Batman: The Animated Series – Almost Got 'Im Card Game

Batman: The Animated Series – Almost Got 'Im Card Game Rulebook

Table of Contents

Object of the Game

This scintillating card game is based on the Batman: The Animated Series episode "Almost Got 'Im."

Villains use their special abilities to help their team figure out who is actually Batman in disguise, then accuse that player and Vote. If they discover Batman before he wins (see below), the Villains win together.

Batman must use his wits to remain hidden. He needs to Subdue Villains to win. The number of Subdued Villains Batman needs to win is based on how many players are in the game (not including the Dealer):

Players	Subdues Needed to Win
4-5	2
6-7	3

Players can be Subdued by Batman during a Blackout and by Voting during a round. No matter how a player is Subdued, each still counts towards Batman's victory condition. Villains need to be careful to avoid Subduing fellow Villains by Vote, yet they must take this risk in order to win!

52 Poker Deck Cards + 2 Jokers
9 Secret Role Cards
13 Oversized Character Cards
1 Oversized Role Explanation Card
1 Oversized Dealer Card
1 Objectives Card
1 The Brains Token
1 Rulebook

Role Basics

Dealer

The Dealer has the responsibility of keeping the game moving along and resolving secret special abilities during the Blackout each round.

The Dealer is the moderator and is not a participant in the action. For the first couple of games, it should probably be YOU, because you're reading the rules and will soon know how everything works. If you have not played social deduction games before, you might benefit from a notebook to keep track of each player's Secret Role. Just don't let the players see it.

Batman

The player dealt this Secret Role Card is the star of the show, but needs to divert suspicion onto other players. A quiet Batman is usually suspect, so the player needs to get in there and talk! Batman requires a Poker hand of Two Pair to Subdue a Villain during a Blackout. He wins if he completes his objective. Catwoman™ may end up sharing that victory with him, however. More on her later . . .

Villains

Players who are dealt a Secret Role Card that doesn't say "in Disguise" are on the Villain team. At the top of the card is the name of the Secret Role the player will assume this game. Under that, they will find the type of Poker hand that they need to put together to use their secret ability. At the bottom of the card is the game text that outlines what the ability does when it is activated. The Villain players are all working together and win or lose as a team.

Game Setup

Players should be seated at the table. The Dealer will typically stand and walk around during the game.

Place all 13 oversized Character Cards face down in the middle of the table. Each player grabs one, flips it face up, and places it in front of themselves. Return the unused Character Cards to the box.
Grab the Secret Role Card deck.
Place the "Homicidal" Secret Role Card back in the box if there are fewer than 7 players.
Place the "Healer" Secret Role Card back in the box if there are fewer than 6 players.

Cards that are in the box are out of the game and are never looked at. They DO NOT count as "roles not being used this game." For game purposes, they don't exist.
The Dealer places the "Batman in Disguise" Secret Role Card face up on the table, then turns it face down.
Shuffle the remaining Secret Role Cards, then place additional cards face down on top of the Batman in Disguise card until the number of cards in that pile matches the number of players. For example, in a 5-player game, one of the cards will be Batman in Disguise, and there will be four other random Secret Role Cards on top of it.
Place the extra Secret Role Cards face down and off to the side, but not back in the box. The players don't get to peek at them unless a card ability specifically says they can.
Shuffle the stack of Secret Role Cards and deal one face down to each player.
Players should carefully peek at their Secret Role Cards and then place them under their Character Cards. Players may never show their Secret Role Cards to other players until the game is over, but a player may look at their own card whenever they wish.
Players with questions about their Secret Role Cards or Character Cards should grab the Dealer and move away from the table before making their queries.

Note: In step #14 above, Batman gets to look at an unused Secret Role Card. This gives Batman the chance to bluff having a different Secret Role Card. Otherwise, he would have nothing to say if everyone started announcing their Secret Roles.

End of Round Sequence

The Brains may make an accusation. It must be seconded to go to a Vote. (Skip this step the first round.)
A Blackout occurs. This is when players may use their secret abilities.
Blackout ends.
Dealer announces if anyone was Subdued, un-Subdued, etc.
Pass The Brains Token one player to the left and start a new round.

