Are You The Traitor? Card Game Rules and Setup
By Looney Labs - Shop | Published: 2026-10-30
Category: How-to Guides
Learn how to set up and play Are You The Traitor? A card game of deduction and bluffing where you must find the Good Wizard before the Traitor strikes.
Quick answer
Set up Are You The Traitor? by shuffling the role cards, dealing one to each player, and placing the Key card face-up in the center. The game then plays in rounds of accusation and defense until the group decides who to trust.
Understanding the roles and the goal
In Are You The Traitor?, players are adventurers who must destroy the Evil Magic Key. Two Wizards appear: one Good (who can destroy the Key) and one Evil (who wants it for evil). The Evil Wizard has disguised himself as the Good Wizard, so you must deduce which is which. Meanwhile, one of your Guards is secretly a Traitor working for the Evil Wizard.
The game ends when the group gives the Key to a Wizard. If they choose the Good Wizard, everyone wins—unless the Traitor was among the Guards. If they choose the Evil Wizard, the Evil side wins.
Common mistake: assuming roles are fixed
New players often think the Traitor is always a Guard. In fact, the Traitor role is assigned randomly among all players, so the Good Wizard could also be the Traitor. Never assume a player’s role based on their behavior alone.
How to set up and play
- 1. Set up the roles: Shuffle the role cards (Good Wizard, Evil Wizard, Guards, Traitor) and deal one to each player face-down. Players look at their role secretly. Make sure no one sees another player’s card. If someone accidentally reveals theirs, reshuffle and deal again.
- 2. Place the Key card: Place the Key card face-up in the center of the table. This is the item the group will eventually give to one of the Wizards. The Key card stays visible throughout the game—do not hide it.
- 3. Begin the discussion phase: Players take turns stating which Wizard they trust and why. The Evil Wizard and Traitor may lie to mislead others. The Good Wizard may tell the truth or bluff to protect their identity. Listen carefully for contradictions. A common mistake is believing every statement—bluffing is allowed for all roles.
- 4. Accusation and voting: After discussion, players vote on which Wizard to give the Key to. The group must reach a majority decision. If tied, continue discussion or use a tiebreaker rule from the manual. A tie can stall the game. Agree on a tiebreaker (e.g., the player with the most convincing argument decides) before starting.
- 5. Reveal the outcome: Once a decision is made, the chosen Wizard reveals their role card. If it’s the Good Wizard, check if the Traitor is among the Guards. If the Traitor is present, the Evil side wins. Otherwise, the Good side wins. Do not reveal roles until after the vote. A common mistake is revealing too early, which spoils the game.
Product details
- Are You The Traitor?: Are You The Traitor? is a card game about identifying the Good Wizard while avoiding the Traitor among your group. This means every game session is different, as the Traitor could be any player, making bluffing and deduction central to the experience.
Are You The Traitor?
