Defenders in Disguise

Calling All Super Heroes!

Welcome to "Defenders in Disguise," the ultimate cooperative board game for superhero fans! In this thrilling game, players will take on the roles of powerful superheroes, working together to save the city from the clutches of a nefarious supervillain organization. But be warned, the villains are always watching, and one misstep could reveal your true identity and put you and your fellow heroes in grave danger!

Assemble your team of heroes and use your unique superpowers to defeat the villains' evil plans. You'll need to stay one step ahead, using your wits and strategic thinking to outmaneuver the villains and save the day.

But that's not all - as a superhero, you must also keep your true identity a secret. Using your superpowers gives crucial information to the villains who are seeking to unravel your weaknesses. Each time you use a superpower, you lose 1 Disguise point, bringing you one step closer to defeat.

"Defenders in Disguise" is a fast-paced, action-packed game that's perfect for superhero fans of all ages. With easy-to-learn gameplay and challenging strategic elements, it's sure to provide hours of fun for you and your friends. So don your cape, grab your mask, and join the fight to save the city!

• Draft a set of superpowers to build your own hero!
• Play in a different city every game by shuffling the building tiles.
• Up to 6 unique and exciting powers to choose from!
• Up to 12 unique disasters to thwart!
• Tuneable difficulty for all skill levels, for 1 to 4 players.
• Easy to learn but difficult to master!
• Color blindness accessible with patterns for each color.

How to Play

Defenders in Disguise is easy to learn, and games take about 25 minutes.

• Starting the game:
  • Select your ideal gaming experience.
    • Simple: For kids and beginners
      • Place 12 Public Park tiles, and randomly place 4 buildings.
      • Place Airport in Orange district, and Shipyards in Blue district.
      • Each player starts with 8 Disguise.
        
      • Disguise does not decrease each round.
    • Relaxed: For a casual and fun social experience
      • Each player starts with 8 Disguise.
      • Place 4 Public Park tiles, and randomly place 12 buildings.
        
      • Place Airport in Orange district, and Shipyards in Blue district.
        
      • Disguise does not decrease each round.
        
      • The game ends when 8 buildings are destroyed.
        
    • Tense: For heroes of serious grit!
      • Each player starts with 6 Disguise.
      • Place 4 Public Park tiles, and randomly place 12 buildings.
      • Place Airport in Orange district, and Shipyards in Blue district.
      • Disguise decreases by 1 each round.
      • The game is lost when 6 buildings are destroyed.
  • Building Your Heroes
    • Each player draws 5 cards from the power deck and selects 2.
      • The same power may be chosen multiple times.
    • Place a colored token for each player and its respective color start space.
  • Draw and play 2 disasters to begin the game in-play.

• Rolling the District Dice & Playing A Disaster
  • To determine where each disaster occurs, roll the district die.
  • Roll both dice. Find the tile that matches the color and number rolled.
  • Destroy the selected building by flipping that building over.
  • Place the disaster card face up on top of that tile.

• Player's Turns
  • Players may perform 4 actions:
  • Use a Power: Lose 1 Disguise, and activate one of their 2 power cards.
    • Each power can be used once per turn.
  • Move: Move up to 2 spaces. This movement can be split over a turn.
  • Use a Building:  Activate the effect of an occupied building once per turn.
  • Challenge a Threat: Roll a D12 for each player occupying the tile.
    • If the total roll is equal to or higher than the threat, defeat the threat!

• Losing the Game
  • If a player's Disguise drops to 0, they must go into hiding and are removed.
  • If enough buildings are destroyed, the city falls and the game is lost.

• Winning the Game
  • Complete any 6 disasters.

Testimonials

Some of the great feedback we got during our playtest with PIGSquad:

"This is the most fun I've had with a board game in years."

"If you're selling this, I will buy it right now. I'm serious."

"I love to see more cooperative games! It's nice that the games aren't too long!"

Credits

Developed by Mitchell & Violet Lapis, and Justin Cyr.

We put this together for the March 2023 TableTop Jam with PIGSquad, over the course of two weeks. The prompt for the jam is "Someone is Hiding Something".

Thanks for reading (or scrolling) all the way to the bottom! :)