How to Play

Round Sequence

Starting with the Brains and proceeding clockwise, each player performs the following during their turn in order:

Draw a card from the top of the deck or take the top card from one of the three discard piles.
(Optional) Use Character's Once-Per-Game ability.
Draw or discard until hand size is five cards.

Once each player has taken a turn, proceed to the end of the round.

Making a Hand

At the start of the game, each player is dealt five Poker cards. Each player's Secret Role Card tells them the type of hand they need to use their special ability. Now, all they need to do is find the right cards! For example, a player might need a Straight to use their secret ability. If they were dealt or manage to put together a Three-of-a-Kind, that does nothing for them! Only the hand dictated by their Secret Role Card will help the player.

There are three face-up discard piles. Taking the top card from a discard pile is the best way for a player to get a card they need to make their hand. Players cannot look through the discard piles and may only take a card from the top of a discard pile.

If a player doesn't see a card they need on top of the discard piles, or they wish to keep their card acquisitions a secret, drawing the top card of the deck is the other option. Players won't know what card they are receiving, but at least no one will know what they draw.

A player may want to use their Character's Once-Per-Game special ability if they have the specific card mentioned (in any suit). Since it is usable only once per game, players might want to wait to use it until the best possible moment. If a player chooses to use this ability, they discard the required card into one of the three discard piles. That player rotates their Character Card sideways to indicate that they have used the ability this game.

After using their Character's ability, or not, the active player must draw or discard cards until they have exactly five cards in hand. So, if they have less than five cards, the player must draw cards only from the deck until they have precisely five. If they have more than five cards, they must discard down to five. Choose and discard cards one at a time. A player may even discard the card they just acquired. This is an especially important thing to do if a player already has the exact hand they need.

If there are not three discard piles, the active player must discard into an empty slot. If there are already three discard piles, the player may discard their card onto any of the three piles—face up and on top of the pile.

Table Talk

This is a social deduction game. That means players should talk to each other during the game as much as possible. Ask questions and toss around suspicions! When the active player has multiple options on what to discard, asking for requests is a great way to make friends. A player can also request that a discard does not cover a certain card they need. Naturally, a player can grant or ignore any request.

Players are free to tell lies whenever they please! Any player can claim to have any role in the game, though claiming to be Batman would be foolhardy, at best. If a player claims to have a role they do not have, keep in mind someone might actually have that role. A player may call out another player for lying, but who's to say which one of them is really the liar?

Secrets

Players may not whisper or have private conversations. All talking must be done in the open.
Players may not show any of their cards to other players, unless a card says otherwise.
Players may not keep notes during the game.

Accusations

All eyes are on the Brains at the end of the round, as only that player may accuse another player of being Batman. They are "the Brains of this operation," after all. Finding Batman–and successfully Voting him Guilty–is the only way the Villains can win the game (unless it's a 7-player game and someone has the Homicidal Secret Role). A Guilty Vote results in that player being Subdued. If the Villains make a mistake and Subdue another Villain, that Subdue is added to the tally of Subdues Batman needs to win.

Players are free to advise the Brains on possible suspects, but it is up to the Brains to accuse someone. If the deliberations are going on too long, the Dealer should start an audible countdown from 10 to 0. If the Brains declines to make an accusation or time runs out, proceed to the Blackout.

If the Brains accuses a player of being Batman, at least one other player must "second" it. A verbal "I agree!" is typical. If the speeches are going on too long, the Dealer should step in with an audible countdown from 5 to 0. If no one seconds the accusation, proceed to the Blackout. During this time, the accused is free to make a case for why the accusation should not be seconded. The accused may also wait to speak until the accusation is seconded and is going to a Vote.

The Brains may make only one accusation each round, seconded or not and no matter the final outcome. Accusations may not be made against Subdued players.

Voting

If the accusation is seconded, a Vote MUST be taken, but not before the accused has a chance to mount a defense. Whether the accused is a Villain, Catwoman, or Batman, they must convince the other players that they are a Villain! If multiple players consider them suspicious, it might be necessary for the player to announce their Secret Role to the other players. However, a player is NOT allowed to show their Secret Role Card, even in this desperate moment. Batman will want to call out his fake role, or any role for that matter. Accused players can even claim someone else is lying, in the hope that it keeps them from being Voted Guilty. Other players are free to mention suspicious things the accused player said or did and should probably share knowledge gained from their Secret Roles.

