Highlights

• Hidden role games teach an important life lesson - trust no one while playing board games.
• Nemesis creates an atmosphere of tension and paranoia where anyone can betray you at any time.
• Betrayal at House on the Hill adds a twist to the hidden role formula by keeping the betrayer a mystery until later in the game.

Hidden role games are those which have one or more players work against everyone else in order to fulfill their own goals. These games make you doubt your own friends and family, and make you paranoid about whom to trust. Ultimately though, these games teach you an important life lesson - trust no one while playing board games.

While the main mechanic of these games is the mystery behind who the player with the hidden role is, the role isn't always used in the same way. Some games task you with deducing which player has the role, while others will have you complete other tasks while said player tries to ruin your progress. Whatever the case may be, do not let emotions get in the way.

Updated on January 10, 2024, by Vaspaan Dastoor: Spies, liars, and deceivers are all around us. Those you trust the most appear to have something to hide, and it's up to you to find out their dirty deeds. With tons of hidden role tabletop games in the market, we've decided to update this list with a few more of the best ones.

Nemesis is a game unashamedly inspired by the Alien movie series. In Nemesis, you play as a group of hopeful survivors in an alien-infested spaceship. Things get complicated, however, when you realize that not all survivors might be after the same thing. Players will change the ship's coordinates, lock escape pods, and do many other not-so-cool things to achieve their goals or to prevent you from achieving yours.

In Betrayal at House on the Hill, the players take the roles of unique characters and explore an abandoned house. The house itself contains a labyrinth-like layout, gruesome events, weird items, and haunting omens. Each time an omen is revealed, the "Haunt Roll" determines if, who, and how the traitor is selected. Once the traitor is revealed, the gameplay shifts a lot and unique rules are introduced. Even the traitor won't know they are one until the haunt roll.

In One Night Ultimate Werewolf, you play as a villager, wolf, or special character with unique abilities. There are two simple phases of play: night and day. During the night, some characters use their abilities, and after that phase during the day, it's open discussion time. The players try to figure out who the wolves are and vote for them to be killed.

In The Resistance, spies have infiltrated your ranks as you try to take down an empire; you'll try to figure out who they are. In each of the five missions/rounds, a group is sent on a mission and they each submit an anonymous card to either support or sabotage the mission. You'll have to mix and match players on each mission to figure out who might be the person putting the sabotage into the deck.

Secret Hitler, there are two groups, the liberals who are the majority, and the fascists, one of whom is Hitler himself. Throughout the game, the fascists try to blend in and gain the trust of the liberals, hoping to elect Hitler into power eventually. On the other hand, the liberals try to pinpoint who the fascists are and avoid giving power to them. While easy enough for beginners, the game has some deep strategies for more experienced players to explore.

Lords of Waterdeep is a classic worker placement game within the Dungeons & Dragons setting, so that should tell you all about the quality of the theme and art of the game. It is, however, also a hidden role game as you are distributed a secret Lord Card at the beginning of the game. This Lord Card will dictate the sorts of quests you'll benefit more from, so it'll hugely affect your plans.

One of the most important aspects of being a spy is to listen carefully and lie well. Spyfall 2 will put this to the test should you get the spy card, making you rely on the answers of other players while also guessing the location. Another great feature is that it can be played along with all other versions of the game.

Deception: Murder in Hong Kong features a similar gameplay loop to many of the others on this list, but the forensic investigator and the scene set up cards ensure that each round is different. While its artwork isn't anything to write home about, it's the overall gameplay that matters the most.

Ever wonder how Alexander Pierce and Hydra managed to infiltrate S.H.I.E.L.D. in Captain America: The Winter Soldier? Here's your chance. Hydra spies will secretly try to thwarty the heroes' efforts until the city is destroyed or they are weeded out.

FAQ

What is the most popular strategy board game of all time?

Chess requires the use of the most intricate and complicated strategies, making it one of the most popular strategy board game of all time.

What is the world's most famous board game?

Monopoly has easy rules, a global appeal, and major brand recognition. It also has a number of themed versions and localizations, making it the world's most famous board game.

What is the oldest board game?

The oldest known board game in the world is The Royal Game of Ur. It is believed to have originated in ancient Mesopotamia over 4,600 years ago.