Are we controlled by what we hear and what we see, even while thinking we decide freely?

"Insider“ is a game that deals with these questions. While communicating to others you have to find the right answers to a quiz and also find the "Insider" that is manipulating the discussion. The Insider will do everything to hide their identity while misleading the others.

 

 

Staff Recommendation

 

"Insider is the smart party game I always wanted. A simple and clever premise, easy graphical rulebook, and well styled components means it always makes it into my bag when I'm heading out. In the age of Covid, it's a rare game that just works online.

Everybody has five minutes to ask the Master Yes/No/Maybe questions to discover a secret: "Do I probably own one?" "Could I hold it in one hand?" "Does it taste good?".

One player, however, has something to hide. Randomly assigned to be the Insider, they got a peek at the secret before guessing began.  Not even the Master knows who the Insider is. Their role is to guide the others to the answer before time runs out. If their questions are too insightful, they will be revealed. Too subtle and the Commons (the other guessers) might never find the answer at all, meaning everyone loses!"

This means every question is evidence for later accusation, and making the correct guess can be a death sentence for the unwary. After the answer is guessed and a brief discussion ensues, we all vote. If the insider hides, they win, but if we find them, everyone else does!

Small design choices like a brilliant deck of cards for producing secrets or an elegant voting system elevate this game (in my eyes) from a 9 to a 10. This is one of my desert island games."