Comrade

In Comrade, you alternate between the roles of a dissident and an informer in a totalitarian regime, the former trying to influence the people with the word of freedom and the latter trying to "protect" the same.

As an informer, you win by identifying the dissident player and play him or her your card. As a dissident, you win by playing your card to as many comrades as possible so that they may learn the secret word of freedom and vote for it.

The game starts with one of the two words of freedom in play, "glasnost" or "perestroika". Your hand consists of one card only that tells you your current role. The card is played through three distinct phases:

1. Vote: Selected players vote secretly for or against freedom.

2. Committee: If the vote says freedom, the selected players vote again but this time openly. If they succeed in identifying the word of freedom all except the informer win. If they fail, the dissident player is revealed and an easier target for the informer in the third phase.

3. Interrogation: The players take turn to give or receive 1 card until all have 1 card again. The dissident tries to play his or her card to players who have not yet seen the card while the informer tries to play his or her card to the dissident.

The players may never reveal their cards.

The continuous change of roles makes the game unpredictable and keeps the players in uncertainty. A strong advocate of freedom one turn may suddenly be an informer the next.

You must trust each other to successfully vote for freedom but you cannot trust anyone!