Batman: Everybody Lies
Batman: Everybody Lies Rulebook
Table of Contents
Table of Contents
Components
- 4 Lead decks (85 cards total)
- 1 Scene deck (31 cards)
- 1 Personal Goal deck (27 cards)
- 4 sets of Episode Introductions (in 4 envelopes marked 00, 01, 02, 03)
- 1 Investigation token
- 1 Location token
- 1 Game board
- 8 Location tiles
- 4 Character tiles (with Informants on the reverse sides)
- 3 Access tokens: 1 Authority token, 1 Batman token, 1 Underground token
- 4 Character tokens: 1 Bullock, 1 Catwoman, 1 Spacey, 1 Vale
- 10 Evidence tokens
Note: Evidence tokens are not limited, if you run out while playing you may use anything you'd like as a substitute.
- 1 Map of Gotham City
- 1 Rulebook
To play the game log in to https://playdetective.online/
Setup
- Place the Game board in the middle of the play area within reach of all players and place the Investigation token on the Intro space of the Investigation track.
- Place the City Hall, Gotham City Gazette, G.C.P.D. Headquarters, and Downtown Location tiles on the appropriate areas of the Game board.
- Place rest of the Location tiles, Character, Access, and Evidence tokens near the Game board.
- Each player chooses a Character and places their Character tile nearby.
- Unchosen Characters are placed on their Informant side nearby.
- Place the Lead deck, with the title card on the top, near the Game board.
- Place the Scene deck, with the title card on the top, near the Game board.
- Place the Personal Goal deck, with the title card on the top, near the Game board.
- Gather a pen and paper for taking notes.
- Log in to the website, choose the Episode you are about to play.
- You're ready to begin! Find and read the appropriate Episode Introduction(s), follow the Orders, and get to work!
Batman: Everybody Lies is made up of 4 Episodes (0, 1, 2, 3), beginning with a Prologue. Start your story with the Episode Introduction marked with "0" in the top-left corner.
The Prologue is specifically designed to help you become familiar with the game. It is much shorter and easier than the subsequent Episodes. Start with the Prologue in order to become familiar with the gameplay before you dive into the more complex Episodes.
The Prologue is your first step into the world of Gotham City. Treat it like a warm-up—a simple thug—that you must deal with before you take on the infamous Rogues Gallery.
Board
Investigation Track
The Investigation track indicates how much time you have left before the current Episode ends. Each Lead you reveal advances your Investigation token along this track.
The track contains 4 sections indicated by different colors. Position of the Investigation token at the end of the game is important for the assessment on how efficient your Investigation was (see End of the Game).
Recap spaces
The Recap spaces are a reminder to pause the game and discuss the Episode thus far. It's important to use this moment to discuss your ideas, assumptions, and conclusions with your team in regards to the Episode's Goals. Remember, you are a team, and everyone's opinion is important—Gotham City is not the place to be closed-minded, take the time to consider input from everyone.
Locations
The Game board is made up of a total of 8 Locations that you may visit as you pursue Leads: 4 Locations are available at the beginning of the game (G.C.P.D. Headquarters, Downtown, City Hall, and the Gotham City Gazette) and there are 4 Locations that you must gain access to throughout the game (the Underworld, Blackgate Penitentiary, Arkham Asylum, and the Batcave).
Introductions
Episodes I, II, and III contain a specific Introduction for each Character (with a matching portrait for each Character), as well as an Introduction for the entire Task Force. First, each Character Introduction is read privately by the player who selected that specific Character. Next, the Task Force Introduction is read aloud to all players. (The Prologue contains a single Introduction read aloud to all players).
Each of the Introductions contains the following:
Introductory Story
This is the initial plot that presents the overall situation that the Characters and the Task Force are in.
Goals (Personal or Main)
Each Character Introduction provides players with an individual Personal Goal to complete during the current Episode. These may be shared or remain secret. The Task Force Introduction has a Main Goal that players want to complete together.
Harvey Bullock and Catwoman have a lot in common, even if neither would ever admit it. Like them, you have your own way of doing things—your own motives. Feel free to keep your Personal Goals secret, to lie about them, to be forthright and honest. Your Personal Goals are yours and we recommend you handle them however you want.
Further Leads
These are the first Leads that you may pursue (see Leads).
Note: The Introductions may also contain Special Rules to follow, or Orders. These will direct you to Read specific Files available on the online Database (see Orders).
