DEF CON: is canceled! (Black betrayal)"

Image: DEF CON is canceled! Dark Betrayal.

Pitch

DEF CON: is canceled! (Dark Betrayal) Is a social deduction party game that teaches players about the risk of social engineering and the importance of threat modeling while having fun. It's a tabletop role-playing game which playes out in the setting of DEF CON 34, where players are either loyalists trying to save the conference or short-sellers trying to sabotage it from the inside. The game is played with a game master (GM) and is designed for in-person play with 3–8 players, including pre-written narration, character roles, and event scenarios. Players must navigate a series of missions (the "Core Pillars") and identify and mitigate hidden threats, while trying to avoid the saboteurs exposing the Dark Tangent.

The Setting

It’s DEF CON 34 (August 2026). The Las Vegas Convention Center is packed with 30,000 hackers. But behind the scenes, the "Legit Business Syndicate" is in a tailspin. A series of bad crypto investments and a lawsuit over a "lethal" electronic badge have left the top organizers broke. A few key organizers have placed massive, anonymous "short" bets on a prediction market called the Polymarket that DEF CON will be canceled before the Closing Ceremonies. To win their bet and save their fortunes, they must sabotage the conference from the inside—without getting caught by the "Goons" (the volunteer security staff) or the "Whistleblowers" (loyal organizers).

Gameplay

See: instructions