Crosscurrent
Row together. Scheme apart.
Two hidden sides race to pass their plans. Each round a Captain names a Partner, the table votes, and the two secretly choose which plan passes. Then they tell you what they had, truthfully or not.
- Players
- 5–10
- Length
- 30–45 min
1 · Everyone
Alliance or Mole, and one Mastermind.
Most of you are Alliance and know nothing more. The Moles know each other and the Mastermind; with 5 or 6 players, the Mastermind knows them too.
2 · Captain
The Captain names a Partner.
Not last round's elected Partner, and with more than 5 players still in, not last round's Captain either.
3 · Everyone
Everyone votes on the pair.
Deadlock 2 / 3
A strict majority elects them. Three failed votes in a row and the top plan passes on its own.
4 · Captain · Partner
Three plans in, one out.
The Captain draws 3 and discards 1; the Partner passes 1 of the 2. The table sees only which kind passed, and the two may lie about the rest.
5 · Captain
Mole plans unlock powers.
Passing a Mole plan can hand the Captain a power, depending on the player count and how many Mole plans are in.
6 · Everyone
Five Alliance plans, or six Mole plans.
The Alliance also wins by expelling the Mastermind. The Moles also win if, after 3 Mole plans, the Mastermind is elected Partner.
Phones and TV
On your phone
- Your side and who you know, only while you hold it
- Your hand of plans, in secret
- Nominations, votes and the Captain's powers
On the TV (recommended)
- Both plan tracks, with every threshold marked
- The Captain, the Partner, the deadlock and recent rounds
- Every vote, once they are all in
No TV? The tracks and the briefing sit on every phone.
Crosscurrent at a glance
How many players does Crosscurrent need?
5 to 10. There is always one Mastermind; the Moles number 1 at 5–6 players, 2 at 7–8 and 3 at 9–10, and everyone else is Alliance.
How long does a game take?
30 to 45 minutes. It ends when one side's plan track fills, or when the Mastermind is expelled or elected at the wrong moment.
Can players lie?
Yes. About the plans they held, and about what a Check or a Preview showed. That is the game. What you may not do is show your phone.
Do we need a TV?
No, but it helps: the TV shows both plan tracks with their thresholds, the deadlock and the last rounds. Without one, every phone shows them.