Board game Quercus Publishing Among Cultists (social deduction, 4–8 players, 10 rounds)

Among Cultists is a social deduction board game by Quercus Publishing designed for 4–8 players. Set on a university board, participants take hidden roles as Investigators or Cultists and move through locations that trigger events, actions and encounters. The game is played over 10 rounds: Investigators aim to accumulate required victory points or identify and vote out Cultists, while Cultists attempt sabotage or elimination to secure their victory.

Advantages

The game blends board movement and event-driven mechanics with social deduction, creating timed rounds that maintain tension and decision-making. Clear role separation between Investigators and Cultists supports asymmetric objectives, and the 4–8 player range accommodates small groups and medium-size gatherings. The 10-round structure provides a fixed session length useful for planning game nights.

Suitable for

• Social deduction sessions with friends or family
• Board game nights for 4 to 8 players
• Groups that enjoy bluffing, voting and hidden roles
• Play sessions with mixed ages (adult and child)

Key specifications

• Player count: 4–8 players
• Game length: 10 rounds
• Genres: social deduction, board game
• Play style: role-based asymmetric objectives with movement and event triggers
• Publisher: Quercus Publishing

How to use

Set up the university board and distribute hidden role cards so that each participant is assigned Investigator or Cultist. Place player tokens on their starting locations and prepare event and action decks. During each round, players take turns moving, resolving encounter spaces and playing actions. After movements and interactions, a voting phase may occur if players suspect cultist activity. Track victory points for Investigators and monitor sabotage or elimination actions by Cultists. Continue for up to 10 rounds or until victory conditions for either side are met.

Usage recommendations

For balanced play, include the recommended number of players and allow a short explanation round for newcomers to learn deduction and voting mechanics. Use a timer or a round tracker to keep the game progressing through the 10 rounds and rotate starting players between sessions to vary gameplay dynamics.