CEO Directives
When the Sabotage track climbs, the CEO is handed a one-time power. These are the directives — Service Rat's take on the executive powers from Secret Hitler, where they're called presidential powers. Five exist, they fire the moment a Sabotage blueprint lands in the right slot, and exactly which one you get depends on how many players started the game.
Directives are the lever that turns a quiet legislative game into a knife fight. A single Personnel Audit can clear a suspected Saboteur or sink an innocent Worker. A Termination at the wrong moment can hand the Workers an instant win — or wipe out the only person who suspected the Rat. Knowing the schedule cold is half the skill.
The unlock schedule, by player count
The row is the Sabotage blueprint that was just enacted; the column is the number of players the game started with. This is the exact table the app uses — directive timing genuinely shifts with group size, which is why the same play feels different at 5 than at 10.
| Sabotage # | 5–6 players | 7–8 players | 9–10 players |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1st | — | — | Personnel Audit |
| 2nd | — | Personnel Audit | Personnel Audit |
| 3rd | Blueprint Preview | Extraordinary Shift | Extraordinary Shift |
| 4th | Termination | Termination | Termination |
| 5th | Termination + Veto unlocks | Termination + Veto unlocks | Termination + Veto unlocks |
At the 6th Sabotage the Saboteurs have already won, so no directive fires. Want this broken out per group size? See how player count changes the game.
The five directives
Each card below links to a full guide — what the power does, exactly when it shows up, and how to milk it from both sides of the table. The name in parentheses is the Secret Hitler power it mirrors.
Directives are the back half of a Shift. If you're fuzzy on the front half — appointment, voting, the blueprint draw — start with the full How to Play guide, then come back here.
Reading directives by role
A directive is never neutral. Workers want every power to surface truth; the Saboteur team wants every power to muddy it. The same Personnel Audit that exonerates an honest CEO becomes a weapon when a Saboteur runs it and lies about the result. Before you ever trigger one, know which role you're playing for — the role guides cover exactly how Workers, Saboteurs, and the Rat each weaponize the directive schedule.
The app applies every directive for you — no rulebook lookups mid-game. Free on Android and iOS, no account.