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About Saboteur
Saboteur is a card game about dwarves digging a tunnel towards one of three goal cards, only one of which hides the gold. Most players are honest miners, but a few are secret saboteurs who want the tunnel to fail. Everyone plays path cards and action cards into the same maze, so every awkward dead end or broken pickaxe raises the question of who is really on your side. It is quick to teach, plays a big table in half an hour, and works with family as well as friends.
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Is Saboteur Right for You?
Best for
Saboteur is for mixed groups who want a hidden-role game without the shouting of Werewolf or Avalon. It is at its best with seven to ten players, when there are enough saboteurs to cause real doubt and the tunnel turns into a mess of accusations. Families with children of eight and up get on with it well, because the actual turn is just playing a card.
Maybe skip it if…
Groups who want a deep deduction puzzle will find it thin, since much of the round is luck of the draw. At three or four players there is only one saboteur, which makes them much easier to spot.
How to Play Saboteur
Setup
Deal one role card to each player from a set sized to the player count, with one left over face down. Place the start card and the three goal cards face down in a row, then deal each player a hand of cards.
On Your Turn
- Play a path card to extend the tunnel, or play an action card: break or repair someone's tool, peek at a goal card with a map, or remove a path with a rockfall.
- A player with a broken tool cannot play path cards until it is repaired.
- If you cannot or will not play, discard a card face down. Then draw a card if any remain.
- The round ends when a tunnel reaches the gold (the miners win) or when every hand runs out (the saboteurs win).
How to Win
The winning side shares gold nugget cards. After three rounds, the player with the most gold wins.
💡 Strategy Tips
Use your map cards early and tell the table what you saw. Whether people believe you is half the game.
Common Mistakes to Avoid
- Burning your map cards for nothing. Look at a goal card early, then tell everyone what you saw, truthfully or not.
- Breaking tools at random. Save broken tool cards for players whose path cards have looked suspicious.
- Assuming a dead end is sabotage. Sometimes an honest miner simply had a bad hand.
- Saboteurs playing too obviously in the first few turns. The best saboteur looks helpful until the last moment.
Advanced Strategy
- Track who repairs whom. Saboteurs rarely fix a miner's broken tool unless they need cover.
- As a saboteur, play crooked path cards near the end of the tunnel rather than at the start, where they are easy to work around.
- A rockfall is most useful on a single piece that links the tunnel to a goal, not on a random corner.
- Keep a mental tally of how many saboteurs could be in play at this count. Remember one role card is always left out.
Variants & House Rules
Saboteur 2
An expansion that needs the base game and takes the count up to twelve. It adds new roles such as the boss, profiteers and geologists, splits the miners into two rival teams, and adds doors, ladders and bridges to the tunnel.
Saboteur: The Duel
A separate two-player version of the tunnel-building idea, for when you want the game but not the group.
Video Guides
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Our Verdict
Saboteur is a gentle, approachable hidden-role game that has earned its place on many shelves. It is light and a bit random, and its BGG rating reflects that, but it plays a big group in half an hour and nobody is ever eliminated. We recommend it as a step into social deduction for families and casual groups.
Frequently Asked Questions
How many saboteurs are there?
It depends on the player count, from one at three or four players up to four at ten. One role card is always left face down, so nobody can be sure of the exact number.
Is it good with ten players?
Yes. Seven to ten is where it is most fun, though hands are smaller and turns come round more slowly at ten.
Can children play?
The box says 8+, and the rules are simple enough for that age. Younger players may find the bluffing hard, but they enjoy building the tunnel.