A particularly fun genre in the world of tabletop gaming is social deduction. Having one or some of the players bluffing and hiding their true identity and motives from the others while everyone tries to figure out who it is is quite thrilling. They lead to suspenseful, thought-provoking, and often wacky gameplay. Check out some of the best social deduction games in no particular order below.

Coup

In Coup, players take on the roles of the politically elite in a futuristic world. Each role, including the Ambassador, Contessa, Duke, Assassin,and others, has their own action and counteraction that allow them to be played differently. However, you can bluff and bamboozle other players into thinking you’re someone else entirely. Trick your way to the top, earn coins, challenge other players into revealing their roles and eliminate them, and be the last leadership standing.

Secret Hitler

Separate your play group into two teams: the liberals and the fascists, with the latter including the role of “Secret Hitler.” There are fewer fascists, but they know each other’s roles while the liberals don’t know who anyone is. It makes for some intense mind-games when trying to get policies passed and ultimately win the game.

The Resistance

The Resistance can last a bit longer than some other games on this list, so if you’re looking for one with a bit more meat, this one’s for you. Players play as either a resistance against a tyrannical government or spies hired by that government to infiltrate and take them down. Go out on missions in groups and see who’s trying to fail or succeed each one. Vote out who you think is evil to win, or be a spy who outwits everyone else. This game officially takes place within the same futuristic setting as Coup, which is pretty neat.

Blood on the Clocktower

If you have a lot of players, look no further than Blood on the Clocktower, which is often considered to be one of the best social deduction games around. With 22-25 characters per script, each player taking on a different role shakes up the gameplay quite a bit. The Demon and their minions are set on killing everyone in town, and it’s up to the townsfolk to figure out who they are so they can work together to vanquish the evil. Some games of this can take a much longer time than other social deduction games, so there could be entire get-togethers planned around it.

Ultimate Werewolf

Ultimate Werewolf and sister games like One Night Ultimate Werewolf are staples of this genre. It can be played with anywhere between 5 and 75 people, so it can get pretty crazy. The villagers must figure out who the werewolf is and eliminate them before the werewolf picks the rest of them off one by one. With enough players, there are also vampire roles that must defeat both the villagers and the werewolf. The unique roles are all fun to play, and are each vital in reaching victory for whichever team they’re on. This one is a classic that lots of other games in this genre take inspiration from. 

Do You Worship Cthulhu?

Do You Worship Cthulhu? is one of those games heavily inspired by Werewolf. Each player gets a unique role, some of which have fun abilities, and need to figure out who among them is the cultist who wishes to summon Cthulhu. If you’re a fan of Lovecraftian horror, this one is a solid choice. It’s also a fairly quick game, so you can get multiple matches in each session or play a quick round if you’re short on time.

The Thing: Infection at Outpost 31

The Thing: Infection at Outpost 31 is set in the world of the John Carpenter horror-sci fi classic, so movie fans have a lot to look forward to with this one. That being said, it’s fun for anyone to enjoy. Go on missions to ensure everyone’s survival, but watch out, because someone is secretly the Thing trying to sabotage the operation to ensure everyone else loses. An added twist is that after each stage, another player becomes assimilated to the Thing’s team, so things get riskier for the good guys as the game progresses.

A Fake Artist Goes to New York

A Fake Artist Goes to New York is probably one of the most unique entries on this list. Players work together to draw a picture one line at a time. All except for one, the “fake artist,” know the prompt they need to draw. The faker needs to figure out what the prompt is and try to play along well enough to trick the other players. If they’re found out, they lose. Actually knowing how to draw isn’t important here. If anything, bad drawings might make the game funnier.

Are You the Traitor?

Are You the Traitor? is similar to that of Ultimate Werewolf and Do You Worship Cthulhu? with its diverse role options and similar goals. However, it’s much less structured and is more dialogue based. Plus, the secret villain role has a different win-condition than killing the other players. This one is especially chaotic and can be extra fun with a few drinks.

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