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.
1 thought on “5 Reasons We Love Deception: Among Us!, Werewolf, and Secret Hitler”
Totally agree! I personally love playing Among Us because there aren’t many games that give you the feeling of being a detective in the middle of a mystery. I’m still looking for that in a board game, though.
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