WIRETAP

[RULES UNDER REVISION]

INTRODUCTION

WIRETAP is an improvised, secret communication game for 3 or more players. A Mob Boss needs to instruct a Henchman to do something for them, but they suspect that some Investigators have begun listening in on their calls. The Mob Boss must subtly instruct the Henchman to do something for them as Investigators try to figure out the demand and its details. Investigators are rewarded for discovering the demand from the phone call. Investigators should be careful - just because they are listening to a Mob Boss and Henchman doesn’t mean that every demand is a crime!

CONTENTS

• Investigator Notepad
• Criminal Notepad
• Accomplice Notepad
• (20) Tokens
• 2-Minute Timer
• Demands Deck - 20 cards
• Persons Deck - 10 cards
• Locations Deck - 5 cards
• Items Deck - 6 cards
• (2) Cell Phones - not included

SETUP

All players will sit around a table in a space that is free of distractions. Separate the decks and shuffle them. Whoever most recently committed a crime (or a different way that you choose) will start as the Mob Boss. The player to the right of the Mob Boss will start as the Henchman and the rest of the players will be Investigators. Distribute the Mob Boss Notepad, Henchman Notepad, and Investigator Notepad to the corresponding players. Note that all investigators will share the same notepad for notes and decisions.

OBJECTIVE

In each round, Mob Boss and Henchman both have details that they must communicate through a phone call about the demand to the other. The Mob Boss and Henchman should try to speak in a way that shares information only between the two of them - they could make up their own code to refer to nefarious acts, talk in misleading details, or any other tactic they choose - as long as they communicate each detail on their cards in some way! Investigators will try to figure out if the demand is a crime, and what detail goes with it.

PLAY

Setup Phase:

1. Mob Boss draws a demand card, which can be either a CRIME or a NO CRIME.
   • CRIME (in red) includes a short description of the crime and indicates in capital letters the TYPE of the key detail, the necessary component to commit the crime.
   • NO CRIME (in blue) includes a suggestion of a different non-criminal activity to be demanded.
2. Henchman will write a code word on their notepad, tear it off, and hand it to the Mob Boss.
   • During the conversation, Mob Boss will use the code word only if the DEMAND IS A CRIME.
3. Henchman will draw a detail card from either the persons, items, or locations deck. This card will indicate a detail that must be mentioned in the conversation, regardless of whether the demand is a CRIME or NO CRIME. 
   • Note: The background information provided on detail cards may be used as inspiration, but it does not have to be incorporated into the conversation.
4. Mob Boss will then draw a card FROM A DIFFERENT DETAIL DECK, making sure that the key detail is one of the cards drawn.
   • To further illustrate - If a CRIME card is in play, there will be one key detail (specified on the demand card) and one distraction detail. Both details must be included in the conversation, but the distraction detail is not required for the Mob Boss or Investigators to identify for points.
   • If the demand is a CRIME: If the Henchman drew the key detail type, the Mob Boss draws a detail from one of the other decks. If the Henchman did not draw the key detail type required by the demand, the Mob Boss MUST DRAW THE KEY DETAIL TYPE.
   • If the demand is a NO CRIME: Because there are no key detail types for these demands, both details cards are distractions, which can be used to fool the Investigators into thinking the demand is a CRIME.

Conversation Phase:

1. Mob Boss leaves the room with their code word, demand card, detail card, and notepad.
2. Mob Boss makes a phone call to Henchman and has a conversation on speaker phone. Once the conversation begins, start the 2-minute timer.
   • During the conversation, you may ask questions, make up stories, or whatever you need to share the information from the cards with each other. Mob Boss and Henchman should take care not to reveal too much to the Investigators.

EXAMPLE CONVERSATION

Demand: Homicide Code Word: Pumpkin Person: Eddy Location: Supermarket

MOB BOSS: “Hey, it’s me. You know Eddy from the barbershop? I hear he’s been having trouble sleeping lately. You can help him with that, right?”

HENCHMAN: “Sure thing, Boss. I’ll pick up some Melatonin from the supermarket on my way home.”

MOB BOSS: “Perfect, and get me a pumpkin while you're there. Let me know when it’s done.”

1. Investigators will listen for details during the conversation.
   • Make note of what is discussed to try and determine the details of a CRIME. 
     • Each crime has a specific key detail type, indicated in your notepad. In order for Investigators to earn full points, THEY MUST GET BOTH THE CRIME AND THE KEY DETAIL CORRECT. Remember, the Mob Boss and the Henchman have two detail cards - one of them could be throwing you off!
   • Be careful - It’s possible that there is NO CRIME being discussed!
2. When the call is finished, or when the time is up, the Mob Boss will return to the room.
3. Mob Boss and Henchman will individually write the details of the demand in their notepad. 
4. Once they finish, Investigators will discuss and write the details in their notepad.

Scoring Phase:

1. The Mob Boss and the Henchman will reveal the demand card and detail cards for all players to see, allowing them to identify who got the answers correct.
   • Note: There is a scoring reference sheet included with these rules.
2. If there was a CRIME:
   • If the Mob Boss and the Henchman have identified the correct demand AND key detail in their notepad AND the Investigators get EITHER the demand and key detail wrong, Mob Boss and Henchman each earn two points.
   • If the Investigators correctly identify BOTH the demand and the key detail, they each earn two points, plus one extra point if they also guess the code word. However, if they get either the demand or key detail wrong, they receive no points. 
3. If there was NO CRIME:
   • The Investigators earn 3 points automatically if they correctly identified NO CRIME.
   • If the Mob Boss and the Henchman successfully get the Investigators to incorrectly identify a NO CRIME as a CRIME, they earn 3 points automatically.
4. If the Investigators correctly identify the crime and the key detail of that crime, the Mob Boss and Henchman will earn no points for that round, even if they have correctly identified their information.
5. Each player takes one token for each point earned into their playing area to keep score.

WINNING

The game ends when each player has had a turn being the Mob Boss and whoever has the most points wins.

BACKGROUND

This game was designed by Maurice Boothe Jr., Izzy Greene, Magdalen Shore, and Michael Gordon for Thinking Like a Game Designer in March of 2023. The chosen theme was “communication” and the socioemotional mechanic was “resentment”.