- who farted rules use hidden teams, secret roles, discussion, and voting.
- Farting thieves win by escaping or outnumbering conscious innocent bystanders.
- Innocent bystanders win by binding and gagging every farting thief.
- Each round alternates between a lights-out phase and an open discussion phase.
- The narrator manages role powers, secret actions, voting, and status changes.
Who Farted Rules and Game Overview
Who Farted is a social deduction party game for 5 to 20 players, with a recommended age of 8 and up. A typical game takes about four minutes per player, although the final length depends on how quickly the group discusses, votes, and reaches a victory condition.
Players are trapped in an elevator with thieves who have eaten toxic baked beans. The beans cause the thieves to emit dangerous farts when the lights go out. Everyone receives a secret role, but only some players know which team they serve. The central challenge is identifying the thieves before they incapacitate the group.
Video Highlights:
- The basic setup and narrator responsibilities
- The lights-out and lights-on round structure
- Secret roles and their special abilities
- Voting, binding, gagging, and unconsciousness
- Team victory conditions
Use an experienced social deduction player as narrator during the first game. A confident narrator keeps the hidden actions organized and prevents rules delays.
| Game Element | Rule Summary |
|---|---|
| Player count | 5–20 players |
| Recommended age | 8 and up |
| Typical pace | About 4 minutes per player |
| Main teams | Farting thieves and innocent bystanders |
| Neutral role | Suicidal pyromaniac, available at 9 or more players |
| Required moderator | One narrator who does not receive a secret role |
The narrator reads the setup card and script, selects the appropriate role cards, shuffles them, and deals one secret role to every player except the narrator. Players keep their cards face down throughout the game.
Teams, Roles, and Secret Objectives
Every role supports a different objective or information advantage. The two primary teams are the farting thieves and the innocent bystanders. Some roles belong to the bystander side, while the suicidal pyromaniac has an independent win condition.
The farting thieves secretly recognize one another during the first lights-out phase. Their goal is to survive long enough for at least one thief to reach the ground floor, or to gain an equal or greater number than the conscious innocent bystanders.
The innocent bystanders must identify and bind every farting thief. They have no general team reveal, so discussion, deductions, role information, and voting are essential.
Farting Thieves
Work together in secret. Select a target during the darkness sequence and try to remain unbound until the elevator reaches the ground floor.
Innocent Bystanders
Study player behavior, use available role information, and vote to bind and gag every farting thief.
Suicidal Pyromaniac
A solo role available at nine or more players. This player wins immediately if they receive the farting treatment.
| Role | Availability | Main Ability or Information |
|---|---|---|
| Farting thief | All player counts | Recognizes other thieves and selects one player for the farting treatment |
| Mind reader | All player counts | Checks whether another player is a farting thief |
| Diver | 5 or more players | Holds the peg and can be protected from toxic farts, but becomes unconscious if given the peg |
| Grandparent | 7 or more players | Knows the grandchildren and cannot nominate or vote to bind them |
| Grandchild | 7 or more players | Knows the grandparent and cannot nominate or vote to bind them |
| Suicidal pyromaniac | 9 or more players | Wins immediately after receiving the farting treatment |
| Gardener | 9 or more players | May free one bound player during a darkness sequence |
| Contortionist | 13 or more players | May remove their own bindings while bound and gagged |
The mind reader opens their eyes during the darkness sequence and points to another player. The narrator signals whether that player is a farting thief. This ability only functions while the mind reader remains conscious.
The diver begins with the peg in the first round. In later rounds, the player holding the peg gives it to another player. The peg protects its holder from the toxic farts, except when it is given to the diver. If the diver receives it, the diver becomes unconscious and the peg is no longer available.
Only include roles supported by the current player count. The narrator should check the setup card before dealing roles so that every ability and team balance matches the group size.
Step-by-Step Round Structure
Who Farted rules divide play into repeating phases. The narrator controls the hidden actions, while players control the open discussion and voting. Follow this order to avoid revealing information accidentally.
Choose the Narrator
Select the most experienced Who Farted player. If everyone is new, choose someone familiar with social deduction games. The narrator takes the setup card and script but does not receive a secret role.
Select and Deal Roles
Use the player count to choose the correct roles. Shuffle the cards face down and secretly deal one to every player except the narrator. Players must keep their roles hidden.
Run the Lights-Out Phase
Everyone closes their eyes while the narrator calls roles in the script. Thieves identify one another, the mind reader checks a player, and special roles resolve their actions when available.
Open Discussion
Everyone opens their eyes and discusses what may have happened. Players use deductions, accusations, behavior, and role information to decide whom to nominate.
Nominate and Vote
One player nominates another, a second conscious player seconds the nomination, and the accused player receives about 30 seconds to defend themselves. Everyone then votes simultaneously.
During the first round, the narrator introduces the roles that need to recognize one another. The thieves open their eyes together, while the mind reader checks a player. At higher player counts, the diver, grandparent, grandchildren, and suicidal pyromaniac receive their initial information.
