Bastard Mod

Bastard Mod, usually shortened to Bastard, can ambiguously refer to a type of role, a type of game, or a mod who runs bastard games and/or uses bastard roles.

The exact definition of "bastard" varies from person to person according to their likes and dislikes; however, the following traits are usually common.

• The moderator lies to players, either in their Role PMs (as in False roles) or in their revealed information (as in Death Miller). Some will extend this to roles with misleading implications, such as including a Deputy without a Cop.
• The game incorporates significant game-changing mechanics (Cult being a notorious example) that affects players who may not know about them.
• The game incorporates roles that are inconvenient to play with, such as Voteless or Suicidal.

A common shorthand definition of a bastard mod game is that it is designed mostly for the moderator's amusement more than that of the players.

Bastard games are notoriously difficult to do well. Most moderators' bastard setups will be imbalanced or not fun for some other reason. This doesn't stop them many moderators from trying to run them, though.

Bastard Mod games should not be confused with bad games, which are self-explanatory. However, the line between the two tends to be dangerously thin. If players called your game "bastard" when you were not actively trying to make it one, you should consider getting your next setup looked over by better reviewers.