First private message from the Capitol

From the moment Turn 0 is announced, Turn 1 begins. It will theoretically last 24 hours (until 6:00 PM the following day), but this will vary depending on the actual duration, as there are always delays, unforeseen circumstances, and so on.

The Capitol will send private messages to all tributes, informing them about their team and, if applicable, their assigned special role. Messages from the Capitol should never be shared verbatim with other tributes; this is considered playing dirty. You can tell another tribute that the Capitol told you this or that, but never share the message as is. Furthermore, asking other tributes to share their messages with the Capitol with you as proof of trustworthiness or "to save time" may result in expulsion from the game.

What are the characteristics of the teams I might be assigned?

• If you're on a team of 4, you're a completely normal tribute. Focus on finding your teammates and getting organized as soon as possible to win. But be careful, because one of your teammates could be the traitorous mercenary.

• If you're on a team of 3, you have two pieces of good news. First, you definitely won't have the mercenary on your team, and second, one of your teammates will be a psychopath (more powerful than the normal tributes).

• If you're in the Cult, there will be two people on your team, and I'll tell both of you that you're together and who you are, so you can coordinate from the start. Cultists are the weakest tributes, so caution is always advisable. To compensate for being only two, every N/4 turns (rounded down) you can recruit a new teammate from the other teams, as long as they are not a mercenary, psychopath, or imbecile (explained below).

New teammates will lose all their advantage points (explained later) upon being recruited and will not cease to be part of their team: they gain points both with the Sect and with their original teammates and choose whom to support in case of conflict. Recruited tributes become part of the Sect at the beginning of the turn in question, but lose their advantage points at the end. Within the Sect, the only tribute who can recruit is the leader of the sect, whose role can be delegated to another in case of death.

For the leader to recruit another tribute, they must share a position with the leader at the beginning of the turn. Recruited tributes cannot attack or push the leader without their consent.

• If you're assigned to go alone, you're the idiot. The most powerful tribute. You'll have entered the Hunger Games to enjoy killing absolutely all the other tributes, and you'll have a ton of advantages to make them fear you and be able to perform your role properly.

What special roles can the Capitol assign me?

• If you're on a team of 4, you might be assigned the mercenary (the only one in the game). If so, you'll have to kill all your teammates as well. To compensate, you'll have slightly more power than the standard tribute, and the Capitol will inform you daily of the exact positions of the other tributes. Mercenaries are always keen to conceal their status, so the first thing they have to think about is how to hide their advantages from their teammates. Making up stories about knowing the positions of other tributes because they overheard or were told by someone they haven't even spoken to is a mercenary's daily routine.

• If you're on a team of 3, you might be assigned the psychopath. Enjoy your extra power and ensure your survival, since you're supposed to compensate for the team having one less tribute.

• If you're in the Cult, you might be chosen as its leader. In that case, you'll be the only one who can recruit, and you'll have to delegate command if you die. Remember that your recruits might not want the Cult to win, so it's important to consider not only whether you want them to join you but also whether they'll cause you problems. This can be avoided by recruiting a full team.

• If you go it alone, you're the fool. Enjoy the role and don't be intimidated by the fact that everyone will want you dead as soon as possible.

Creating a team group chat with the Capitol is prohibited while the Cult and the Mercenary are still active, unless the entire team is recruited by the Cult.