Trial of Lotus

Welcome to Trial of Lotus

Trial of Lotus is a social deduction game set in a Chinese mythology inspired realm.

To preserve the peace of the forest, spirits are summoned to help Jade Lotus through a series of sacred Trials on her path to ascension.

Over the course of the game, players are divided into Sun and Moon groups through random token draws, reshuffled every two Trials. In each Trial, the selected group secretly submits Heart Tokens — either Pure or Tainted — to determine the result of the Trials.

Each revealed result builds tension and information. The Pure-hearted spirits must deduce which players are the hidden Shadows seeking to corrupt the forest, while the evil Shadows, led by Black Fox, must taint, deceive, manipulate, and fracture trust in order to prevail.

Only one side will shape the fate of the forest.

Winning Conditions

Components

The first edition contains the following cards, boards, tokens, and markers. Each illustration below is extracted directly from the printed rulebook.

20

Character Cards

Good Spirits and Evil Shadows, including ability, common, Moderator, and Dark Lotus cards.

1

Trial Board

Double-sided: green Board A for 6–8 players and purple Board B for 9+ players.

8

Trial Result Markers

Pure/Good and Tainted/Evil markers used to record Trial results.

12

Group Tokens

5 Sun, 5 Moon, and 2 Spare tokens, shuffled in the bag to form Trial groups.

10

Heart Tokens

Pure and Tainted Hearts used for secret Trial submissions.

12

Ruyi Tokens & Board

One token per player plus a double-sided Ruyi Track Board.

8

Ruyi Cards

8 physical cards representing 7 unique effects; Spirit Check appears twice.

1

Seed of Ascension

Keep this token in the box until Jade Lotus must pass it.

Setup & Gameplay

Setup

• Look up player config based on player count (see Player Config section)
• Deal Character Cards facedown. Look then hide them
• Deal every player one Ruyi Token
• Place Trial Board, Ruyi Token tracker and Ruyi Cards on the table
• Set aside Trial Result Markers and Heart Tokens
• Put Sun/Moon Tokens into the shuffle bag

Game Flow

Setup → Whispering Night → Trials 1–4 → Reflection Twilight → Cleanse Ritual → Trials 5–6 → Fox Last Strike

Audio Scripts

Use the recorded narration whenever possible. The scripts remain below as a moderator-friendly fallback.

Browse the complete audio library →

Trials 1–4

Each Two Trial Cycle

• Shuffle and draw tokens once (Sun/Moon/Spare)
• Players are divided into Sun & Moon groups. Reveal the Sun and Moon Tokens to see group formation

Free Trade

• Negotiate to trade Sun & Moon Tokens freely. If the two players mutually agree to swap, they exchange Tokens
• Ruyi Phase — use the Ruyi token to take actions such as swapping players (detailed rules below)
• Once a Ruyi Token is placed, free trade is not allowed until next Trial

Spare token (11p+ games): A player who draws Spare does not join that Trial unless traded with another player or a Ruyi Token is used to swap them in.

Each Trial

• Trial 1: Sun group submits Heart Tokens to vote
• Shuffle the submitted Hearts and reveal the results
• Mark board with Trial Result Markers
• Discuss among one another based on the result
• Trial 2: Moon group submits Heart Tokens to vote
• Repeat for Trials 3–4, check Ruyi Token use before voting

Heart Token and Trial Results

6–8 Players: Use Green Trial board A. A Trial becomes Tainted if ≥ 1 Tainted Heart is submitted.

9 Players and above: Use Purple Trial board B. Any Sun Trial becomes Tainted if ≥ 1 Tainted Heart is submitted. Any Moon Trial becomes Tainted if ≥ 2 Tainted Hearts are submitted.

Ruyi Token and Ruyi Token Track Board

Ruyi Token lets the table attempt to alter Trial participants.

• Each player has 1 Ruyi Token
• First come first served: any player may propose to use their Ruyi Token to swap Trial participants, after the Sun/Moon groups are revealed and before voting
• Can swap any alive player (yourself or someone else) with any other player, including a Spare
• Ruyi Token effect cannot be undone by free trade
• Failure still consumes the token (counts toward the total)

6–8P: Track Board A — 3 Ruyi slots. Up to 3 Ruyi Tokens may be used per Trial; successful and failed attempts both fill a slot.

