showcase of elements in tabletop simulator
A full layout of the game's components from the original physical prototype. The entirety of the game is able to fit within a single deck box.
Art Heist is a social deception / role deduction card game designed for 4 players, and is themed around the gallery of an Art Museum. A typical game lasts about 15-30 minutes, yet provides the level of depth players of this genre are looking for.
Object
Be among the first to complete the objective given to you by your role.
Game Elements
The element in the center is the Art Tracker Board. This is where information is amassed by the players, allowing them to form ideas about what role each player may be, and what painting they might want to visit next.
To the right of that are the four unique role cards: Thief, Art Student, Tour Guide, and Museum. Each role has their own unique win condition that comes with it. Players also get a cheat sheet reminding them of what each role is trying to accomplish. The furthest right cards are the Character Cards, and correspond to the leftmost cards, which are used to denote which painting each player is visiting for that round.
Gameplay
First, the character cards are picked by the players. These cards come with their corresponding letter cards, A-F. Then, the role cards are shuffled and dealt out to each of the players, who secretly look at what role they were given for this game. The player who received the Museum role immediately reveals themselves, turns in their regular letter cards in exchange for the special Museum letter cards, which are used from round to round to block which paintings are allowed to have visitors.
At the start of each round, players determine which of the paintings they want to visit, and select the card with the letter that matches the painting by placing it face down in front of them. When all players are ready, they reveal their cards at the same time. The museum places their cards on the pieces they have blocked for this round, and then the Art Tracker Board is updated to reflect which paintings were visited, and by whom. This information stays on the board for the remainder of the game, and the turn tracker is increased by one.
The cards that the players used for that round remain in front of them on the table, and they are unable to select that painting again until they have emptied their hand by using their remaining cards.
Rounds continue this way until one player has met their win condition, at which point they immediately reveal their role and claim their win! If multiple people win on the same turn, they share the win.