When the deliberating is done, it's time to Vote. The accused does not Vote. Each other player MUST Vote. Each player holds one hand out over the table, with thumb extended to the side.

Dealer: "Thumbs up means you agree that the accused is Batman. They are Guilty. Thumbs down means you disagree. The accused is NOT Batman. They are Innocent."

The Dealer now asks, "Ready?" and then makes a slow count of "1-2-3!" As the "3" is voiced, each player must turn their thumb either up or down. "Hold your hands out there while I count the Votes."

Hand signals shown in the rulebook: Starting Position; Agree/Guilty (thumb up); Disagree/Innocent (thumb down).

The Dealer counts the Votes to determine which side has the majority. In case of a tie, the Brain's Vote is the tie-breaker. Players are not allowed to change their Vote and everyone must Vote Guilty or Innocent.

If the result is an Innocent Vote, nothing happens except for lots of vindictive stares. Proceed to the Blackout.

If the result is a Guilty Vote, and that player is indeed Batman, Batman must flip over his Secret Role Card. The Villains have won! If that player is not Batman, that player is Subdued, and add one Subdue to Batman's tally. If that is the last Subdue he needed, the game ends and Batman wins. If Batman does not have the required number of Subdues, the game continues. A Subdued Villain does not reveal their Secret Role Card. That player remains in the game, but should flip their Character Card face down. They have lost both of their special abilities (Character Card ability and Secret Role Card ability). If the player's Character Card was sideways, it remains that way. See page 13 for more about being Subdued.

Blackout

After the accusation phase and Voting (if any) is over, everything goes dark.

Dealer: "Everyone close your eyes."

The Dealer should grab the deck of cards from the table. Leave the discard piles, unless the deck has (roughly) a card count of fewer than three times the number of players. If the deck has less than that, the Dealer should gather all cards under the top cards from the three discard piles (i.e., leave only the top cards of the discard piles) and shuffle them into the deck.

The Dealer will resolve players one at a time, starting with the Brains and proceeding clockwise. The Dealer will call out each player by their Character's name, like the examples on the next page.

Dealer: "The Riddler™, open your eyes."

Now, it is that player's opportunity to employ their Secret Role Card ability . . . if they have the correct cards in hand. If a player does not have the required hand, or does not wish to use their ability at this time, the player should place their hand of cards face down onto the table and then pick it back up.

During this time, the Dealer should slowly and loudly deal five cards from the deck onto the table next to the awakened player. If the player is not activating a hand, the Dealer quietly picks up the cards they dealt, and then proceeds to the next player. The Dealer constantly shuffles the deck in their hands, so players hear that instead of other card movements.

Dealer: "The Riddler, close your eyes." Dealer: "The Scarecrow™, open your eyes."

If a player has made the required hand and wishes to use their Secret Role Card ability, they place their hand of cards face up on the table and reveal their Secret Role Card. Now the Dealer can see if they indeed have the correct hand to activate their special ability. If they do, they pick up the new five cards the Dealer has dealt onto the table. The Dealer then picks up the cards they handed in, places them on the bottom of the deck, and shuffles the deck.

Note: If a player activates their Secret Role Card ability, they ALWAYS turn in their entire hand. It does not matter what the extra cards are—they are turned in as well.

Dealer: "The Scarecrow, close your eyes."

Once all players have had a chance to activate a hand, the Dealer may need to resolve the Saboteur ability. Grab the affected player's cards, place them on the bottom of the deck, and then put five new cards into their hand. You can speed this up by having the new five ready early. This is done after all abilities are over, but before players open their eyes after the Blackout.

Note: The player with the Saboteur role does not open their eyes during this procedure.

Dealer: "Everyone open your eyes."

The Dealer shuffles the Poker deck one last time, then returns it to the middle of the table. If the deck has fewer than 15 cards in it, the Dealer collects each of the cards from the discard piles except for the ones on top and shuffles them into the deck.

If anyone was Subdued or un-Subdued during the Blackout, the Dealer announces that to the players. If Batman has the required number of Subdues, he wins. Otherwise, the game will continue. If someone activated the Crafty ability during the Blackout, the Dealer instructs each player to draw a card from the deck (not from a discard pile). The Brains Token is passed one player to the left, and a new round begins.