9P+: Track Board B — 4 Ruyi slots. Up to 4 Ruyi Tokens may be used per Trial; successful and failed attempts both fill a slot.

Ruyi Cards

• Drawing a Ruyi Card costs a Ruyi Token and fills a slot
• When you draw, either take one of the two face-up cards, or blind-draw the top card of the deck
• Immediately replace any face-up card you take
• See detailed card reference below
• All Ruyi Cards are single-use, discard after they resolve

Recommended setup: Influence & Awakening as revealed.

Forced Ruyi Action (when all slots are full)

• Spend one Ruyi Token to clear one filled slot, then immediately force a player to spend their token on a Ruyi action — either swap players or draw a Ruyi card
• The player must use their token, but how is up to them
• Clearing a slot only frees capacity; it does not undo whatever that slot's action already did. (Net result: two tokens spent, slots stay full)
• Forced Ruyi action is considered as 2 Ruyi Token usage, allowed once per Trial in 6–8P games and twice per Trial in 9P+ games

Early Win

If either side wins all four of the first four Trials, the game ends immediately and that side wins. (Skip all following steps.)

Reflection Twilight

Applicable if Snow Kiku/Kirin Ward/Dreamwing participates in the game. If not, SKIP.

Snow Kiku

If Snow Kiku chooses to reveal her identity and sacrifice:

• She must immediately announce that she is activating her ability and pause the audio script/moderator
• Flip her character card over
• Remove one Tainted Trial Marker from the Trial Board
• Snow Kiku designates a new group of players equal to that Trial's group size, and they rerun the Trial
• Those players immediately conduct a new Trial, and submit the hearts to determine the new Trial result
• The result of that Trial is revealed normally
• Ruyi Token may not be used in this Trial
• Snow Kiku player stops participating in future Trials
• If 4 consecutive Pure Trials are achieved with this replay, Good wins immediately

Kirin Ward (9p+ ONLY)

If Kirin Ward chooses to reveal his identity and sacrifice:

• Flip his character card over during audio script
• After players all awaken, immediately point at one player and say "I shall fight you with my life", no explanation
• If Kirin Ward killed Black Fox here, Good wins
• If Kirin Ward killed other players, that player dies, reveals themselves, and stops participating in the game
• If Kirin Ward killed Nine-Tails, she will reveal herself but continue to participate in more Trials
• If Kirin Ward killed Jade Lotus, Jade Lotus may pass Seed of Ascension
• Kirin Ward player stops participating in future Trials

Dreamwing

Follow audio script and let Dreamwing awake with other evil players to gain information on each other's identity.

Cleanse Ritual: The Climax

The players will elect a player to be sacrificed during the Cleanse Ritual. This is the only chance for the Good players to kill the Black Fox if they didn't already have an early win. If Black Fox was not killed here, game continues.

• Anyone may nominate players that they suspect most, and the rest of the table votes
• Max nomination is 3 players
• Even votes: re-vote between only the tied players, each gets one last plea first
• If the re-vote remains tied — Flip a Moon Token to let the Moon Goddess determine the sacrifice
• A sacrifice must always occur

If Black Fox was killed here, Game ends and Good wins.

Seed of Ascension

If Jade Lotus is sacrificed during the Cleanse Ritual or killed by Kirin Ward, she may secretly pass the Seed of Ascension to another living player.

• All players shall close their eyes and extend their arms out, palm facing up
• Jade Lotus puts the Seed of Ascension Token into one of their hands
• That player becomes the new Seed Bearer for all victory conditions
• If that player is evil-aligned, Evil wins immediately. This would only happen if Dreamwing or Manjusaka is in play
• If the Seed Bearer is killed during the Fox Last Strike, Evil wins

