Secret Hitler is a controversial board game. We’ve all heard the name for the first time and instinctually flinched. “Well, it’s not pro-Hitler!” they say, “The fascists are bad and they’re trying to take over the government. You have to stop them!”

So the concept of Secret Hitler is decidedly anti-Hitler. It explores how a politically democratic system can facilitate the rise of fascism. Right? That’s what it does, right? Or maybe it’s just a cash grabbing board game with a provocative name.

Board games, like all mediums, are reflections of their context. It’s impossible to be completely apolitical, as even a ‘political neutral’ work simply reinforces the current political norm. Doing something as simple as showing a ‘normal’ family is a statement that says that ‘normal’ family is, in fact, the norm.

It’s true that not all creators think deeply about how their work fits into the political landscape. I suspect most board games fit this trend, as they offer an escape. Many depict fantastical lands to visit, strange aliens to interact with, or a far-off time or place. However, the board gaming community is not immune to the political culture that surrounds it. In 2018, Tanya Pobuda of Analog Game Studies conducted in-depth statistical analysis on the representation present in the most highly rated board games on BoardGameGeek (the IMDB of Board Games) and found some shocking results. One of the most appalling findings is that you are more likely to see an animal or alien on the cover of a game than a woman. The statistics are even worse for women of color—while white women appear on 14.5% of covers, women of color only appear on 4.7%.  I highly recommend reading her article in full.

Colonialism in Board Games

Likewise, many games (such as Smallworld, Archipelago, Puerto Rico) depict elements of colonialism. Many more games, such as Catan, depict settling ‘untamed’ wilderness, a fabrication that alludes to the painful and destructive history of colonialism. If you’re interested in a more in-depth exploration of colonialism in board games, Cornel Borit, Melania Borit, & Petter Olsen from the Open Library of humanities did an awesome study on the topic.

Now, you would be hard pressed to find malicious intent in any of these examples, but the topics we explore while at leisure reveal our values as a society.

To say that Secret Hitler provides an accurate (and damning) depiction of Weimar Republic Germany is incorrect. The game does not investigate the sociopolitical events that caused Hitler’s rise, and game players do not appear to leave critically thinking about how their own government could fall in the same way. Even the fascist role cards depict lizards, not real people.

Yet, the game definitely attempts to make a political statement. On the home page of their website, a coy FAQ says, “I don’t think there’s anything funny or cool about fascism. Who can I complain to?” and then gives the address of previous United States President, Donald Trump. They have also released a deluxe set of “fascist” cards depicting Donald Trump and members of his cabinet.

So where does the game lie? The answer is somewhere in the middle. Consciously or unconsciously, when we make art, we make it in response to the world we live in. Secret Hitler does not attempt to accurately simulate the horrors of the rise of facism in the Weimar Republic, but it achieves a simpler task. It is a subtle reminder that we all must be vigilant and patient with each other, to exercise caution and to be open. This idea is present in the game’s base mechanics, in the strategies you use to win. Fascists thrive when there is distrust, when decisions are made quickly and rashly, and when there is no transparency.

The feeling of mistrust that suffuses Secret Hitler is a small-scale simulation of the feelings a nation goes through as it attempts to stay the course. Sure, the name is crude and shocking. Yes, it makes the game sell better. But, it also makes the lesson it teaches more memorable. The ‘Secret Hitler’ depicted in the game is not Hitler himself, but a facsimile. A person who will go on to commit atrocities by playing the system and sowing discord. It is a reaction to a world in which global fascist tendencies are on the rise.

What do you think? Does this ring true to you? Do you have other examples of board games that deal with similar subject matter or do you think that politics and board games should be completely divorced? I’d love to have an extended conversation about this, leave your comments down below!

Curious about other morally dubious things in board games? Check out Top Four Ways to Cheat at Board Games by Joe!

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Subvert Their Expectations

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Unfortunately, I don’t mean JUST trying eldritch horror adventures, throwing liches (plural) at a 1st level party, or installing trap doors beneath your player’s seats that lead to a pit of half-formed reptilian Matt Mercer clones to encourage them to stop dropping character. I also mean emotional or interpersonal fears. Mystery. All the things that make your player’s brain go, “something’s up, I need to pay attention”.

Our imaginations are adept at focusing & motivating us when it comes to fear. Fear has a very different effect on players then, for example, deception which is used in Among Us and One Night Werewolf. In D&D, fear pushes us out of the rational and self-conscious, into the emotional, subconscious, and imaginary—which helps ground us in the world and in our characters. If your DM has described the unnerving sound a troll’s tongue makes as it wraps around someone’s intestines, maybe you’ve felt your own shoulders start to tighten as your hero reaches for their sword. 

