Learn the Game Rules of Secret Hitler

Hey there! Ready to dive into the intriguing world of Secret Hitler? Buckle up, because I’m here to guide you through the ins and outs of this captivating game. Secret Hitler is a social deduction game that will keep you on the edge of your seat.

So, here’s how it works. Each player will be randomly assigned a secret role as either a liberal or a fascist. Among the fascists, one player will be secretly designated as Hitler. The liberals aim to pass liberal policies, while the fascists, led by Hitler, are determined to pass fascist policies and help Hitler seize control.

The game is played in rounds, with each round consisting of two phases: the Election Phase and the Legislative Phase. In the Election Phase, players take turns being the President and the Chancellor and propose policies. Players debate and vote on the proposed policies, aiming to get liberal policies passed, unless the fascist powers have other plans.

Once the policy is chosen, the game moves into the Legislative Phase. The President draws three policy cards and secretly chooses one to discard, passing the remaining two policies to the Chancellor. The Chancellor then selects one policy to enact.

Now, remember this: as the game progresses and some fascist policies are passed, the powers of the fascists will grow. Fascists can enact special powers like investigating players’ roles or even assassinating someone. All the while, the liberals must be mindful of not electing Hitler as Chancellor, as that will immediately end the game in favor of the fascists.

Your mission, should you choose to accept it, is to navigate this treacherous political landscape and unveil the true identities of your fellow players. Trust your instincts, observe their actions, and strategize cautiously. The fate of the nation rests in your hands!

So, there you have it. Now it’s time to gather your friends, immerse yourself in this exhilarating game, and let the battle of ideologies begin!

Welcome to pre-WWII Germany! In Secret Hitler, I invite you to step into the shoes of German politicians. Together, we’ll try to keep a fragile Liberal government intact and prevent the dangerous wave of fascism from taking hold. But be wary, my friend, for there are secret fascists hidden among us, and one of them is even Secret Hitler himself.

Now, let’s begin. In the game, each of us will be assigned a secret role: either Liberal, Fascist, or Hitler. Yes, that’s right, even Hitler is among us. Hitler, of course, plays for the fascist team. The fascists are aware of Hitler’s identity, but Hitler usually doesn’t know who his fellow fascists are. Meanwhile, the Liberals, poor souls, remain completely in the dark.

The goal is clear for both sides. The Liberals can win by enacting five liberal policies or, if they’re feeling brave, by eliminating Hitler from the game. On the other hand, the fascists can claim victory by enacting six fascist policies or if their very own Hitler is elected chancellor later in the game.

So, my friend, are you ready to navigate the treacherous political landscape of pre-WWII Germany? Remember, the fate of the nation rests in your hands. Let the game begin!

When Fascist policies are put into action, the government gains more power, and the President acquires new abilities. Even players who have more liberal leanings might feel the allure of enacting fascist policies in order to gain control of the table and eliminate their opponents.

Elements

The Game’s Objective

I’m going to tell you about a game where you get to be part of a team. It’s called Secret Hitler, and in this game, each player is secretly on either the Liberal team or the Fascist team.

The game can end in one of two ways. It’s a Liberal Victory if either:

• Five liberal policies are made into law.
• Hitler is eliminated.

On the other hand, it’s a Fascist Victory if either:

• Six fascist policies are made into law.
• Hitler gets elected as chancellor after the third fascist policy is made into law.

Getting Started

Now that you know the objective of the game, let’s talk about how to set it up.

First, select the Fascist Track based on the number of players and place it next to a Liberal Track (there’s also a Liberal track on the back of each Fascist track).

Next, shuffle the 11 Fascist policy mini-cards and the 6 Liberal mini-policy cards together to create a policy deck. Place this deck facedown on the DRAW card.

Let’s get started on preparing for the game! Each player will need their own envelope. Inside each envelope, you will find a Secret Role card, a Party Membership card, and two Ballot cards. The distribution of Roles depends on the number of players, as shown in the table below:

Number of Players	Liberals	Fascists
3	4	1+H
4	4	1+H
5	5	2+H
6	5	2+H
7	6	3+H
8	6	3+H

Remember to shuffle the envelopes so that each player’s role remains a secret. Everyone will randomly receive one envelope. And don’t forget, it’s crucial to have the right number of ordinary fascists along with Hitler. Let the game begin!

Once we’ve all received our Role cards and taken a sneak peek at our secret Roles, it’s time to decide who will be the first President. The honor goes to the randomly selected player, who will hold the Presidency and Chancellorship placards.

If we’re playing with 5-6 players, we’ll follow these steps:

• “Everyone, close your eyes.”
• “Fascists and Hitler, you can open your eyes and acknowledge each other.”
• “Now, everyone, close your eyes and put your hands down.”
• “Everyone, open your eyes. If anyone’s feeling confused or if something didn’t go as planned, please speak up now.”