Subdued

When a player is Subdued, they keep their hand and are not out of the game! However, that player loses their special abilities (Secret Role ability and Character ability). Being Subdued means that they have been reduced to being a shell of their former self. Whether they were Voted down by their friends or beaten down by Batman, it doesn't matter. Subdued players can still talk, cast suspicions, Vote, and do everything else the Villains do, except for special abilities.

If there are 6 or more players in the game, a Subdued player may become un-Subdued by the Healer, so it is important for the player to continue working on making the hand listed on their Secret Role Card. Also, since a Subdued player still has cards in hand, they probably have cards that their fellow players desire and can be a great resource for cards. Nevertheless, the role of Subdued players is severely limited: During the Blackout, the Dealer will skip Subdued players, as they cannot activate a hand.

Advanced Mode

Once players become experts in the game or think they have found a foolproof system to win, impose the following rule:

At the end of every fourth round of play, if no one was Subdued during the previous four rounds, Batman earns one free Subdue (though no players are actually Subdued). The Villains must Vote and try to Subdue Batman or else he will eventually win.

Secret Roles in Detail

Batman in Disguise: First and foremost, you need to keep a good Poker face! When you use this ability, point to another player.

If you use your secret ability during a Blackout, but nothing is announced after the Blackout . . . do not panic. That means the Watchful Secret Role prevented your Subdue during that Blackout.

Catwoman in Disguise: You can win an instant solo victory if you can put together a Full House and then get Voted Guilty by the other players. Your hand does nothing during the Blackout, so do not turn it in. Your hand also does nothing if you are Subdued during a Blackout.

Catwoman is not a Villain, but still counts as a Subdue towards Batman's victory condition. You lose if the Villains win. But if Batman Subdues you during a Blackout, he has rescued you from the Villain's clutches. (She was captured during the "Almost Got 'Im" episode.) If Batman Subdues you, you win if you're still Subdued when Batman wins.

Crafty: Your ability helps everyone else get the cards they need to make their hands. The cards drawn this way are taken only from the Poker deck, not the discard piles.

Healer: If there are 6 or more players in the game, someone might be the Healer. You will only want to activate a hand during the Blackout if there is a player you wish to restore from a Subdued state. This is a powerful ability that steals a Subdue away from Batman. The formerly Subdued player now gets to use their special abilities.

During the Blackout in which you use this ability, you will need to point to a Subdued player. If Batman collects the needed number of Subdues during the same Blackout in which you restore a player, Batman does not win since he will now be one Subdue short.

Homicidal: If there are 7 players in the game, someone might be Homicidal. You can win the game for your team. But if the player you Subdue is not Batman, you will have aided Batman immensely. During the Blackout in which you use this ability, point to the player you think is Batman to Subdue that player. If Batman achieved his Subdue total needed for victory, but you Subdued Batman during the same Blackout, the Villains win.

Saboteur: Anyone who looks suspicious to you would be a good target for this ability. Keep in mind that if your target has already made their hand, this ability won't stop them from using it during the same Blackout in which you use this ability.

Sneaky: You will want to get players talking about what their Secret Roles are. That way you may be able to catch Batman in a lie.

Telepathic: This powerful ability allows you to gain insight into the mind of another player. First you must put together a hand with Two Pairs, with 9s or lower only. (Aces are high cards in pairs.) Cards with ranks from 2-9 are what you're looking for. The fifth card you turn in can be of any rank.

When you use this ability, point to another player. The Dealer will give you a thumbs down if they are a Villain. If the Dealer gives you a thumbs up:

In a 4-6 player game, that player is either Batman or Catwoman.
In a 7-player game, that player could be Batman, Catwoman, or Homicidal.

Watchful: When you use this ability, point to another player. You and that player cannot be Subdued during this Blackout. The timing does not matter. Even if you are the last player to resolve during the Blackout, your ability will still prevent the Subdue.

Two Pair: Two cards of one rank, plus two cards of one rank. Four cards of the same rank also work. Examples: 6-6-Q-Q or Q-Q-Q-Q

Three-of-a-Kind: Three cards of the same rank. Example: 9-9-9

Straight: Five cards of consecutive rank, but not necessarily the same suit. An Ace may be used as a high or low card in a Straight. Examples: A-2-3-4-5 or 10-J-Q-K-A

Flush: Five cards of the same suit. Example: 3-6-10-Q-A of Bats

Full House: Three cards of one rank and two cards of another rank. Example: 4-4-4-J-J

The Poker Deck and Hands

Suits: Instead of the typical Poker suits, the game's deck has custom Gotham City-themed cards. The suits are Bats, Harley-Hearts, Stolen Diamonds, and Riddles.

