Secret Hitler Complete Guide: Social Deduction Party Game

Secret Hitler is a social deduction party game where liberals and fascists compete to pass laws in a fictional 1930s government. One fascist is Secret Hitler — if Hitler is elected Chancellor after 3 fascist policies pass, the fascists win instantly. Designed by Max Temkin, Mike Boxleiter, and Tommy Maranges, it has sold over 500,000 copies.

Game Components

What's in the Box

• 1 liberal board + 1 fascist board (with escalating powers)
• 17 policy tiles (11 fascist, 6 liberal)
• 6 membership cards + 6 party cards (for secret roles)
• 3 election markers + 1 Chancellor marker
• 1 presidential marker
• 11 ballot tokens (Ja/Nein votes)
• Designed for 5-10 players (best with 7-8)
• Typical game duration 45-60 minutes

Role Distribution

How to Play

Setup

1. Shuffle membership cards and deal 1 to each player. Liberal cards show L, fascist cards show F, Hitler card shows H.
2. Fascists know each other — they open their eyes during setup. Hitler does NOT know who the fascists are (in 5-6 player games).
3. In 7+ player games, Hitler knows who the fascists are.
4. Place both boards side by side. Shuffle the 17 policy tiles into a deck.

Game Flow

The game is played in rounds with 3 phases each:

Phase 1: Election

1. The President nominates a Chancellor (cannot be the last elected Chancellor, or the last President in 5-6 player games).
2. All players vote Ja (Yes) or Nein (No) simultaneously using ballot tokens.
3. Majority Ja: The government is elected. Proceed to Phase 2.
4. Majority Nein (or tied): Election fails. Pass the Presidential marker clockwise and try again.
5. If 3 consecutive elections fail, the top policy is enacted automatically (no government elected).

Phase 2: Legislative Session

1. The President draws 3 policy tiles from the deck.
2. The President discards 1 face-down and passes 2 to the Chancellor.
3. The Chancellor discards 1 face-down and enacts the remaining 1.
4. The enacted policy is placed on the matching board (liberal or fascist).

Phase 3: Executive Action (If Applicable)

When certain fascist policies are enacted, the President gains an executive power:

Winning Conditions

Strategy Tips

For Liberals

1. Track Passed Policies

• There are only 6 liberal and 11 fascist tiles. If many fascist policies pass, the deck becomes more liberal.
• If the deck runs low, shuffled discards reset the distribution.
• Count remaining tiles to deduce if a player is lying about what they drew.

2. Investigate Aggressively

• Use investigation powers on the most suspicious players.
• Share investigation results honestly with the table.
• A player who refuses to be investigated is suspicious.

3. Watch Voting Patterns

• Fascists tend to vote Ja for fascist governments and Nein for liberal governments.
• Track who voted for whom — patterns reveal alliances.
• A player who consistently votes against your verified liberal government is likely fascist.

4. Statistical Play

• If you draw 3 tiles and 2 are liberal, playing fascist means you likely discarded a liberal tile — suspicious!
• A President passing 2 fascist to the Chancellor is almost certainly fascist.
• A Chancellor claiming they "had no choice" when both tiles were fascist is harder to verify.

For Fascists

1. Play Liberal Early

• Passing 1-2 liberal policies early builds trust.
• Save your fascist plays for when you are in a trusted government.
• Early trust pays dividends when you need to pass critical fascist policies later.

2. Protect Hitler

• Never elect Hitler Chancellor until 3 fascist policies have passed — and even then, be careful.
• If Hitler is under suspicion, create diversions by accusing other players.
• In 7+ player games, coordinate with Hitler through subtle signals.

3. Create Chaos

• Accuse verified liberals of being fascist.
• Call for unnecessary investigations to waste executive actions.
• Push for failed elections to drain the automatic policy trigger.

4. The Veto Gambit

• After 5 fascist policies, the veto power is unlocked.
• If President and Chancellor both claim they had 3 fascist tiles, they can veto (no policy enacted).
• Fascists can abuse this by claiming they had no choice when they actually did.

Game Variations

Secret Hitler: Vault of Villainy

• Expansion adding new powers and secret objectives
• More complex role abilities
• Requires the base game

Secret Hitler: CorporateExpansion

• Satirical business-themed version
• Same mechanics with corporate villain theme
• Standalone game

Game History

Origins

• Designed by Max Temkin (co-creator of Cards Against Humanity), Mike Boxleiter, and Tommy Maranges
• Published in 2015 after a successful Kickstarter campaign
• The game's political themes were deliberately chosen to be thought-provoking

Legacy

• Over 500,000 copies sold worldwide
• Popular at gaming conventions, parties, and team-building events
• Known for generating intense table talk and memorable moments
• Praised for the escalating tension as fascist powers grow

Statistics

• Designed for 5-10 players (best with 7-8)
• 17 policy tiles (11 fascist, 6 liberal)
• 2 teams: Liberals and Fascists (with 1 Hitler)
• Liberal win: 5 liberal policies or kill Hitler
• Fascist win: 6 fascist policies or elect Hitler Chancellor (after 3+ fascist)
• Executive powers: Investigate, Special Election, Policy Peek, Execute
• Veto unlocked after 5th fascist policy
• 3 failed elections = automatic policy
• Over 500,000 copies sold
• Typical game duration 45-60 minutes
• Suitable for ages 13 and up
• Hidden roles with asymmetric information
• Designed by Max Temkin, Mike Boxleiter, Tommy Maranges
• Published via Kickstarter in 2015

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