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Avalon vs The Resistance: they are the same core game in two costumes. Both are hidden-role games for 5 to 10 players by Don Eskridge, published by Indie Boards & Cards, where a secret team of spies (or minions of Mordred) tries to sabotage missions while everyone else tries to work out who to trust. The Resistance has a sci-fi rebels theme. Avalon moves the game to King Arthur’s court and adds special roles, most importantly Merlin and the Assassin. Quick answer: buy Avalon if you want one copy to play for years. Buy The Resistance if your group is new to hidden-role games or you like its theme and want the simplest version.
Our pick for most groups: The Resistance: Avalon
The Merlin and Assassin roles give the good team real information and give the evil team a last-second way to win, so games stay tense to the very end. It costs about $30. The Resistance costs about $19.
Price band: $20–$30 (about $30) · Check today’s price on Amazon
Avalon vs The Resistance at a glance
| The Resistance | The Resistance: Avalon | |
|---|---|---|
| Designer and publisher | Don Eskridge, Indie Boards & Cards | Don Eskridge, Indie Boards & Cards |
| Players | 5 to 10 | 5 to 10 |
| Game length | About 30 minutes | About 30 minutes |
| Theme | Sci-fi rebels vs government spies | Loyal servants of Arthur vs minions of Mordred |
| What changes | Simplest version of the game | Adds Merlin, the Assassin and optional characters |
| Price | about $19 | about $30 |
How both games work
At the start, everyone secretly gets a role. A few players are on the bad team, and they learn who their teammates are while everyone else keeps their eyes closed. The game then runs over up to five missions. Each round, a leader proposes a team for the mission and the whole table votes to approve or reject it. If the team is approved, its members secretly play a success or fail card. Good players must play success. Bad players can choose to fail the mission.
Three successful missions and the good side wins. Three failed missions and the bad side wins. If the table rejects five team proposals in a row, the bad side wins too. Everything in between is talking: who proposed whom, who voted for which team and who was on the mission that failed.
What Avalon adds: Merlin and the Assassin
In Avalon, one good player is Merlin, who knows who is evil (except Mordred, if you use him). Merlin can steer the table toward the right teams, but has to stay subtle. If the good side wins three missions, the evil players get one last chance: the Assassin names the player they think is Merlin. If they are right, evil wins anyway.
That one rule changes the whole game. The good team has real information to work with, and the evil team is never out of it. Optional characters such as Percival, Morgana, Mordred and Oberon add more layers once your group knows the basics, so the same box can grow with your group.
Why some groups still prefer The Resistance
- It is the easiest to teach: with no special roles, a first game takes a couple of minutes to explain.
- Pure deduction: nobody knows anything except the spies, so every clue comes from votes and mission results.
- The theme: some players simply like rebels and spies more than knights and wizards.
- It is often cheaper: compare the prices above, since they change.
For a full walkthrough of the original game, see our guide on how to play The Resistance.
Avalon or The Resistance: which to buy
- For one hidden-role game to own: Avalon. You can play it without special roles for new players and add them later.
- For a group of first-timers: either works, but The Resistance is the simplest place to start.
- For groups that love big reveals: Avalon, because the Assassin’s final guess is the most dramatic moment in either game.
- For fans of sci-fi: The Resistance.
- For 11 or more players: neither. Both top out at 10, so look at larger party games instead.
Do you need both?
No. The mission and voting rules are the same, so owning both mostly gives you two themes. Most groups pick one and stick with it. If you already own The Resistance and want Merlin-style roles, Avalon is the usual upgrade, but you can also start with plain rules and see whether your group wants more.
For more games like these, see our best social deduction party games, The Resistance vs One Night Ultimate Werewolf and our best games like Secret Hitler.
Avalon vs The Resistance FAQ
Is Avalon the same as The Resistance?
Mostly. The missions, team votes and success or fail cards work the same way. Avalon adds Merlin, the Assassin and other optional characters, and it has an Arthurian theme instead of a sci-fi one.
Which is better for beginners, Avalon or The Resistance?
The Resistance is a little simpler because there are no special roles. Avalon can be played the same way for a first game, then you add Merlin and the Assassin.
How many players do Avalon and The Resistance need?
Both need at least 5 players and play up to 10. They are not good choices for 2 to 4 players.
Can you mix Avalon and The Resistance?
The core rules are the same, so many groups use Avalon roles with Resistance cards or the other way around. It is easiest to play one set at a time.
