Sniff Out
The Sniff Out lets the Mayor walk past one player and tell which side they are on: Cat or Rat. It's the cleanest information weapon in the game, and it's Service Rat's version of the Secret Hitler power known as Investigate Loyalty.
What it does
When the prerogative fires, the Mayor secretly selects one other player and is told which side that player is on: Cat, or Rat. The result is private. Only the Mayor sees it, and the Mayor is free to announce it, lie about it, or stay silent. Each player can only be sniffed out once per game, so the pool of useful targets shrinks as the match goes on.
The sniff fires automatically the instant the triggering Rat Law is signed. The Mayor doesn't choose to use it; they're handed it. The app walks the Mayor through picking a target and shows the answer privately.
When it unlocks
Sniff Out only exists in larger games, and its timing depends on the player count:
- 9–10 players: fires at the 1st and again at the 2nd Rat Law: two sniffs early.
- 7–8 players: fires at the 2nd Rat Law.
- 5–6 players: never appears: small games use Peek at the Docket instead.
That early arrival in big games matters: at 9–10 players the Cats can get two reads on the table before the Rat Law track is even halfway, which is the main reason large games stay survivable for the good guys.
What the result does (and doesn't) reveal
A sniff reveals the side, not the role. A "Rat side" result tells you the player is on the evil team, but not whether they are a rank-and-file Sellout or the Service Rat. Crucially, the Service Rat reads as "Rat side" too, so sniffing him comes back exactly like sniffing a Sellout. A "Cat side" result is a clean bill of health: that player is genuinely on the good team.
A sniff never identifies the Rat specifically. It can tell you "this person is evil," which narrows the hunt, but you still won't know which of the evil players is the one whose Kick Out of Town ends the game.
How to use it
As a Cat Mayor
Sniff Out someone whose behavior is genuinely ambiguous, not your obvious ally and not your obvious enemy. A clean read on a quiet player turns them into a trusted nominee for the rest of the game. A dirty read gives the table a confirmed target. Then say the truth, loudly, and let the others corroborate or contradict you.
As a Sellout or Rat Mayor
The sniff is your best lie. Sniff Out a Cat, then announce they came back "Rat side" to burn a trusted player. Or sniff out a teammate and clear them publicly. Because the result is private, your claim can't be checked: until someone else sniffs out the same person and the two stories collide. The danger is overreach: claim too many dirty Cats and the table notices that every read you give serves the bad team.
Where it fits in the bigger picture
Sniff Out is one of five mayoral prerogatives. The full set and the exact unlock grid live on the prerogatives hub, and because the schedule changes with table size, it's worth reading alongside how player count changes the game. New to the whole loop? The How to Play guide covers a Round end to end.
The app runs every sniff privately and tracks who's already been checked. Free on Android and iOS, no account.