Characters
The Characters you choose are part of Jim Gordon's Task Force who investigate cases around Gotham City that lay outside the purview of the G.C.P.D. (Gotham City Police Department). Characters provide abilities, and have Personal Goals to complete.
Each Character has abilities that may be activated by spending Evidence tokens.
Informants are non-player Gotham City citizens that help you throughout Episodes by providing similar abilities to their Character sides.
Each Character tile has a Character side and an Informant side.
Information Tokens
To survive in Gotham City and accomplish your Goals, you'll need Information. Information tokens consist of Characters, Access, and Evidence. You use Information tokens throughout the game to gain access to Locations and Personal Goal cards. Be careful, you should conserve Information as you play—Gotham City is not a gentle nor honest city, and the Information you gain will be sparse.
Access tokens
There are 3 different types of Access tokens: Authority, Underworld, and Batman. These tokens are spent in order to gain access to specific Locations.
Access tokens belong to all players and are kept in an Information Pool. They may be used by any player to visit specific Locations when following Leads.
Character tokens
Each Character may gain their own specific token by spending 1 Evidence token, anytime during the game. Character tokens are used in order to obtain access to Personal Goal cards throughout the game, which help you accomplish your Characters' Personal Goals.
Each Character token belongs to that Character's player. They may be spent by the player controlling the specific Character to gain access to their Personal Goal cards.
Evidence tokens
Evidence tokens are gained by following specific Leads and they may be spent by players in order to gain Character and Access tokens. Evidence tokens belong to all players and are kept in your Information Pool. Many times throughout the game you must discuss how they are spent.
For example: the players have 2 Evidence tokens. Bullock wants to spend 1 Evidence token in order to gain their Character token to pursue their own Personal Goal. The players just uncovered a promising Lead at Arkham Asylum, but Catwoman must spend 2 Evidence tokens to gain the Batman Access token in order to follow the Lead. The players must discuss their options.
Gordon asked you to work together, but never said you had to get along.
Personal Goal Cards
This deck of cards (labeled A to Z) contain pieces of the plot used to complete Character's Personal Goals. You will find many opportunities to gain access to your Character's Personal Goal cards throughout the game by spending Character tokens.
These cards contain many of the same Orders and Icons as Lead cards and follow the same rules.
Scene Cards
This deck of cards (labeled 1-30) depict the scenes you encounter as you make your way through the Episode. These cards may have some hidden clues. They are used to bring the story to life.
How to Play
The purpose of Gordon's secret Task Force is very simple—disentangle the lies, follow the Leads, and bring justice to Gotham City.
You start each Episode with an Introduction that provides Initial Leads to pursue.
Leads
Leads present you with various situations, like investigating suspicious areas, interrogating inhabitants of Gotham City, and searching for answers. Each Lead contains important information, so stay focused as you read them—they contain everything you'll need to accomplish your Goals.
The Riddler isn't going to come out of the shadows and tell you the answers. Ra's al Ghul won't reveal his secrets and Bane isn't going to disclose the details of his master plan—the solutions to your Goals are not written on the cards—you must deduce them on your own!
Lead Cards
Each Lead card shows:
- A unique card number associated with the access to this card.
- Location: Gotham City contains many Locations that you may visit. Each Lead has a Location associated with it.
- Character Portrait: each card is presented from the perspective of one of the 4 Characters.
- Lead text: this text describes the situation you're in and provides insights to complete your Goals.
- Various Orders like Read: File@, Gain, and Spend.
- Further Leads to pursue, along with a description of what the Lead entails.
Resolving a Lead
When you uncover a Lead that you would like to pursue, complete the following steps:
- Choose a Lead to resolve from the Further Leads available to you.
- Pay any associated cost required by the Location, flip the Location tile, and move the Location token to the appropriate Location on the Game board (see Locations).
- Advance the Investigation token by 1 space on the Investigation track.
- If there is an additional cost—indicated by the keyword Spend—you must discard the token from your Information Pool.
- Carefully take the card with the indicated number from the Lead deck, without revealing any information on the other cards.
- Read the Lead text aloud to all players.
- Follow all of the Orders on the card (see Orders).
- Write down all the new Further Leads you have access to.
- Place the Lead card near the Game board for future reference.
It does not matter if the Character listed on a Further Lead is being played by one of the Players. You may always follow any Further Leads that are available. Remember, any unchosen Characters become your Informants and may follow Leads (e.g.: No one is playing Bullock, but a Further Lead states that he must go to Blackgate Penitentiary to find clues. Even though no one is playing Bullock, you may still follow this Lead). The only difference is you have no access to their Personal Goal cards.