For larger groups of 7-10 players, here’s what we do:

• “Okay, everyone, let’s play a game. Close your eyes and make a fist in front of you.”
• “Hitler, you can keep your eyes closed, but stick your thumb out in a thumbs-up gesture.”
• “Now, all the fascists who are not Hitler, open your eyes and acknowledge each other.”
• “Fascists, pay attention to who has their thumb out – that person is Hitler.”
• “Now, everyone, close your eyes and put your hands down.”
• “Okay, you can all open your eyes now. If anyone is confused or something went wrong, please speak up.”

How to Play the Game

Hey there! I want to tell you all about Secret Hitler, a really fun game that’s played in rounds. Each round, we have an Election to form a government, a Legislative Session to make new policies, and an Executive Action to exercise power.

The Election Phase

Now, when it comes to elections, it’s crucial that we choose a government wisely. We have to be careful because if the wrong people get into power, it could be a disaster for the whole country. So let’s see how the election process works.

Step 1: Pass the Presidential Candidacy

Okay, so at the start of a new round, the Presidency placard moves to the next player in a clockwise direction. Even if that player was part of the last government, they become the new Presidential Candidate. Got it so far?

Step 2: Nominate a Chancellor

Now that we have our Presidential Candidate, they get to choose a Chancellor Candidate by passing the Chancellorship placard to another eligible player. This person will be the potential Chancellor for the government. It’s an important decision!

Hey there! I’m here to explain how the game works and what you need to know. Let’s get started, shall we?

First things first, if you were the one who enacted the last policy, you won’t be eligible to be the Chancellor Candidate. Just keep that in mind, alright?

Now, things are a little different in a five-player game. In that case, only the last active Chancellor is unable to be the Chancellor Candidate. So, the last President can still be nominated. But in all other games, neither the last President nor the last Chancellor can be nominated. Simple, right?

III. Vote On The Government

Okay, now it’s time to vote on the proposed government. This is where things can get interesting. All the players, including the Candidates, get a chance to vote. To show that you’re ready to vote, just extend your chosen Ballot card in front of you. Take your time to discuss, but make sure everyone is ready to vote before moving on.

When everyone is ready, it’s time to reveal your Ballot cards simultaneously. That way, everyone can see how you voted. It’s all about transparency!

If more than half of us vote yes, then the Presidential Candidate and Chancellor Candidate become the President and Chancellor of the country, respectively.

But here’s the twist: if three or more fascist policies have already been passed, we have to ask the new Chancellor if they are Hitler. If they are, the game ends immediately and the fascists win.

Now, if the vote is tied or most of us vote no, then the Presidency passes to the next player, and we move the election tracker up by one.

The Election Tracker

If we reject three governments in a row, the people get restless. They take matters into their own hands by revealing the top policy and making it a law.

When this rule is in play, none of the powers granted by it matter. Instead, everyone has the chance to become Chancellor in the next Election. It doesn’t matter if you have special abilities or not – everyone has an equal opportunity.

After a policy is put into effect or a government is successfully elected, the Election Tracker needs to start fresh. This means resetting it to the beginning, so we can keep track of the next Election.

Legislative Session

As a newly formed government, we have to be mindful of the wants and needs of our citizens, but we also need to stay vigilant. Sometimes, unfortunate events happen to governments, while others see an opportunity to push their own agenda when there is confusion.

During the Legislative Session, I, as the President, will draw three cards from the Policy deck. I will examine them in secret and then choose one card to discard face down into the discard pile. The two remaining cards will then be passed on to the Chancellor. The Chancellor, just like the President, will also examine the two cards in secret, choose one to discard face down, and then enact the remaining policy card by placing it face up on the appropriate track.

When the legislative session begins, it is absolutely essential that we treat it with the utmost respect! It all starts with the President drawing three Policy cards, and from that point on, everyone else should remain silent until a policy is enacted. Once a policy is passed, the government members are free to share the details of the session, but be wary, because one or both of them might be Fascists trying to deceive the group.

Remember, the discarded policy cards should never be shown to the group. We have to trust the word of the President and Chancellor, even though they are allowed to lie.

If, at the end of a legislative session, there are fewer than three cards left in the Policy deck, we must shuffle them with the discard pile to create a new Policy deck. We should never reveal the unused policies, and we must not simply place them on top of the new Policy deck.

If the government passes a Liberal policy or a Fascist policy that takes away Presidential Power, we will start a fresh round with a new Election. However, if the government passes a Fascist Policy that grants Presidential Power, we will proceed to the Executive Action.

Executive Action

Whether it was by luck or choice, the government has pushed the country further towards Fascism and given the President new powers to enforce his agenda.

The President can seek advice from anyone, and the group can provide any input they wish, but ultimately, the President has the final say. Once the President takes an Executive Action, a new round will begin with a new Election.

What Can a President Do?

Hi there! Today, let’s talk about presidential powers. Did you know that the President has specific powers granted to them? These powers are like superpowers that help them make important decisions and protect our country. Let’s take a closer look!