Trials 5–6: The Aftermath

• Take out 1–2 Sun/Moon Tokens based on current player count. Shuffle and draw as in Trial 1–4
• Free trade and Ruyi token may still be used
• Trials 5–6 are only played if at least one side can still achieve an instant victory
• If 4 consecutive Pure Trials are achieved, Good wins immediately. (Snow Kiku and Night Orchid's abilities may contribute to this outcome)
• If any 4 Tainted Trials are achieved, Evil wins immediately
• If Good can no longer achieve 4 consecutive Pure Trials and Evil can no longer achieve 4 Tainted Trials, skip directly to Fox Last Strike

Fox Last Strike

Black Fox gains the right to use Last Strike only if:

• Black Fox did not die in the Cleanse Ritual
• Black Fox player, after Trial 6, may reveal himself and publicly name a target
• Evil team may discuss, but the final decision is up to the Black Fox player

If the target is Jade Lotus/Seed Bearer, Evil wins.

If the target is NOT Jade Lotus/Seed Bearer, Good wins.

Interactive Ending Flowchart

Follow the ending from Reflection Twilight through Fox Last Strike. Use Guided Ending while moderating a game, or open the Full Branch Map to see every possible route.

Good Spirits

Jade Lotus (Always in Play)

At Whispering Night, Lotus sees all evils except hidden roles (Dreamwing and Manjusaka if used).

Strategy: Lotus must help Good win while staying hidden to avoid Fox Last Strike. If Lotus becomes too obvious, the Good side may choose to sacrifice Lotus in order to pass the Seed of Ascension and can still win.

Starlight (Always in Play)

At Whispering Night, Starlight sees three raised hands: Jade Lotus, Black Fox, and Mirror.

Strategy: Starlight must deduce the real Jade Lotus and discreetly support her while protecting her identity from the Evil side.

Snow Kiku

During Reflection Twilight, Snow Kiku may self-sacrifice and select a designated group to replay ONE Tainted Trial.

Recommend for advanced players.

Strategy: Snow Kiku should carefully track player behavior to select a group likely to achieve a Pure result in the replayed Trial.

Kirin Ward (9p+ Only)

During Reflection Twilight, Kirin may choose to reveal and perform a duel kill: Kirin dies, and one chosen player dies with Kirin.

Recommend for advanced players.

Strategy: Other than Nine-Tails, Kirin can kill anyone, including Lotus, so Kirin must choose wisely. If uncertain, Kirin is not required to fight.

Dusk Moth

At Whispering Night, Jade Lotus sees Dusk Moth as evil. But Dusk Moth always votes pure, and is Normal Good.

Strategy: Debuff to Jade Lotus's vision.

Night Orchid (10p+ Only)

Advanced Good role, good but cursed. If Night Orchid is included in a Trial group, she must submit a Tainted Heart. She can use Free Trade or Ruyi Token to swap herself out. If selected at the Cleanse Ritual, she is cleansed instead of dying. Then becomes normal Good. She purifies her most recent Tainted Trial.

Strategy: Can be placed into a Trial with evils in order to reverse that Trial later. Her identity may be exploited by evil.

Moon Goddess (Optional)

An optional non-player role. Moon Goddess does not participate in the game, but witnesses and moderates the ritual, assisting with setup, shuffling, dealing, and reading the script as needed.

Good Spirits (No Special Ability)

Good Spirits must submit Pure Heart Tokens in Trials to support the Good side and help ensure the forest's protection.

Evil Shadows

Black Fox (Always in Play)

Core evil role. If Black Fox dies at the Cleanse Ritual, Good wins immediately. When he survives Cleanse Ritual, he can attempt to kill Jade Lotus/Seed Bearer with Fox Last Strike.

Strategy: Black Fox should stay most hidden to avoid early execution during the Cleanse Ritual.

Mirror (Always in Play)

One of the three (Lotus/Fox/Mirror) seen by Starlight.

Strategy: Mirror may play aggressively to shield the Black Fox, but overt defense may draw suspicion.

Nine-Tails

Advanced Evil role. If Nine-Tails dies at the Cleanse Ritual or Kirin Ward's attack, reveal herself and can participate in more Trials. Recommended to counterbalance Kirin Ward.

Strategy: Nine-Tails can be played aggressively and create pressure during critical moments.

Dreamwing

Advanced Evil role. Hidden during Whispering Night; awakens in Reflection Twilight and learns Evil identities.

