Objective of the Game

Welcome to the thrilling world of Secret Hitler! Set in pre-WWII Germany, this game plunges you into a tense political landscape where players are German politicians trying to keep a fragile Liberal government alive and resist the rising tide of Fascism. But here's the kicker: there are secret Fascists among you, and one player is the notorious Secret Hitler!

At the start, each player is secretly assigned one of three roles: Liberal, Fascist, or Hitler. The Liberals have the majority, but they're flying blind, unsure of anyone's true allegiance. Fascists, on the other hand, know Hitler's identity from the get-go and must use secrecy and sabotage to achieve their goals. Hitler, playing for the Fascist team, doesn't know who the other Fascists are and must work to figure them out.

So, what's the ultimate goal?

• The Liberal team wins if either:
  • Five Liberal Policies are enacted.
  • Hitler is assassinated.
• The Fascist team wins if either:
  • Six Fascist Policies are enacted.
  • Hitler is elected Chancellor any time after the third Fascist Policy has been enacted.

Whenever a Fascist Policy is enacted, the government gains power, and the President is granted a one-time power. Even Liberal players might be tempted to enact a Fascist Policy to gain these potent abilities!

Preparation (Setup)

Let's get this political drama set up! Here’s how to prepare your game of Secret Hitler:

1. Choose the Fascist Track: Select the Fascist track that matches your player count and place it next to any Liberal track.
2. Prepare the Policy Deck: Take the 11 Fascist Policy tiles and the 6 Liberal Policy tiles. Shuffle them together to create a single Policy deck and place it face down on the Draw pile card.
3. Fill the Envelopes: You'll need one envelope for each player. Each envelope should contain:
   • One Secret Role card (Liberal, Fascist, or Hitler).
   • One corresponding Party Membership card (Liberal or Fascist). Remember, Hitler's Party Membership card shows Fascist loyalty but gives no hint of a special role! This is crucial for the investigation mechanic.
   • One Ja! Ballot card.
   • One Nein Ballot card.

   Important: Liberal Secret Role cards must always be paired with a Liberal Party Membership card. Fascist and Hitler Secret Role cards must always be paired with a Fascist Party Membership card. Make sure you have the correct number of ordinary Fascists in addition to Hitler based on your player count!

4. Distribute Envelopes: Once all envelopes are filled, shuffle them thoroughly so each player's role is a secret! Each player then receives one envelope at random.
5. Examine Roles in Secret: All players should secretly examine their Secret Role cards.
6. Acknowledge Roles (Eyes Closed!):
   • For 5-6 players:
     1. Everybody close your eyes.
     2. Fascist and Hitler, open your eyes and acknowledge each other. (Pause)
     3. Everyone close your eyes.
     4. Everyone can open your eyes.
   • For 7-10 players:
     1. Everybody close your eyes and extend your hand into a fist in front of you.
     2. All Fascists who are NOT Hitler should open their eyes and acknowledge each other.
     3. Hitler - keep your eyes closed but put your thumb out into a thumbs-up gesture.
     4. Fascists, take note of who has an extended thumb - that player is Hitler. (Pause)
     5. Everyone close your eyes and put your hands down.
     6. Everyone can open your eyes.
7. First Presidential Candidate: Randomly select the first Presidential Candidate and give that player both the President placard and the Chancellor placard.

The Turn of Play (Gameplay)

Secret Hitler is played in rounds, each consisting of three main phases:

1. Election: Forming a government.
2. Legislative Session: Enacting a new Policy.
3. Executive Action: Exercising governmental power (if applicable).

Election

This is where the political maneuvering begins!

1. Pass the Presidential Candidacy: At the start of a new round, the President placard moves clockwise to the next player. This player is the new Presidential Candidate.
2. Nominate a Chancellor: The Presidential Candidate chooses a Chancellor Candidate by passing the Chancellor placard to any other eligible player. Discussion is encouraged to build consensus and get the government elected!

