Social deduction board games have rapidly gained popularity in recent years, captivating gamers with their blend of strategy, deception, mystery and collaboration. These board games engage players in an intellectual battle where they must use wit, social cues, and intuition to outsmart others.
What is a Social Deduction Game?
But what exactly are social deduction board games? In simple terms, social deduction board games are games where players are assigned hidden roles, and the objective is to uncover who’s on your team and who’s not. These games often revolve around bluffing, manipulation, and observation as players try to figure out who is working against them. As Wikipedia describes it, generally one team is good and the other team is bad!
The dynamic nature of these social deduction games, where alliances are forged and betrayed in the blink of an eye, is what makes them so thrilling.
In this article, we’ll explore some of the most popular social deduction board games, including the Resistance board game, the rapidly popular game Secret Hitler, Ultimate Werewolf, and Cheese Thief.
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Secret Hitler
- 45 minutes
- 5-10 players
- 17+
One of the most iconic social deduction board games, Secret Hitler is set in 1930s Germany during the rise of fascism. The game pits players against each other in a battle between two teams: Liberals and Fascists. The ultimate goal is for the Liberals to enact five liberal policies or assassinate Hitler, while the Fascists aim to enact six fascist policies or elect Hitler as Chancellor after three fascist policies have been passed.
Objective
Liberals must pass five liberal policies or assassinate Hitler, while Fascists aim to pass six fascist policies or elect Hitler as Chancellor.
Overview of How to Play Secret Hitler
Each player is secretly assigned to either the Liberal or Fascist team. While, one player is secretly assigned as Hitler. This process is done via cards.
Each round, a president is elected, and they nominate a chancellor. The team votes on the proposed government, and if elected, they enact policies. As the game progresses, tension rises, and the Liberals must deduce who the Fascists (and Hitler) are before it’s too late.
Tips and Strategies
- For Liberals: Pay close attention to voting patterns and policy enactments. Fascists will often try to throw suspicion on the Liberals.
- For Fascists: Disguise your true allegiance by supporting Liberal policies early on and sowing confusion among the Liberals.
- For Hitler: Stay under the radar, blend in with the Liberals, and avoid drawing suspicion to yourself.
The Resistance
- 30 minutes
- 5-10 players
- 13+
Another classic social deduction game and also a great party game, The Resistance is set in a dystopian future where players are part of a resistance movement fighting against an oppressive regime. However, among the resistance members are spies working for the enemy, trying to sabotage the group’s efforts.
What is The Resistance game about
The game accommodates 5-10 players, with the number of spies adjusted according to the total player count. Initially, players are secretly assigned roles, becoming either members of the resistance or spies working against them.
Each round revolves around the group’s vote to determine a team of players for a mission. Missions have two possible outcomes: success or failure. A mission fails if even a single spy is included in the team. Resistance members must then deduce the spies’ identities by carefully analyzing voting patterns and observed behaviors.
Ultimately, the resistance achieves victory by successfully completing three missions. Conversely, the spies win if they manage to sabotage three missions.
Tips and Strategies
- For Resistance Members: Trust your instincts and observe player behavior. Pay attention to voting patterns and who advocates for certain team members.
- For Spies: Blend in with the group, and try to mislead the resistance. If possible, play on their doubts and sow confusion about who the spies are.
Ultimate Werewolf
- 30-90 minutes
- up to 75 Players
- 13+
Ultimate Werewolf is one of the most popular social deduction board games, and it’s perfect for large groups. In fact, the game designer, Ted Alspach, said it can have up to 75 players!
Ultimate Werewolf is a two-team game: Villagers and Werewolves. The Villagers don’t know who the Werewolves are, and the Werewolves try to remain undectected while they slowly kill off the Villagers. One player is selected as the moderator who “runs” the game, facilitating each stage of Ultimate Werewolf. And another player becomes the seer. The game ends when either all the Villagers or all the Werewolves are dead.
