Draft:Good Cop Bad Cop (card game)

Good Cop Bad Cop

Designers	Brian Henk Clayton Skancke
Illustrators	Dwayne Biddix
Publishers	Overworld Games Broadway Toys LTD Fullcap Games Magellan Mandala Jogos Primigenio
Genres	Bluffing Card game Hidden roles
Players	4-8 (3-8 for the Bombers and Traitors expansion)
Playing time	10-20 minutes
Age range	12+

Good Cop Bad Cop is a social deduction card game about law enforcement designed by Brian Henk and Clayton Skancke and published by Pull the Pin Games (previously Overworld Games) in 2014. It was nominated for 2014 Golden Geek Best Party Board Game.

Overview

The game is played by 4 to 8 players. Each player receives 3 integrity cards and 1 equipment card, keeps the integrity cards hidden from other players and puts them in front of you in any order, then lays the guns in the middle of the table and receives a reference card. The number of the guns is 2 less than the number of the players.

The 4 types of integrity cards are:

• Agent (always 1)
• Kingpin (always 1)
• Honest (from 5 to 11)
• Crooked (from 5 to 11)

If the majority of a player’s integrity cards are Honest and they don’t have the Kingpin card, or if they have the Agent card, they are honest, and their objective of the game is to eliminate the player with the Kingpin card. If the majority of a player’s integrity cards are Crooked and they don’t have the Agent card, or if they have the Kingpin card, they are crooked, and their objective of the game is to eliminate the player with the Agent card. The Agent card never goes with the Kingpin card at the start of the game.

The game is played in turns, in clockwise order, starting with the most recently shot player (in real life or in a game).

On your turn, a player must take one of the following actions:

• Investigate: View one hidden integrity card from any other living player with at least one hidden integrity card, then put it back to its original location.
• Arm: Take a gun from the middle of the table, then reveal one of your hidden integrity card (if you have any).
• Equip: Draw an equipment card, then reveal one of your hidden integrity card (if you have any).
• Shoot: Shoot the gun to the player you’re aiming at, then put the gun back to the middle of the table.

After taking the action, if you’re holding a gun, aim it at any other living players other than yourself.

A player may only hold one gun at a time. When they get the gun, they must immediately aim it to another player. They may only change the target at the end of their turn.

If a player is shot, they must immediately reveal all of their integrity cards. If they are not the agent or the kingpin, they are eliminated from the game. Otherwise, they draw a equipment card, receive a Wounded token, and will be eliminated if they’re shot again. If the Agent or Kingpin card is moved by an equipment card, the Wounded token moves with the card.

A player may use an equipment card at any time unless specified on the card or during the resolution of another equipment card. Each player may only hold one equipment card at a time. If a player has multiple, they must discard all but one of them. After a player uses an equipment card, put it in the discard tile. Shuffle the discard pile to form the new draw pile if the old one runs out.

The Honest team wins if the Kingpin is eliminated, and the Crooked team wins if the Agent is eliminated. If a player has both of the Kingpin and the Agent card during the game, they win alone.

Expansions

• Bombers and Traitors (2015): This expansion introduces integrity cards with a bomb or knife icon on the top-left corner. If all of a player’s integrity cards have the bomb icon, the player is a bomber and wins the game if they are shot before either team wins. If all of a player’s integrity cards have the knife icon, the player is a traitor and wins the game if they are alive when either the Agent or the Kingpin is eliminated. If a player is a bomber or traitor, they cannot win with their team and must win alone.
• Undercover (2016): This expansion introduces cover cards. Each player receives one cover card at the start of the game and put it on the top of an integrity card to prevent it being investigated. They also gain a passive or active special ability from the cover card based on their choice. A player loses the cover and the ability if all of their integrity cards are revealed. When a player is investigated, they must move the cover to the card that’s viewed.
• Promotion (2020): This expansion introduces medals and promotion cards. Every time a player wins a standard game or being awarded by the winning leader, they receive a medal. When a player has enough medals to promote, they receive a promotion card and gain a special action. A player may use a special action instead of investigating, arming, equipping, or shooting. After the 5th game, each winner receives 2 medals, and the player with the most medals wins.
• Zombies (2024): This expansion introduces zombie cards. When an alive player is shot or bitten, if they’re not the Agent or the Kingpin, they drop the gun and become a zombie. Zombies cannot hold guns, instead, they bite their target. After a zombie bites another player, they choose a new target. Zombies cannot be killed, either. The objective of the game for the zombies is to bite the Agent or the Kingpin.

Reviews

Good Cop Bad Cop has been reviewed by several websites or magazines. Cthulhu Reviews highlights the easiness, accessible theme, and teamwork aspect. Board Game Quest notes the ease of entry and short duration, but also points out the repetitiveness and luck-dependence of this game.

See also

• Mafia (party game)
• Bang! (card game)

External links

• Good Cop Bad Cop official overview
• Good Cop Bad Cop on BoardGameGeek
• Good Cop Bad Cop official rules
• Pull the Pin Games (previously Overworld Games)