Our family has really enjoyed watching BBC’s The Traitors these past few weeks, with much discussion centred on how the gameplay is very similar to certain deception board games we’ve played.
The Traitors is a reality TV game show featuring a group of strangers in a Scottish castle trying to guess which of them are ‘faithfuls’ and which are ‘traitors’. Think a cross between a Murder Mystery weekend and wink murder. The hit BBC reality show has proved to be a massive ratings hit.
If you’ve been watching The Traitors and thinking you’d love to play a similar sort of deception game at home with your friends or family, here are our recommendations for the best traitor board games.
The Best Traitor Board games
Welcome to the thrilling realm of traitor board games, where alliances are fragile, and deception reigns supreme. In this guide, we’ll explore the top picks for the best traitor board games, delving into the intricacies of hidden roles, secret alliances, and strategic betrayals.
Deception Board games that are like The Traitors
Avalon The Resistance
The Resistance: Avalon pits the forces of good and evil in a battle to control the future of civilization. Up to 10 players can get involved trying to deduce secret identities and ‘out’ the evil ‘Minions of Mordor’ in this fantasy deception game.
Deception – Murder in Hong Kong
Who among you can see through the lies? Who is capable of getting away with murder? In Deception: Murder in Hong Kong, one player is the Murderer, secretly choosing their weapon and the evidence they leave behind. Another is the Forensic Scientist who holds the key to convicting the criminal but is only able to express their knowledge through analysis of the scene. The rest are investigators, interpreting the clues to solve the crime – and the killer is among them. Investigators must collaborate and use their wits, their hunches, and their keen deductive insight to correctly identify the means of murder and the key evidence to convict the killer. The murderer must mislead and confuse the investigators to save themselves.
Blood The Clock Tower
In the quiet village of Ravenswood Bluff, a Demon is on the loose, murdering by night and disguised in human form
by day. Some players have scraps of information. Others have abilities that fight the evil or protect the innocent. But the Demon and its evil minions are spreading lies to confuse and breed suspicion.
Will the good townsfolk put the puzzle together in time to execute the true demon and save themselves? Or will evil overrun this once peaceful village?
5 – 20 people can play this murder mystery game. Blood on the Clocktower is one of the more pricier options at £100.
Night of the Ninja
Night of the Ninja is the perfect traitor game for parties at only 15-30 mins game time.
- Your mission is to kill the leader of your enemy’s ninja house…if you can figure out who they are!
- Each round, you choose your ninja role: a Spy or Mystic gains valuable information, but only an Assassin or Blind Assassin can cut down an opponent
- To win, you’ll have to trick your opponents, figure out who can’t be trusted, and fight for your house!
- 4 – 11 people can play Night of The Ninja
One Night Ultimate Werewolf
Another great party game option at only 10 minutes playing time. 3 – 10 players.
In Ultimate Werewolf, each player gets a unique role: A Werewolf, Seer, Troublemaker, or another, all with special abilities. After a secret night phase that includes changing roles, players have just 5 minutes to find a Werewolf.
Cheese Thief
Cheese Thief is a fast-paced social deduction game for 4-8 players in a fantasy themed world. Play either as one of normal sleepyheads dreaming about the taste of delicious cheese in tomorrow’s meal OR as the thief trying to steal away the cheese for his own belly. As a thief clever enough, you might have to make a cut to your fellow minions so as to sneak away successfully.
Feed The Kraken
Feed the Kraken is a hidden-role social deduction game for 5-11 players and plays in 45-90.
In Feed the Kraken each player secretly receives the role of either Sailor, Pirate or Cult Leader and uses all available means to plot the course of the ship towards their faction’s destination.
Coup
You are head of a family in an Italian city-state, a city run by a weak and corrupt court. You need to manipulate, bluff and bribe your way to power. Your object is to destroy the influence of all the other families, forcing them into exile. Only one family will survive.
2-6 players. 15 minute playing time.
The Thing: Infection at Outpost 31
In the hidden identity game The Thing: Infection at Outpost 31, you will relive John Carpenter’s sci-fi cult classic in a race to discover who among the team has been infected by this heinous lifeform. Play as one of twelve characters as you lead a series of investigations through the facility using supplies and equipment to clear the building. The tension mounts and paranoia ensues as you question who you can trust in the ultimate race to save humanity!
4-8 Players | Ages 17+ | 45-90 min Play Time.
Unfathomable
The year is 1913. The steamship SS Atlantica is two days out from port on its voyage across the Atlantic Ocean. Each game of Unfathomable has one or more players assuming the role of one of hybrid saboteur, and how well they can secretly impair the efforts of the other players might mean the difference between a successful voyage and a sunken ship.
Among Us
OK so this one isn’t a board game, but the online deception party game certainly deserves a nod.
Among Us is a party game of teamwork and betrayal for up to 15 players.
Among Us takes place in space-themed settings where players are colorful armless cartoon astronauts. Each player takes on one of two roles: most are Crewmates, but a small number play Impostors,[d] which appear identical to Crewmates. The goal of the Crewmates is to either identify and vote out the Impostors, or to complete all the tasks around the map; the goal of the Impostors is to covertly sabotage the mission either by killing the Crewmates before they complete all their tasks or by triggering a disaster that is not resolved in time.
Battlestar Galactica
At the heart of space-themed intrigue, Battlestar Galactica stands tall. This social deduction game throws players into the midst of a cosmic crisis, with a brilliant traitor mechanic lurking beneath the surface. Navigate hidden roles and reveal traitors while striving to fulfil the main goal — survival.
Secret Hitler
Delve into the political drama of Secret Hitler, a game that combines the paranoia of hidden roles with the intensity of a prize pot waiting to be claimed. As fellow players work together, the traitor mechanic adds a twist to the game’s objective, making every decision critical and every alliance suspect.
Avalon Hill Betrayal Legacy
Unearth the legacy of betrayal in this modular board game that evolves with each playthrough. As the scenario cards unveil new challenges, the traitor mechanic becomes a key element, turning allies into enemies in the blink of an eye. Navigate a haunted house, gather friends, and prepare for an unforgettable gaming experience.
The horror genre of the Avalon Hill board games make them the perfect Halloween board game.
Avalon Hill Betrayal at Baldur’s Gate
Embark on a horror-based adventure in the city of Baldur’s Gate, where betrayal and hidden roles take centre stage. This traitor’s board game features 50 scenarios for endless replayability.
The Traitor’s Board Game
Of course, there is now an official BBC The Traitors board game
Whether you’re a seasoned player or a newcomer to the world of social deduction games, these titles are sure to add an extra layer of excitement to your game nights.
More of our favourite board games
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