If you're as smart as the world's greatest detective, you'll know the importance of keeping notes. Your notes are as important as Batman's extensive knowledge of Gotham City's most infamous criminals.
You may never view or read a Lead card until it appears as a Further Lead. Once you resolve the Lead, it is available to all players to view and read for the rest of the game!
Locations
There are 8 Locations that you may visit while following Leads:
4 Locations are free to visit when following Leads: the Gotham City Gazette, City Hall, G.C.P.D. Headquarters, and Downtown.
4 Locations have a cost associated with them: the Underworld, Blackgate Penitentiary, Arkham Asylum, and the Batcave.
The G.C.P.D. Headquarters Location is free to visit on its frontside, but will cost you if you visit it while it's exhausted.
When you find a Further Lead that indicates a Location not already on the Game board, find that Location tile and place it with its unexhausted, colored side face up on the board.
The tiles begin on their unexhausted side with a basic cost of 1 specific Access token.
In order to follow a Lead associated with this Location you must spend the required Access token, flip the Location to its exhausted black and white side, and then you may read the Lead card.
Once a Location is exhausted, it now depicts a more expensive cost: 1 specific Access token, plus 1 additional Evidence token.
In order to follow a Lead associated with this Location you must spend the required tokens, flip the Location tile to its unexhausted colored side, and then you may read the Lead card.
Orders
Leads often contain Orders that you must follow. Orders instruct you to draw and/or read game components. When a card has multiple Orders, resolve them one by one in the order that they appear.
Flip
The flip icon indicates that the Lead continues to the back of the card and you simply flip the card over and continue reading when you see the icon.
Gain
When an Order states: "Gain card X" or "Gain 1 [Evidence]" you immediately gain the indicated Scene card from the Scene deck or the indicated amount of Evidence tokens. Remember, never reveal any other cards unless instructed to do so.
Read
When an Order states: "Read File@XXX" you must immediately log in to the website to access the File. Once you log in, enter the indicated number to access this important information.
For example: Brandon is resolving a Lead card with the Order: Read File@027. He is already logged in to the playdetective.online and has chosen the current Episode. He enters 027 into the File field, and presses enter to access the File.
Investigation Action
Sometimes pursuing Leads isn't your only option. Throughout the game you may need to use an Investigation action to reach your Goals.
To carry out the Investigation action, advance your Investigation token by 1 space in order to gain 2 Evidence tokens. You may do this at any time and as many times as you like.
End of the Game
Once the Investigation token reaches the Green spaces (9-10) it is now possible to end the game. Anytime after this point, you may choose to end the game whenever you feel you have uncovered enough evidence and information to complete your Goals.
The Investigation track determines how well the Episode is going, and the different colors of the track indicate how you compare to the well-renowned characters of Gotham City.
Check the following chart to see how well you compare:
- Green (9-10): Impressive! Your mind is almost as sharp as Edward Nigma's most vexing riddles.
- Yellow (11-13): Decent. You'd make a decent detective on the streets of Gotham City.
- Red (14-16): Not so great… If you were in charge, the streets of Gotham City would run red with crime.
At the end of each Episode you must also complete your Final Report to Jim Gordon. To complete the Final Report, choose the Final Report from the menu on the website.
The Final Report consists of questions about your Goals. You will be asked about the Episode's Main Goal as well as each Character's Personal Goal. Each correct answer will increase your score. Your score will also be affected by where your Investigation token is along the Investigation track. Once the Final Report is complete you will receive a breakdown of your score and a review of the Episode.
New Episode
You've learned everything you need to begin playing Batman: Everybody Lies.
The following information is only needed after you've completed your first Episode. It contains instructions for beginning a New Episode and Replaying Episodes.
Once you're ready to proceed to the next Episode, you begin by following the basic Setup instruction (see Setup) using the subsequent Episode Introduction.
Replaying Episodes
If you wish to replay an Episode, place all the Leads back into the Lead deck in numerical order, face up. Each Episode's Lead cards are distinguished by the first digit of the number (0, 1, 2, or 3).
For example: If you have just completed Episode 2 and wish to replay it, you gather all the Lead cards that begin with 2 and place them, with the correct facing, back into the Lead deck in order.
Next, choose to reset the Episode on the website—but remember, if you choose to reset an Episode, all the information that you have gained and all the progress you have made will be removed—so use caution when deciding to reset an Episode.