One of my favorite things to do as a DM is to use small sensory details to build mystery and tell their imaginations that something’s not right (a villain that acts a bit too casual, a dungeon that smells sweet, a vegan lizardfolk, etc.). This becomes really cool because not only does it bring your characters in physically, but it also engages them mentally by making them figure out what does it mean—which in turn engages their imagination. 

However, players need to be able to trust their DM and feel safe in order to let their imaginations run wild, which means trust, safety, and communication need to be well established. Personally, I’m a big fan of the “before, during, after” model, where at every step there’s an opportunity for players to communicate what’s working and what’s not. 

Before you introduce sensitive or intense content, RPG consent checklists (like this one) work great. In-game tools for players to stop, switch, and communicate discomfort are fantastic (like the consent flower). Individual check-ins after an intense session go a long way to show your players that you care. I also love doing campaign check-ins each level-up to give players a chance to give feedback and start conversations. More tools are linked below!

Fear is exciting with D&D because it makes our adventures & alter egos feel more real. But just like you wouldn’t want the knives at a haunted house to be sharpened, your players need to know they’re getting into before they can face their monsters. What other tools have you used playing RPG’s? When have you felt most engaged at D&D table? What DO you do if you meet a vegan lizardfolk? Let us know down below or on our Facebook, Instagram or Twitter!

Tools to Explore:

Safety Tools by Golden Lasso Games

Accessible and Inclusive Gaming

The Support Flower (download)

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Board games are about human interaction. They require multiple people working together, sitting around a communal area, talking and laughing and generally having a grand ‘ole time. Unfortunately, these are all things that COVID-19 took away from us. Some games can be played online– I myself enjoyed a few Tabletop Simulator games of Terraforming Mars, and they were quite delightful. We even coded a Tabletop Simulator for Factions of Sol. However, my favorite board games—Secret Hitler and One Night Werewolf—are not as transferable to a digital space. They require an intricate intuition about the social situation and of course, deception. Which… is difficult to get over a Discord call.

So, when I heard about Among Us!, I was ecstatic.

Games that use Deception

Among Us!, if you’re not aware, is a video game in which you and your friends are little astronauts working on a ship. However, one or two of you is actually an alien trying to kill everyone else. It’s basically a spruced-up One Night Werewolf in a digital space. The game exploded practically overnight and has millions of downloads. It wasn’t a perfect substitute for a late-night game of Secret Hitler, but it was incredibly close. And it had cute little space people. 

However, the popularity of the game led me to ask a big question: Why do we love games in which the entire goal is to lie and deceive? I consider myself a decent person, but the thrill that runs through me when I draw Werewolf is unmatched. Having thought about it, I’ve come up with 5 possible reasons we love board games that require deception.

1. Deception means we can be mean with no consequences

It’s not the most positive of reasons, but it’s true. Sometimes we like to be the bad guy. Getting to be the person that stabs everyone in the back can be a fun experience, as long as the consequences are limited to the game. It’s the only acceptable time I can call my friend a dirty liar knowing full well that I’m the one with blood on my hands.

2. We want to see how well we can lie

For people with a solid moral compass, there are so few opportunities to lie in real life. When else am I going to get a chance to lie to my five closest friends? When I’m a Fascist in Secret Hitler, I rehearse my lines in my head. I scan every reaction to see how well I’m doing. It’s not a skill I get to use in daily life– so why not practice in the morally grey area of a board game?

3. We enjoy puzzles

If you’re not the Impostor, you’ll likely spend your time watching everyone else and seeing who looks “sus.” It’s a puzzle in which every movement or word can give you a clue. When you’ve spent the game observing and you’re 99% sure you know who it is, all you want is to know if you’re right or wrong.

4. We want to prove we know our friends

I can’t tell you how many times I’ve entered a game of deception saying something along the lines of, “Don’t even try, I can read you like a book!” I know exactly who will crack with a little bit of pressure. I know who talks more when they’re guilty and who stays quiet. We enter these games fully assured that our friends are open books and we are locked down tight.

5. We like being right and proving others wrong

To me, this is the biggest reason we love these games. Once we’ve gathered our evidence, solidified our suspicions, and made our arguments, we get to know who was right and who was wrong. Honest, I don’t care who wins or loses a game like Among Us! or Secret Hitler. All that matters is that I did my homework and came to the right conclusion.

Do you like games with deception?

Are there any other board games of this variety that you love? Do you have a particular favorite? What’s your best deception game story? Please let me know in the comments below or contact us on our Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter.

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