A Power Called Fascist Track

One of these powers is called the Fascist Track. It’s a special ability that allows the President to investigate the loyalty of people. Imagine this power like a magnifying glass that helps the President see if someone is loyal or not. It’s an important power because loyalty is crucial when it comes to keeping our country safe.

So, how does the President use this power? Well, first, they need to check if they actually have the power to investigate loyalty. This is like checking if they have the superhero costume before they can fight the bad guys. Once they have confirmed that they have this power, they can start using it. It’s like putting on the superhero costume and going out to protect the city!

When the President uses the Fascist Track power, they carefully examine the loyalty of people around them. This helps them make better decisions about who to trust and who to be cautious of. It’s like having a superpower to read people’s minds, but instead of reading minds, the President looks for signs of loyalty.

Now, it’s important to remember that this power should be used wisely and fairly. The President should never use it to discriminate against or treat people unfairly. Instead, it should be used to ensure the safety and well-being of our country.

Choose Wisely

Choosing the right person to become the President is a big responsibility. We need someone who can handle these powers wisely and protect the people. So, when it comes to choosing a President, let’s remember to think about their leadership qualities and how they will use these powers for the greater good.

Remember, the President is like a superhero who has been granted special powers. It’s important for them to use these powers wisely and responsibly. By doing so, they can lead our country to greatness and ensure our safety and well-being.

Imagine this scenario: I’m the President, and there’s a player in our game who hasn’t been looked into yet. To uncover their true colors, I say “I’m officially investigating [player name].” The player in question then hands me their Party Membership Card (not their Secret Role Card). In secret, I check their loyalty and then return the Membership Card to them. Now here’s the interesting part – as the President, I have the power to share (or deceive others about) the results of my investigation. Talk about a juicy twist!

A Special Election

Let’s talk about how the President selects the next Presidential Candidate in the game. When it’s the President’s turn, they can choose any other player at the table to be the next Presidential Candidate. They do this by passing the Presidency placard to that player.

Once the next Presidential Candidate has been chosen, that player gets to nominate a Chancellor Candidate. The election then proceeds as usual, with the players voting for their preferred candidate.

It’s important to note that this process happens after a Special Election. So, when a Special Election occurs, the Presidency returns to its original order, and the President gets to choose the next Presidential Candidate again.

Understanding how the President selects the next Presidential Candidate is an important aspect of the game. By following these rules, you can ensure a fair and balanced election process.

A Sneak Peek Behind the Policy

Ever wondered what goes on behind the scenes when policies are being made? Well, let me give you a little secret – the President has a special power called “Policy Peek”.

Now, “Policy Peek” is where things get really interesting. As the President, the highest authority in the land, I have the ability to take a peek at the top three cards in the Policy deck. Exciting, right? But here’s the catch – I have to do it secretly.

So, picture this: I carefully take the top three cards of the Policy deck, holding my breath in anticipation. With eagle eyes, I scrutinize each card, absorbing the information they hold. These cards are like crystal balls, giving me a glimpse into the future of our country.

After my clandestine encounter with the cards, I return them to the top of the deck, unchanged. It’s as if the cards themselves have a memory – they remember their place, their order, and remain exactly where they were before I peered into their secrets.

Now, you might be wondering, “Why on earth would the President do such a thing?” Well, my friend, every decision I make as President has consequences. And sometimes, those consequences can ripple through the fabric of our nation, affecting the lives of every citizen. So, having that extra insight, that sneak peek into what lies ahead, helps me make more informed choices – choices that can shape the course of history.

Think of it as a double-edged sword – a power that can elevate me to new heights or send me stumbling down an uncertain path. It’s a responsibility I don’t take lightly, and it’s a power that must be used wisely.

So, next time you think about the decisions made by your President, remember that the journey to those decisions often begins with a secret peek into the future. And know that every choice made has been carefully considered, with the aspirations and well-being of our great nation in mind.

When we play the game of Secret Hitler, one player, who takes on the role of the President, has the power to execute another player at the table. The President uses the words “I formally execute [player name]” to carry out the execution. If the player being executed is Hitler, that player then reveals their Role Card, and the game ends with a Liberal victory. If, however, the executed player is not Hitler, they do not reveal their role or their loyalty. Instead, they are simply removed from the game and are not allowed to speak, vote, or run for office.

Now, let’s talk about the Veto Power: At a certain point in the game, once five fascist policies have been enacted, the Executive branch gains more control over which policies are enacted. Here’s how it works: The President draws three policies, chooses one to discard, and passes the remaining two to the Chancellor, just like usual. But now, the Chancellor has the option to say “I wish to veto this agenda” instead of enacting either policy. If the President agrees, both policies are thrown out, and the Presidency placard moves to the next player on the left, as usual.

So, here’s the deal: if the President says no, the Chancellor has to choose one of the two policies that were given to them. But guess what? Every time the President pulls out that veto card, it’s like waving a flag that says “Sorry folks, the government is on pause!” And you know what else it does? It pushes that election tracker forward, one step closer to the next big vote.