Jokers: There are two Jokers in the deck. These are wild cards that can assume any rank (e.g., 2, Ace) and any suit when discarded/used. They have no rank or suit while in your hand. They may be discarded to use a Character Card ability.

Character Cards in Detail

Two-Face™: The cards you acquire must be drawn from the deck, not the discard piles.

Mr. Freeze™: After Voting (or not) this round, the game moves directly to the start of the next round.

Bane™: You are protected during the Blackout at the end of this round.

The Scarecrow™: This ability denies a player the chance to use their Secret Role ability during the next Blackout.

Killer Croc™: The five cards you draw must be from the deck, not the discard piles.

The Riddler™: Choose a rank of card from 2 to Ace, but not Joker. Other players announce the number of cards of that rank in their hand verbally, not by showing them.

Clayface™: You may discard to use your new ability now or wait.

Penguin™: The cards must come off the deck, not the discard piles.

Ventriloquist & Scarface™: A suit is one of the four Gotham City-themed suits in the game.

The Joker™: You do not have to reveal a Joker you have. A player with a Joker must reveal it, instead of verbalizing having one.

Poison Ivy™: There is no accusing or Voting this round so this ability is a double-edged sword.

Ra's al Ghul™: You do not choose a card before looking. Pick up only one discard pile at a time, and return it so the discard piles remain in the same order.

Harley Quinn™: Use this ability to mess with Batman, Catwoman, the Homicidal player . . . and everyone else for that matter. Players can even request cards and hope to get them!

The Dealer in Detail

The key to being a good Dealer is to keep track of everything that happens during the Blackouts. Resolve the Blackout effects quickly, since taking too long with any one player can cause undo suspicion. Nothing is announced during a Blackout. The following are the only things you announce once everyone has opened their eyes again:

If a player was Subdued: "The Penguin has been Subdued."
If no one was Subdued: "No one was Subdued."
If the Crafty role was used during the Blackout: "Everyone draw a card from the Poker deck."
If the Healer role was used during the Blackout: "Poison Ivy is feeling much better and is no longer Subdued."
Lastly, announce that the game is over if Batman is Subdued during a Blackout by a Homicidal player.

While players are acquiring cards during the first round of the game, carefully and secretly take a look at each player's Secret Role Card. If someone has the Telepathic role, keep track of which players are Batman, Catwoman, and Homicidal. Take notes in a notebook if you need to, but don't let anyone see it. Notes also come in handy when Batman or the Homicidal player Subdues someone or the Watchful player is protecting players. Write down their targets. Likewise, if someone uses Saboteur or Crafty, write that down as well. Then you'll remember to resolve that at the end of the Blackout.

During a Blackout, try to spend the same amount of time with each player, whether they are activating a hand or not. Make it seem like something is happening with every player, so that noises are not a dead giveaway that someone is resolving an ability.

Quick Dealer Notes

Things you do not announce:

Keep things moving! If your group gets into endless conversations, tell them, "30 seconds before we move on!"
If the Saboteur ability is used, don't announce it! The person who had their hand replaced may or may not want to share that information with the group.
If your group is having trouble Voting in unison, have them close their eyes to Vote. Instruct the players to make their choices and keep their thumbs out, then have everyone open their eyes.
If a player was targeted for a Subdue during the Blackout, but the Watchful player prevented it, do not announce that the Subdue was thwarted!
Keep an eye on the Poker deck. If it ever has fewer than 15 cards, remove all but the top card of each discard pile and shuffle those cards into the deck.
In a 7-player game, be sure NOT to mention who performed the Subdue. It could be Batman or a Homicidal player. You must act as if it could have been either one, even though you know the truth.
Keep the unused Secret Role Cards in your back pocket. That way they will be ready if the Sneaky player uses that ability. Do this even if the Sneaky role is not being played, so you don't give away that fact.
Don't contradict a player unless they are stating a game rule incorrectly. They may be trying to deceive someone by misremembering something . . .