.

Board Layouts by Player Count

Small Board (5–7 players)

Medium Board (8–10 players)

Large Board (11–13 players)

Faction Overview

The signature twist — the Cold Open. Nobody knows anyone, not even their own faction. The hidden teams must find each other through play. Which component you submit to the High Priest is your secret handshake: feed the right one and hope a fellow Cultist notices without the Townsfolk clocking you. "Who's even on my team?" is now part of the puzzle.

The frenemy tension. Cultists and Heretics both want required components resolved — filling the Devotion track is their shared path to the finalization round. The Townsfolk, meanwhile, want non-required components resolved to fill the Disruption track and win outright. Devotion hitting certain trigger positions cause a lynching vote; Disruption hitting trigger positions causes a jailing. Triggers scale with board size and required components in play.

Faction Setup Chart

Players: 5–13 (sweet spot 7–10)

Design intent: Cultists + Heretics always equal or outnumber Townsfolk by at most 1, compensating for Townsfolk's inherent advantage in non-required component numbers. Cultists get one extra member over Heretics when the split is uneven. Numbers are a starting point — expect to retune after playtests.

Setup

1. Prepare one envelope per player containing their faction card and role card — deal one envelope to each player secretly. Every game always includes one Marshal (Townsfolk), one Custodian (Cultists), and one Defiler (Heretics); remaining role cards within each faction are ordinary Townsman, Cultist, and Heretic cards.
2. Deal one power card to each player separately. This card is publicly placed face-up. Power role inclusion scales with player count — 5–6 players: Medium only; 7–9 players: Medium + Oracle; 10–13 players: Medium + Oracle + Inquisitor. All remaining power cards are Congregants.
3. Draw 1 Quirk card and 1 Judgment card, consult the incompatibility reference, redraw if necessary, and place them face-up on the god board. Before continuing, consult the Incompatibility and Faction Sway tables to check whether the combination works for your group — redraw either card if needed.
4. Shuffle the full 45-card component deck, and draw 5 components to form the Required List, placed face-up on the ritual track. Some Quirk cards modify this step — consult the active Quirk card before drawing.
5. Shuffle the remaining 40 cards into a draw pile.

Devotion & Disruption

Devotion and Disruption are generated entirely by component resolution each round:

• Required component resolved → Devotion +1
• Non-required component resolved → Disruption +1

Both tracks run from 0 to the number of required components currently in play (5 by default, up to 8 with certain Quirk and Judgment cards). Required components may be resolved in any order — when a required component is resolved, a resolution token is placed on it on the ritual track. The component remains visible and can still be played again — but resolving an already-resolved required component advances neither Devotion nor Disruption.

• Devotion fills → Townsfolk are excluded and the Finalization Round begins between Cultists and Heretics.
• Disruption fills → Townsfolk win immediately.

Lynching, Jailing, and Chaos

Devotion hitting a trigger position triggers a lynching vote immediately after resolution. All active players simultaneously point at the player they accuse. The player with the most fingers pointed at them is lynched and becomes a Spirit. In the event of a tie, the High Priest chooses. Existing Spirits are immune from being pointed at.

Disruption hitting a trigger position triggers a jailing immediately after resolution. The table closes their eyes and the Marshal secretly places the jail token on one active player of their choice. The Marshal's identity is not revealed. If the Marshal has already been lynched, the table votes on who to jail by majority with eyes open. Jailed players are completely out of the game until released by the Marshal at the start of any round, or until 3 turns have passed — whichever comes first.

The Chaos counter advances by 1 each time a nomination is rejected. When it reaches 3, a random component card is drawn from the draw pile and resolved immediately (Devotion or Disruption as normal). The Chaos counter resets to 0 only when this occurs.

Trigger positions for Devotion and Disruption are equal and depend on the board size and number of required components in play. The Chaos counter always triggers at 3 regardless of board size.

