The game lives in text messages and group chats. When 50 players rely on word-of-mouth, a single unclear announcement creates five different interpretations of the rules. Broadcasting the same message to everyone at the same time keeps players on the same page and gives the organizer proof of what was said. Here are templates for the four announcements every game needs.

Why announcements matter for organizing

A game with no central authority needs clear communication. You are not a league office sending official decrees. You are a peer running a game your classmates joined because it sounded fun. But that peer responsibility means players will point to your words to settle disputes later.

Announcements serve three purposes. First, they set expectation. A player who sees "Purge Day is Friday at 3pm" knows not to relax on Thursday night. Second, they create documentation. When someone claims you said midnight and you said noon, you can point to the exact message. Third, they give permission. A soft announcement that the game is over feels apologetic. A clear one says the season is done and the winner is crowned.

The best time to send an announcement is not when you think of it. It is when something actually changes. Launch the game. Announce a purge. Settle a rule dispute. Crown a winner. Everything else is noise.

• Use your announcement to set expectations.
• Broadcast to everyone at once so all players have the same information.
• Keep wording simple and direct. No wordplay or clever jokes.
• Repeat critical dates and deadlines in bold or all caps so they cannot be missed.

Launch announcement template

Send this when the game actually starts. This is the moment you move from planning to playing. Players need to know the date, the rules, where to find their target, and who to contact with questions. This announcement opens the game. Nothing happens until it goes out.

Before you send this, you should have filled out your rules template and generated your target chain on the target chain generator. The rules template gives you the short code. The generator gives you the data to feed into your live game board. Both tools live on seniorsassassins.com and require no signup.

Purge day announcement template

A purge day is a deadline before which multiple eliminations must happen. Not every game has a purge, but most do. The purge might eliminate all players under three targets or all players who have not moved their target in two weeks. The rule is yours to set, but once you set it, announce it clearly.

A purge accomplishes two things. It breaks ties when the game stalls (some players simply never find each other) and it lets you end the game on a hard date if the final four players never meet. Most organizers announce a purge halfway through the season or two weeks before the planned finale.

For your purge announcement, name the exact rule, the exact date and time, and what "eliminate" means in your game (a water balloon hit, a soaked shirt, a photo). Do not assume players remember. Repeat it.

Dispute resolution announcement template

Disputes happen. Player A says they eliminated Player B with a water balloon. Player B says they were not playing that day. Player C says the rules say no eliminations at work. You have to settle it, and when you do, broadcast the decision to everyone.

A dispute announcement is not about the two players involved. It is about clarifying the rule for all 50 players watching. Announce the dispute, state the rule clearly, and explain how you ruled. If you are changing the rule because of this dispute, say so explicitly. Players respect clarity and consistency far more than they respect being right.

• State the rule clearly, word for word from your rules template.
• Explain how the disputed scenario applies to the rule.
• Announce your decision and the date it takes effect.
• Do this within 24 hours of hearing the dispute, while memory is fresh.

Finale announcement template

The finale is when the game ends. This might be an elimination tournament, a specific date you set at the start, or a natural end where only one player remains. Whatever your method for ending the game, announce it clearly before it happens, then announce the winner after.

The finale announcement does two things. It tells players this is the endgame and signals when the season truly closes. A player who does not see a finale announcement might not believe the game is over and might try to eliminate someone a week later. A clear announcement prevents that confusion.

Customizing announcements for your group

Every game is different. Your rules are not someone else's rules. Your timeline is not theirs. Use these templates as skeletons and fill in your specific details.

Customize by dropping in your actual dates, your actual rule language, and your actual players. If your rules say "target must be eliminated by water balloon on school property only", use that exact wording. Do not paraphrase. Paraphrasing leads to arguments about what you meant versus what you said.

• Use your own dates and times.
• Quote directly from your rules template, not paraphrased versions.
• Include the code to your live board when asking players to check targets.
• Add a contact method (text, email, or group chat handle) for rule questions.

Sending announcements to your players

Send every announcement to the same place. If your players use a group chat, post there. If they use a Discord or a shared document, post there. One channel, always. Do not send duplicate announcements across platforms.

Timing matters. Send launch and finale announcements at a time when most players are awake and not in class. Send dispute resolution quickly, within 24 hours. Send purge announcements a few days before the purge date so players have time to plan. A purge announced at midnight before the purge starts is a surprise that breeds anger, not a rule that breeds respect.

Consider sending a reminder 24 hours before any hard deadline. Players forget. A single reminder text reduces arguments about "I did not see that".