Who goes first?
From the source rules

Who goes first in Unrest?

Pandasaurus Games English rules, copyright 2023

Unrest box cover

Choose who plays the Rebellion and who plays the Empire. The Rebellion acts first, choosing two adjacent Districts to target.

Rule details

The rules suggest giving the Rebellion to whoever most recently broke a rule. This is an example for choosing roles, not a mandatory test.

Each round begins with the Rebellion selecting the target Districts and planning an operation before the Empire defends.

Source & edition

  • Unrest: Pandasaurus Games rulesPandasaurus Games · Setup step 1; Gameplay steps 1–2; PDF pages 2, 5 · Checked 2026-09-23Printed page references: 2, 5Cited PDF pages: 2, 5
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Image: © Pandasaurus Games (publisher) · Pandasaurus Games

If your rules call for a random choice, use the player picker.

If there’s a tie

The rulebook doesn’t say. If you need a tie-break, pick a player at random.

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