# Rules for the "Traitors' game on TV **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Tags:** reality-or-game-show\ **Created:** [October 3, 2026, 11:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rules-for-the-traitors-game-on-tv/1033559 "2026-10-03T11:26:54Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 8\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![glee](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/b5a626/32.png) [@glee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/glee)\ **Post date:** [October 3, 2026, 11:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rules-for-the-traitors-game-on-tv/1033559/1 "2026-10-03T11:26:54Z")
I enjoy watching the ‘Traitors’ game (there are versions in several countries including the UK and the USA.) The latest is a BBC celebrity version: [The Celebrity Traitors - BBC iPlayer](https://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episodes/m002csng/the-celebrity-traitors?seriesId=m002csng-structural-2-m0030pxs) Now the Traitors are occasionally allowed to recruit a Faithful (I believe only after a Traitor is banished.) My question is: **How often are the Traitors allowed to recruit?** ---
**Author:** ![Stanislaus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/stanislaus/32/3391_2.png) [@Stanislaus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Stanislaus)\ **Post date:** [October 3, 2026, 5:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rules-for-the-traitors-game-on-tv/1033559/2 "2026-10-03T17:49:25Z")
Every time there are fewer than 3 traitors, they are allowed to recruit. If there’s only one, unless its right at the end of the game, they have to. This is obviously unfair on the faithful, because it means that if they catch someone their reward is that one of them gets recruited. But, its a TV show first, and there is no way a commissioner is going to greenlight a programme that might last 10 episodes, or maybe 3, we don’t know till we make it. ---
**Author:** ![DrDeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b487fb/32.png) [@DrDeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrDeth)\ **Post date:** [October 3, 2026, 6:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rules-for-the-traitors-game-on-tv/1033559/3 "2026-10-03T18:58:40Z")
> [@Stanislaus](#): > > Every time there are fewer than 3 traitors, they are allowed to recruit. If there’s only one, unless its right at the end of the game, they have to. > > This is obviously unfair on the faithful, because it means that if they catch someone their reward is that one of them gets recruited. Yeah, the traitors/werewolves/whatever already have a sizable advantage. ---
**Author:** ![glee](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/b5a626/32.png) [@glee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/glee)\ **Post date:** [October 5, 2026, 4:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rules-for-the-traitors-game-on-tv/1033559/4 "2026-10-05T04:35:49Z")
> [@Stanislaus](#): > > its a TV show first, and there is no way a commissioner is going to greenlight a programme that might last 10 episodes, or maybe 3, we don’t know till we make it. Yes, this is the most important reason that Traitors are allowed to recruit. However, once the game is reaching the end, I think it would be fair to restict recruitment… ---
**Author:** ![Stanislaus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/stanislaus/32/3391_2.png) [@Stanislaus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Stanislaus)\ **Post date:** [October 5, 2026, 8:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rules-for-the-traitors-game-on-tv/1033559/5 "2026-10-05T08:05:05Z")
I think the rules allow there to be 0 traitors going into the the final roundtable/firepit, but not the penultimate one. So if there were 1 traitor the night before that, they’d have to recruit. Then you have: Finale-minus-two round table: 2 traitors. F-2 night: 1 or 2 traitors F-1 roundtable: 1 or 2 traitors F-1 night: 0 or 1 or 2 traitors Finale: as above. ---
**Author:** ![glee](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/b5a626/32.png) [@glee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/glee)\ **Post date:** [October 5, 2026, 9:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rules-for-the-traitors-game-on-tv/1033559/6 "2026-10-05T09:05:05Z")
Stanislaus, that sounds eminently reasonable! I haven’t found the rules governing that though - can you help? ---
**Author:** ![Stanislaus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/stanislaus/32/3391_2.png) [@Stanislaus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Stanislaus)\ **Post date:** [October 5, 2026, 9:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rules-for-the-traitors-game-on-tv/1033559/7 "2026-10-05T09:07:48Z")
I don’t think they publish the rules, I’m just trying to work backwards from what I’ve seen. ---
**Author:** ![glee](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/b5a626/32.png) [@glee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/glee)\ **Post date:** [October 5, 2026, 10:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rules-for-the-traitors-game-on-tv/1033559/8 "2026-10-05T10:53:19Z")
Shrewd - you’d make a good player! 🧐