The later darkness sequence handles recurring powers. The narrator activates the mind reader, transfers the peg, resolves the gardener and contortionist actions when applicable, and then asks the thieves to select a target.
| Phase | Player Action | Narrator Responsibility |
|---|---|---|
| Lights out | Keep eyes closed and follow role instructions | Call roles in script order |
| Secret powers | Use information or abilities silently | Confirm targets and outcomes |
| Lights on | Discuss suspicions and possible actions | Announce the player who received the farting treatment |
| Nomination | Identify one suspected player | Confirm a second conscious player supports the nomination |
| Defense | Nominated player explains their innocence | Track the discussion time |
| Vote | Vote simultaneously with thumbs up or thumbs down | Apply the majority result |
A thumbs-up vote binds and gags the nominated player. A thumbs-down vote rejects the action. If the vote is tied or the thumbs-down votes form the majority, the player remains unbound.
Binding, Gagging, Farts, and the Peg
A successful vote binds and gags the nominated player. That player remains in the game but cannot speak. Bound players may still be affected by certain role abilities, including the gardener or contortionist.
At the end of a discussion phase, the narrator checks whether all farting thieves have been bound and gagged. If they have, the innocent bystanders win immediately. If the thieves still have a path to their victory condition, another darkness sequence begins.
During the darkness sequence, the farting thieves silently choose one player to receive the farting treatment. The narrator announces the target after the thieves close their eyes. A player who receives the treatment normally becomes unconscious, but the peg can prevent that result.
| Status | Can Speak? | Can Vote? | Key Effect |
|---|---|---|---|
| Conscious and unbound | Yes | Yes | Participates normally |
| Bound and gagged | No | Yes, unless another rule prevents it | Cannot speak until freed |
| Unconscious | No | No | Cannot participate in later actions |
| Peg holder | Depends on other status | Depends on other status | Protected from toxic farts |
| Diver with peg | No after resolution | No after resolution | Becomes unconscious; peg is unavailable |
If the selected target has the peg, the toxic farts do not make that player unconscious. The diver is also safe from the farting treatment unless the diver receives the peg. The narrator should resolve these exceptions privately and then announce only the appropriate public result.
The gardener, available at nine or more players, may free one bound player during the darkness phase. This action is optional. The contortionist, available at 13 or more players, can remove their own bindings by indicating that they want to be freed.
Keep a visible record of who is bound, gagged, unconscious, or holding the peg. Accurate status tracking prevents accidental votes and keeps the hidden-information structure fair.
Victory Conditions and Strategy
The game ends when one of the primary team conditions is met, unless the suicidal pyromaniac wins first.
The innocent bystanders should focus on identifying suspicious voting patterns, inconsistent explanations, and players who appear to coordinate. The mind reader provides direct information, but revealing or protecting that role can change how the thieves choose their targets.
The thieves should avoid drawing attention to one player. A coordinated but subtle voting strategy can be more effective than repeated accusations. They also need to consider the peg, because an incorrect target may waste a round without creating an unconscious player.
| Winning Side | Required Condition |
|---|---|
| Innocent bystanders | Every farting thief is bound and gagged |
| Farting thieves | At least one thief reaches the ground floor alive and conscious |
| Farting thieves | Thieves equal or outnumber conscious innocent bystanders |
| Suicidal pyromaniac | Receives the farting treatment |
Use the following habits to improve your table’s first few games:
- Listen before accusing: Early claims can be useful, but premature certainty gives thieves an easy distraction.
- Compare votes: A player’s nomination and voting choices may reveal alliances.
- Protect information roles: The mind reader can narrow the suspect pool, but public claims may make that player a target.
- Respect the peg: A failed farting treatment does not necessarily prove the target is innocent.
- Track silence: Bound players cannot speak, so their earlier statements become especially important.
- Watch the numbers: The thieves can win through conscious-player parity even when some thieves remain unbound.
Before Starting the Game:
- Choose a narrator who can manage the script
- Check the player count and select eligible roles
- Shuffle and deal secret role cards
- Explain the lights-out, discussion, and voting phases
- Prepare a clear way to track bound and unconscious players
| Situation | Recommended Response |
|---|---|
| A player is nominated | Require a second conscious player before voting |
| The vote ties | Leave the nominated player unbound |
| A player is bound | Prevent them from speaking unless freed |
| The peg blocks the farting treatment | Announce only the valid public result |
| A thief becomes equal to conscious bystanders | Check the thief victory condition immediately |
| All thieves are bound and gagged | End the game for an innocent bystander victory |
Ask specific questions instead of making broad accusations. Who benefited from the last vote, who avoided a nomination, and who had a plausible chance to use a secret ability?
Who Farted Rules FAQ
Q: How many people can play Who Farted?
Who Farted is designed for 5 to 20 players. Additional roles become available as the player count increases, including the diver at 5 players, the grandparent and grandchildren at 7, and higher-threshold roles later.
Q: What does the narrator do in Who Farted?
The narrator manages the setup card and script, calls the lights-out actions, resolves secret abilities, transfers the peg, announces public results, and tracks voting outcomes. The narrator does not receive a secret role.
Q: How do innocent bystanders win?
The innocent bystander team wins when every farting thief has been successfully bound and gagged at the end of a lights-on phase.
Q: How do farting thieves win?
The thieves win if at least one thief reaches the ground floor alive and conscious, or if the thieves equal or outnumber the conscious innocent bystanders.
Role availability and narrator instructions should follow the included setup card and script. Confirm the player-count thresholds before starting each session.