Secret Hitler: A Game of Political Intrigue and Hidden Loyalties
Secret Hitler is a fast-paced and dramatic social deduction game where players are secretly divided into liberals and fascists, with one player aiming to become the ultimate dictator: Secret Hitler. Through elections, policy enactments, and careful observation, players try to achieve their team’s goals and expose the hidden Hitler before it’s too late.
Description: Secret Hitler is a fantastic party game that injects a dose of political intrigue, deduction, and social interaction into any gathering. The game centers around a hidden identity mechanic, where players are randomly assigned roles as either liberals (majority) or fascists (minority) with one player becoming the secret Hitler. The liberals aim to enact liberal policies and prevent Hitler’s rise to power, while the fascists strive to enact fascist policies and ultimately elect Hitler as Chancellor, granting him special powers. The gameplay revolves around elections for President and Chancellor, who work together to enact policies from a random deck. Players use their powers, deduction, and social skills to influence the government, expose hidden loyalties, and achieve their team’s victory. With its simple rules, yet deep strategic layers and the constant tension of who to trust, Secret Hitler is a guaranteed recipe for an exciting and engaging experience that will keep players on the edge of their seats.
Categories: Party Game, Social Deduction Game, Bluffing Game
How to Play:
- Number of Players:
Secret Hitler is ideally suited for groups of five to ten players. This allows for a good balance between hidden identities, strategic maneuvering, and social interaction.
- What You’ll Need:
- A Vocal and Engaged Group!: This is the most important ingredient for a fun game of Secret Hitler! Additionally, you’ll need the game components, which typically include a deck of cards with player roles, government position indicators, policy cards, and reference sheets.
- Gameplay:
- Gather Your Government Officials: Find a comfortable spot to sit or stand with your friends or fellow players.
- Secret Identities: The roles are assigned secretly. This can be done through dealing cards face down or using a designated narrator. Roles include liberals, fascists, Hitler, and government positions like President and Chancellor.
- The Government Forms: Players elected as President and Chancellor work together to choose a policy card from the deck. The success of enacting these policies depends on whether they are liberal or fascist, and how the other players vote based on their hidden loyalties.
- Discussion and Deduction: Throughout the game, players discuss the game’s progress, share suspicions about hidden identities, and try to influence the government’s direction through their votes and arguments. This is where the social deduction and bluffing come into play.
- Special Powers: Hitler, once elected Chancellor, gains special powers that can help the fascists achieve their goals. However, these powers become more dangerous the longer Hitler remains in power.
- Government Overthrow: If the liberals manage to enact enough liberal policies or successfully assassinate Hitler, they win the game. The fascists win if Hitler is elected Chancellor after enough fascist policies are enacted or if they successfully assassinate the president three times.
Playing Time: A game of Secret Hitler can last anywhere from 45 minutes to an hour depending on the number of players, the complexity of the deductions made, and the amount of bluffing and social maneuvering involved.
Make it Your Own:
- House Rules: Consider adding house rules to customize the game experience. These could include limitations on revealing information or adding new victory conditions.
- Thematic Immersion: Encourage players to get into their roles and add a touch of dramatic flair to their actions and pronouncements.
- Multiple Rounds: Play multiple rounds with different players taking on different roles to keep the game fresh and exciting.
Ready to Test Your Loyalty and Deduction Skills?
Secret Hitler is a simple yet engaging social deduction game that injects a dose of political intrigue, deduction, bluffing, and social interaction into any gathering. So gather your friends, sharpen your observation skills, and prepare for a thrilling game of hidden agendas, shifting alliances, and the ultimate struggle for power!
Similar Games:
- Werewolf: A classic social deduction game with hidden roles, night phases for secret actions, and day phases for discussion and voting. Players are divided into villagers and werewolves, with villagers trying to identify and eliminate the werewolves before they are all eliminated.
- The Resistance: A social deduction game where players are divided into a team of good guys (the Resistance) and a team of bad guys (the Imperial Spies). Players use deduction, voting, and social
Mafia: This classic social deduction game is very similar to Werewolf, with hidden roles, night phases for secret actions, and day phases for discussion and voting. However, Mafia typically doesn’t have a seer role, and the mafia members might know each other’s identities.