Waiting for The Traitors to return? Play at home with this card game

Will you be a traitor or a faithful?

The new series lands on Wednesday 3 January (BBC/iStock/The Independent )

Thanks to its pitch-perfect blend of game playing in pursuit of prize money, Big Brother-style drama, psychological warfare, crying (a lot of it) and contestants unlike those usually found on reality shows, The Traitors became last year’s hit show – and now, we’ve got a release date for season two.

Officially landing back on our screens on Wednesday 3 January, the BBC’s series is set to dominate WhatsApp groups and Twitter/X feeds once more (not merely because of Claudia Winkleman’s aspirational knit-heavy wardrobe).

For the uninitiated, the game involves 22 people at a remote Scottish castle, playing I’m a Celebrity-style activities that earn them money toward a prize pot, which could see one lucky player walking away with up to £120,000. The catch? There are traitors among the group – everyone else is dubbed a faithful – and each night, the traitors “murder” a faithful.

The aim of the faithfuls is to work out who is betraying them and “banish” a suspect at the roundtable each evening. Naturally, the combined lure of money and the paranoia of traitors lurking among them leads to drama, crying, arguing and some unlikely touching moments between contestants (72-year-old Andrea was a fan favourite last year).

Fancy playing The Traitors yourself? Well, ahead of the new series dropping, the games company Ginger Fox has a card game based on the BBC show. Whichever card you’re dealt – faithful or traitor – it will provide fun for the whole family this Christmas, while filling the void in your WhatsApp group until season two starts. Here’s where to buy the £14.99 card game.

Ginger Fox The Traitors card game: £18.25, Amazon.co.uk 

(Ginger Fox)

Based on the BBC reality show, Ginger Fox’s card game sees players work together to collect a hoard of golden treasure, with danger and betrayal lurking (of course). As the treasure prize is built up, opponents are eliminated by the traitors among the four to six players. When night falls, a faithful will be “murdered”. Just like the hit series, lying, trickery and feigning innocence are at the heart of the game.

The game is complete with 40 gold coin cards, 27 action cards, 12 night cards and six traitor’s dilemma cards, as well as a rules booklet. The players must agree on a number of rounds (Ginger Fox recommends a minimum of four) to collect gold coin cards to build their hoard and keep score on paper, creating a deck of cards based on the number of players. The rule book and this video will show you how to deal, play and organise the game. Just like the show, there’s the chance to win shields that protect you from murder. The player with the most gold coin cards at the end of the agreed number of rounds wins the game.

The game costs under £20 and is available via Amazon and John Lewis (£12.99, Johnlewis.com). Make sure to order now so it arrives in time for some deceitful Christmas fun. The only question that remains is whether you’ll end up being a traitor or a faithful.

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