Overview of How to Play Ultimate Werewolf
The First Day
The first day is for players to introduce themselves by going around the table. Each player should say something about themselves, ranging from simple statements like, “My name is Gina, and I’m a Villager,” or a more detailed response like, “I’m Gina, the village donut maker, and as everyone knows, Werewolves don’t like donuts.” Players should avoid claiming to be a werewolf or a special character. Those with these roles should pretend to be simple villager.
To nominate someone for lynching, a player points at the person and says, “I nominate Gina.” If another player seconds the nomination, the nominated player will have a chance to defend themselves. Then, everyone votes: thumbs up for survival, thumbs down for elimination. When the Moderator counts to “3,” voting is finalized. If a player is lynched, their role is revealed, and the village immediately falls asleep. If not, discussions can continue until the next nomination.
A player is lynched if more than half the players vote against them, and their role card is shown. After this, the player cannot speak and must leave their spot in the circle, though they should stay and silently watch the rest of the game. The Moderator should set a time limit for the first day (e.g., 10 minutes), and if no one is lynched by then, the village falls asleep. The moderator should give a warning when time is running out so players can make their final nominations.
Subsequent Nights
On each night after the first, the Moderator will call on the Werewolves to choose a player to kill. The werewolves must agree on a victim. The Moderator will also call on the Seer, who will point to a player and receive a “thumbs up” if they are a Villager or a “thumbs down” if they are a Werewolf.
Subsequent Days
Each morning, the Moderator announces which player was killed by the Werewolves and reveals their role card to all players. The eliminated player cannot speak after their card is shown and must leave their spot in the circle but stay to silently watch the rest of the game.
Tips and Strategies
- For Villagers: Use logic and observation to figure out who’s acting suspiciously. Trust the seer’s insights, but be cautious of deceit.
- For Werewolves: Keep a low profile and mislead the villagers. If you’re a werewolf, it’s crucial to blend in and make your accusations sound credible.
Once you understand the basics, the rules give you plenty of variations to try in subsequent games.
Cheese Thief
In this game, players receive a secret role of either the Cheese Thief or a Sleepyhead. While everyone is asleep at night the Cheese Thief will steal the cheese. Sleepheads only wake up at certain times which is based on the number you rolled on the dice. The Sleepyheads will try to hunt the thief down together.
Overview of How to Play Cheese Thief
During the Night Phase, all players, including the Moderator, keep their eyes closed. While the Moderator announces the hours from 1 to 6, and players whose dice roll matches the announced hour may open their eyes for 10 seconds to perform a silent action based on their character card. For example, when 1 a.m. is called, players who rolled a 1 open their eyes and act, closing them again after the 10-second countdown. This continues until 6 a.m.
The Moderator then announces the end of the night and the cheese theft, prompting players to begin discussing and identifying the Cheese Thief. Specifically, the Cheese Thief must take and hide the cheese token when their corresponding time is called, regardless of whether other players are peeking. A Sleepyhead who opens their eyes alone may peek at one other player’s dice, but if they see other players also peeking, they must do nothing.
Day Phase
During the Day Phase, players discuss and try to identify the Cheese Thief. Sleepyheads work to deduce the culprit, while the Cheese Thief, potentially aided by Followers, attempts to deflect suspicion and frame others. Players can say anything during the discussion but cannot reveal their character cards or dice rolls. The group decides when the discussion has run its course and calls for a vote.
Each player must participate in the vote, pointing simultaneously at their suspected Cheese Thief when the Moderator counts down “3, 2, 1, VOTE!” The player(s) receiving the most votes reveal their character card(s).
The game’s outcome depends on the vote: If the Cheese Thief receives the most votes, the Sleepyheads win. If the Cheese Thief avoids detection (even if a Follower is voted out), the Cheese Thief and any Followers win together.
Why are social deduction games so fun?
The beauty of social deduction board games lies in their ever-changing dynamics. Each session feels unique, with different players, strategies, and outcomes, making them replayable time and time again.
Social deduction games bring people together through lively, nonstop interaction. Players talk, make deals, and try to win others over—either by proving they’re trustworthy or by cleverly hiding their true roles. The fun comes from figuring out who’s telling the truth and who might be keeping secrets.
Or still looking for inspiration, check out our articles page or board games for adults section.