Strategy: Less powerful than Manjusaka, Dreamwing is designed to introduce uncertainty and confusion for both sides.

Dark Lotus (Conditional)

If three consecutive Trials among the first 4 Trials are Tainted (Trials 1–3 or 2–4), Jade Lotus becomes Dark Lotus. The Jade Lotus player flips her card and places the Dark Lotus card in front of her. She must also pass the Seed of Ascension. She must submit a Tainted Heart whenever included in a Trial group. She may use Free Trade or a Ruyi Token to remove herself from a Trial group. She may NOT reveal the evils she has seen. Snow Kiku cannot 'undo' Dark Lotus.

Strategy: When Lotus turns dark, everyone that Starlight sees is confirmed evil.

Shadows (No Special Ability)

Support and bluff roles.

Strategy: Pay attention to the identities and names of the Good spirits. Convincing role-play and timely claims can strengthen deception, but may also draw the attention of the real spirit you imitate.

Manjusaka (10p+ Only)

Most powerful Evil role. Hidden from Jade Lotus throughout the game. Recommended for advanced players, Manjusaka can present a significant challenge for the Good side.

Player Configuration

6–8 Players (Green Trial Board, 3 Ruyi Token Board)

6 Players

Tokens: 3 Sun, 3 Moon

Good: Jade Lotus, Starlight, Dusk Moth, Good Spirit

Evil: Black Fox, Mirror

7 Players

Tokens: 3 Sun, 4 Moon

Good: Jade Lotus, Starlight, Dusk Moth, Good Spirit ×2

Evil: Black Fox, Mirror

8 Players

Tokens: 4 Sun, 4 Moon

Good: Jade Lotus, Starlight, Snow Kiku, Good Spirit ×2

Evil: Black Fox, Mirror, Shadow

9+ Players (Purple Trial Board, 4 Ruyi Token Board)

9 Players — Config A

Tokens: 4 Sun, 5 Moon

Good: Jade Lotus, Starlight, Snow Kiku, Good Spirit ×3

Evil: Black Fox, Mirror, Shadow

9 Players — Config B

Tokens: 4 Sun, 5 Moon

Good: Jade Lotus, Starlight, Kirin Ward, Good Spirit ×3

Evil: Black Fox, Mirror, Nine-Tails

9 Players — Config C

Tokens: 4 Sun, 5 Moon

Good: Jade Lotus, Starlight, Kirin Ward, Snow Kiku, Good Spirit, Dusk Moth

Evil: Black Fox, Mirror, Nine-Tails

10 Players — Config A

Tokens: 5 Sun, 5 Moon

Good: Jade Lotus, Starlight, Snow Kiku, Night Orchid, Good Spirit ×3

Evil: Black Fox, Mirror, Manjusaka

10 Players — Config B

Tokens: 5 Sun, 5 Moon

Good: Jade Lotus, Starlight, Snow Kiku, Kirin Ward, Night Orchid, Good Spirit ×2

Evil: Black Fox, Mirror, Nine-Tails

11 Players — Config A

Tokens: 5 Sun/Moon each, 1 Spare

Good: Jade Lotus, Starlight, Snow Kiku, Kirin Ward, Night Orchid, Good Spirit ×2

Evil: Black Fox, Mirror, Shadow, Dreamwing

11 Players — Config B

Tokens: 5 Sun/Moon each, 1 Spare

Good: Jade Lotus, Starlight, Snow Kiku, Good Spirit ×4, Dusk Moth

Evil: Black Fox, Mirror, Manjusaka

12 Players — Config A

Tokens: 5 Sun/Moon each, 2 Spares

Good: Jade Lotus, Starlight, Snow Kiku, Kirin Ward, Night Orchid, Good Spirit ×3

Evil: Black Fox, Mirror, Shadows ×2

12 Players — Config B

Tokens: 5 Sun/Moon each, 2 Spares

Good: Jade Lotus, Starlight, Snow Kiku, Kirin Ward, Night Orchid, Good Spirit ×3

Evil: Black Fox, Mirror, Shadow, Manjusaka

12 Players — Config C

Tokens: 5 Sun/Moon each, 2 Spares

Good: Jade Lotus, Starlight, Snow Kiku, Kirin Ward, Night Orchid, Good Spirit ×3

Evil: Black Fox, Mirror, Dreamwing, Nine-Tails

These recommended configurations are designed for balanced play. Once familiar with the game, feel free to create your own role combinations and variants.