The Round Loop

In the first round, the first High Priest is chosen randomly. The High Priest cannot serve two consecutive rounds. Each round proceeds as follows:

Endgame & Victory

General

• Component pool pressure — with 1-in-3 cards being required at baseline, does the High Priest's lie feel meaningful? If required components are too easy to find, consider reducing copies from 3 to 2.
• Cold‑open viability at low counts — at 5–6 players the hidden cells are tiny and only the Medium is in play. Finding faction allies relies entirely on reading component submissions and nomination patterns. Consider whether an additional coalescing mechanism is needed at low player counts.
• Chaos resolution — when the Chaos counter reaches 3 and a random component is drawn and resolved, it generates Devotion if it is a required component, or Disruption if it is not. This follows the same resolution rules as a normal round.
• Duplicate required components — if a required component is drawn but already marked off, it currently generates Disruption. Consider whether it should be neutral instead.
• Finalization pacing — if the Chaos counter repeatedly triggers during the Finalization Round, factions could be significantly thinned by forced lynchings before a High Priest is confirmed. Consider whether a cap on Chaos-triggered lynchings is needed, or whether thinning the factions is an acceptable dramatic consequence.

Quirks

• Q1 (Gerald — Open Congregation) — with all submissions public, does the High Priest's selection still feel like a meaningful lie, or does full visibility make the Officiant Phase too transparent?
• Q3 (Kevin — Counter-Nomination) — at low player counts, the mandatory counter-nominator may always be the same player if the High Priest rotates predictably. Does seat position become too deterministic?
• Q4 (Brenda — Expanding Ritual) — capped at 2 extra components, but combined with J7 (Stamped Form) could reach 8 required components. Consider whether 8 feels too long at low player counts.
• Q5 (Morreth — Hungry God) — the mandatory tracker adjustment after each lynching or jailing gives the High Priest significant influence over the game state. Consider whether this power is too strong at low player counts where lynchings and jailings are less frequent, or too swingy at high player counts where they occur more often.
• Q6 (Phelgoras — Carried Offering) — carrying a card between rounds could lead to hoarding strategies that feel passive. Consider whether a hand size cap is needed.
• Q8 (Orrindel — The Boon) — the 6th required component plus 3 public reserve cards may make the ritual feel bloated. Consider whether the Boon reserve should replenish.
• Q9 (Greldo — Tournament) — at low player counts, RPS tournaments resolve very quickly. At high player counts they could take a long time. Consider a time limit.

Judgments

• J1 (Impatient — Wrath) — rejected nominees sitting out submissions reduces the pool significantly at low player counts. Consider whether this applies to both nominees under Q3.
• J3 (Generous — Favour) — the High Priest peeking 5 cards after every Disruption resolution could give them significant advance knowledge at high Disruption counts. Consider limiting to once per round.
• J5 (Devout — Favour) — the High Priest peeking a faction card at Devotion 2 and 4 rewards whoever holds the role at those specific moments. Consider whether this creates an incentive to time nominations around Devotion thresholds.
• J7 (Bureaucrat — Stamped Form) — adding 2 components when the Permit isn't drawn extends the ritual significantly. Combined with Q4 or Q8, the ritual could hit 8 components.
• J10 (Hungry — Wrath) — each Absolution advancing the Chaos counter may discourage the Medium from using their power at all if Chaos is already high. Consider whether this creates a perverse incentive.

Roles

• Marshal — at 5–6 players, jailing only triggers at Disruption 5, meaning the Marshal may only get one jail opportunity per game. At higher player counts with more triggers, consider whether the Marshal's cumulative jails become too powerful. Also consider: what happens if the Marshal is lynched very early before any jailing triggers fire?
• Custodian — nullifying one Disruption increment and jailing is powerful but one-use. Consider whether the timing — immediately after resolution — gives enough reaction time at a live table.
• Defiler — double vote weight in the Finalization Round is strongest in close votes. At low player counts with fewer Cultists and Heretics in the Finalization Round, it could be decisive. At high counts it may be negligible.

Power Roles

• Oracle — 2 uses across the whole game may feel too scarce at high player counts where the cold open takes longer to resolve. Consider scaling uses with player count.
• Inquisitor — forcing a player to skip submission or submit both cards affects the pool size. At low player counts, skipping submission removes a significant percentage of the pool. Consider whether the punishment scales appropriately.
• Medium — 2 successful Absolutions is tight. With J10 advancing the Chaos counter each time, the Medium may be reluctant to use both uses. Consider whether J10 + Medium creates a functional deadlock.