Betrayal At Baldur's Gate
Age Range
How Many Players
Rating
Play Time?
12+
3-6
PG
1-2 Hours
Betrayal at Baldur's Gate is a board game that combines elements of cooperative gameplay and secret traitor mechanics with a fantasy adventure theme. It is based on the original Betrayal at House on the Hill game, but is set in the city of Baldur's Gate, a location from the popular Dungeons & Dragons roleplaying game.
Variations
Betrayal at Baldur's Gate is a board game that can be played with 3-6 players. The game setup involves the following steps:
Place the board in the center of the playing area and place the starting tiles in the designated areas on the board.
Shuffle the remaining tiles and stack them face down on the board.
Each player selects a character card and places their figure on the starting tile.
Shuffle the item, event, and omen cards separately and place them in their designated areas on the board.
Draw a number of omen cards equal to the number of players plus one and place them face down on the table.
Shuffle the remaining event and item cards and place them face down on the table.
Determine the starting player and give them the Traitor's Tome.
The game is now ready to begin.
Note: The game setup may vary slightly depending on the specific edition of the game being played.
Roleplay the characters: Before starting the game, assign a character to each player, and encourage them to embrace the character's personality and quirks while playing. It adds an extra layer of immersion to the game and can make it more enjoyable.
Change the haunt conditions: Instead of following the book exactly, modify the haunt conditions to create new scenarios. You could change the location, the objective, or even the traitor's identity to keep the game fresh and unpredictable.
Create custom haunts: If you're feeling creative, create your own haunts using the game's mechanics. This can be a fun way to bring in elements from other games or pop culture and create something unique.
Swap out items and events: To keep things interesting, switch up the item and event cards between games. You could even create custom cards to add to the mix.
Play with fewer or more players: While the game is designed for three to six players, you can play with fewer or more people. Fewer players make the game more challenging, while more players make it more chaotic.
GAME RULES
Betrayal at Baldur's Gate is a tabletop game that combines strategy, role-playing, and a traitor mechanic. Players take on the roles of adventurers exploring the city of Baldur's Gate and investigating a mysterious, haunted house. As they explore, they'll uncover clues, items, and abilities to help them succeed in their mission. However, at some point, a "haunt" will be triggered, revealing that one player is actually a traitor working against the rest of the party.
The game consists of two phases: exploration and the haunt. During the exploration phase, players move their characters around the city, revealing tiles, drawing event cards, and collecting items. They can also attempt various tasks to gain bonuses, but these tasks require rolling dice and failing may result in a negative consequence.
Once the haunt is triggered, one player is designated as the traitor and the game shifts to a new set of rules, based on the specific haunt that was triggered. The traitor is given a new set of goals and abilities that are often in opposition to the other players, leading to a final showdown between the two factions.
The rules for the game are quite detailed and involve various mechanics related to movement, combat, dice rolls, item management, and more. A full rulebook is included with the game and is available online for reference.
GAME SETUP
Use the betrayal mechanic differently: Instead of having a traitor revealed halfway through the game, you could start the game with multiple traitors or have the traitor switch sides during the game.
Tips, Ideas & More
.png)