Strategy Notes

• Trials are intentionally randomized through Sun and Moon tokens. Keep track on players groups and observe their behavior and reactions during discussions.
• Remember to use Ruyi tokens to propose a swap or use Ruyi cards. Good wants to use it strategically while evil can use it for further chaos.
• Good Spirit should speak up to create buffer room for Starlight and Jade Lotus to speak. If the entire table is too quiet it becomes too hard for them to hide.
• A Pure/Tainted Trial does not always reveal who is Evil. Observe voting patterns, hesitation, and shifting claims during discussion.
• Claims made early in the game often shape the entire discussion. Players should think carefully before claiming or assuming identities.
• Evil players do not always need to hide perfectly. Sometimes creating chaos or drawing suspicion away from the Black Fox can be more valuable than remaining unnoticed.
• If Jade Lotus becomes too obvious, it may sometimes be beneficial to sacrifice her during the Cleanse Ritual so she can pass the Seed of Ascension. Since the recipient is secretly selected by Jade Lotus, Evil may not be able to identify who inherited it.
• Starlight is generally advised not to reveal who she sees, as doing so may allow Evil to deduce the identity of Lotus and wait to use Fox Last Strike to assassinate her in the end.
• The Cleanse Ritual is designed to be the climax of the game. Trials 5–6 and the Fox Last Strike serve as the aftermath. If no early win occurs, it is common for the game to end during the Cleanse Ritual.
• In Trials 5–6, Evil may already be obvious and choose to play openly. This does not guarantee the outcome, especially if Ruyi tokens remain unused…
• In desperate situations, players should avoid flipping their cards unless a death is fully confirmed. Always check the flowchart for winning conditions. Sometimes the game may not be over yet, and there may still be hope for either side.
• Mirror may falsely claim to be the Jade Lotus to confuse Starlight. Black Fox may attempt the same tactic, but doing so carries risk; he may be sacrificed during the Cleanse Ritual as a suspected fake Lotus, causing the strategy to backfire.
• Kirin Ward should use his power wisely, as using it may cost the Good side two players and greatly shift the balance of the game. Evil players may attempt to exploit this by misleading Kirin.
• Night Orchid may choose to publicly reveal her identity early, allowing other players to trade her out of Trial groups and verify her claim over time. However, doing so also reveals valuable information to the Evil side.
• Alternatively, Night Orchid may remain hidden and intentionally participate in key Trials. If later cleansed, she can purify her most recent Tainted Trial, potentially restoring a chain of consecutive Pure Trials and creating a dramatic comeback for the Good side.

Ruyi Cards Reference

Lore Vignettes

Jade Lotus

Starlight

Black Fox

Kickstarter

This first edition would not be possible without the Kickstarter backers! My sincere thanks goes to every Kickstarter backer who chose to believe in Trial of Lotus before it became reality. Your support made this journey possible.

A Note from the Designer

For years, I've been fascinated by social deduction games — a fun way to get to know people, both old and new friends, through truth, lies, acting, and actions. We've had many nights filled with laughter and accusations, sitting by a fireplace, through imaginary worlds on my coffee table.

I thought, why not create a world of my own and let people connect through my cultural lens, my art, and the characters I've dreamed of?

Thus was born Trial of Lotus. It is both a love letter to the games I admire and a celebration of the cultural heritage that inspires me.

My heartfelt thanks to the friends who tested, encouraged, supported, and believed in this vision: Sandra, Derek, Jorrie, David, Ni, Hernan, Alvin, Kat, Sam, Katie, Jana, Naomi, Lynn, Carlyn, Chris, my husband Ben, and last but not least, my baby pup Pepper.

Many nights of sketches, ideas, iterations, and relentless playtesting have gone into the making of this game, and I'm proud to share it with the world.

May every game create new connections, and may every living room be filled with laughter.

— Tian