Secret Hitler is a social game for six to ten players, created by the creators of Cards Against Humanity. The goal of the game is to be elected Chancellor without being identified as Adolf Hitler or any other Nazi leader. This requires hiding your identity and persuading your fellow players that you are not what you seem, while simultaneously identifying and eliminating those who would expose your true agenda.
| Release | August 25, 2016 |
| Players | 5-10 |
| Playing Time | 30–60 minutes |
| Age | 3+ |
| Category | Card Game |
| Brand | Secret Hitler |
| Genre | Hidden Identity, Social Deduction |
| Item Dimensions LxWxH | 6.5 x 4.33 x 0.71 inches |
Overview and Theme
The theme of the game is a dark one, with players taking on roles as either fascists or liberals. The Fascists must work together to eliminate all the Liberals through any means available before they are identified and eliminated themselves. There can be up to four Liberal players (one more than half), but only three Fascist players (a majority). If the Liberals can identify the Fascist players, they win. If the Fascists can eliminate all of the Liberal players before they are identified, they win.
Mechanics and Rules
Secret Hitler is a social deduction game with elements of hidden roles and bluffing. Each player is randomly given a role card at the beginning of the game, which determines their team (Liberal or Fascist) as well as what actions they are able to take. The fascists must work together to elect one of their own as Chancellor, while the liberals must try to stop them.
Gameplay: Complexity and Replayability
There are a lot of possible roles and actions, so the game has high replayability. However, there is some complexity to it as well, especially for new players who haven’t played similar games before. The first time I tried playing Secret Hitler was with an experienced group of friends that had been playing board games together regularly for years. Even then, it took us three rounds to figure out the mechanics and make sense of what was going on.
Secret Hitler Review: Components and Setup
Secret Hitler is a board game, so the components are all high quality. There are secret role cards for each player to hide their identity from other players, as well as policy and candidate action cards which are randomly dealt out according to specific rules depending on what type of government you have (besides Fascism). The artwork is dark but stylistically pleasing, and the overall game is well put together.
Artwork and Component Quality
I like the artwork, and find it darkly humorous in its use of symbolism. The game is high quality overall, with sturdy cardstock for all parts except the player boards which are made of thick paperboard material.
Bottom Line
Secret Hitler is an intense game of social deduction that will keep you on your toes the whole time. With high replayability and complex mechanics, it’s sure to be a favorite for any group of friends who love board games.