   Eligibility Rules:

   • The last elected President and Chancellor are "term-limited" and cannot be nominated as Chancellor Candidate.
   • Term limits apply to the *last elected* pair, not just the last nominated pair.
   • Term limits only affect Chancellor nominations; anyone can be President, even the last Chancellor.
   • In a 5-player game, only the last elected Chancellor is ineligible for Chancellor Candidate; the last President may be nominated.
3. Vote on the Government: Once a Presidential Candidate and an eligible Chancellor Candidate are chosen, players can discuss. When everyone is ready, all players (including the candidates) vote simultaneously by revealing their Ja! Ballot card or Nein Ballot card. Votes are public!
   • If the vote fails (tie or majority votes no): The Presidential Candidate misses their chance. The President placard moves clockwise to the next player. The Election Tracker advances by one.
     • Election Tracker: If three governments are rejected in a row, chaos ensues! The top Policy tile from the deck is immediately revealed and enacted. Any power granted by this Policy is ignored. The Election Tracker resets, term-limits are forgotten, and all players become eligible for Chancellor in the next Election. If fewer than three tiles remain in the Policy deck, shuffle them with the Discard pile to create a new deck.
   • If a majority of players votes yes: The Presidential Candidate and Chancellor Candidate become the new President and Chancellor.
     • Check for Hitler Win: If three or more Fascist Policies have already been enacted, ask if the new Chancellor is Hitler. If yes, the game ends, and the Fascists win! Otherwise, other players now know the Chancellor is not Hitler.

   Proceed to the Legislative Session.

Legislative Session

The newly elected President and Chancellor work in secret to enact a new Policy.

1. The President draws the top three Policy tiles from the Policy deck and looks at them in secret.
2. The President discards one tile face down into the Discard pile.
3. The President passes the remaining two tiles to the Chancellor, who looks at them in secret.
4. The Chancellor discards one Policy tile face down and enacts the remaining Policy by placing the tile face up on the corresponding track.

Crucial Rule: Verbal and nonverbal communication between the President and Chancellor is strictly forbidden during this phase. Don't try to signal what policies you have or want! Discarded Policy tiles are never revealed to the group; players must rely on the word of the President and Chancellor, who are free to lie!

If fewer than three tiles remain in the Policy deck at the end of the session, shuffle them with the Discard pile to create a new deck.

• If a Fascist Policy that grants a Presidential Power was enacted, proceed to Executive Action.
• If a Liberal Policy or a Fascist Policy that grants no power was enacted, a new round begins with a new Election.

Executive Action

If the newly enacted Fascist Policy grants a Presidential Power, the President *must* use it before the next round. The President can discuss with other players but makes the final decision. Powers are single-use.

Presidential Powers:

• Investigate Loyalty: The President chooses a player to investigate. That player secretly hands their Party Membership card (not Secret Role card!) to the President, who checks their loyalty and returns the card. The President can share (or lie about!) the results. No player can be investigated twice.
• Call Special Election: The President chooses any other player to be the next Presidential Candidate by passing them the President placard. This player then nominates a Chancellor Candidate, and the Election proceeds normally. After a Special Election, the President placard returns to the player to the left of the President who enacted the Special Election.
• Policy Peek: The President secretly looks at the top three tiles in the Policy deck and returns them to the top in the same order.
• Execution: The President executes one player by saying "I formally execute [player name]."
  • If the executed player is Hitler, the game ends in a Liberal victory!
  • If not Hitler, the table does not learn their role. Executed players are removed from the game and cannot speak, vote, or run for office.

Veto Power

This special rule comes into play after five Fascist Policies have been enacted. From this point on, the Executive branch gains a permanent ability: if both the Chancellor and President agree, they can discard all three Policy tiles.

Here's how it works:

1. The President draws three Policy tiles, discards one, and passes the remaining two to the Chancellor as usual.
2. Instead of enacting a Policy, the Chancellor can say, "I wish to veto this agenda."
3. If the President consents by saying, "I agree to the veto," both Policies are discarded, and the President placard passes to the left as usual.
4. If the President does not consent, the Chancellor must enact a Policy normally.

Each use of the Veto Power represents an inactive government and advances the Election Tracker by one.

End of Game and Scoring

The game of Secret Hitler ends immediately when one of the victory conditions is met:

• Liberal Victory:
  • Five Liberal Policies are enacted.
  • Hitler is assassinated.
• Fascist Victory:
  • Six Fascist Policies are enacted.
  • Hitler is elected Chancellor any time after the third Fascist Policy has been enacted.

There's no complex scoring; it's a clear win or loss for one of the teams!

Tips for Winning

Ready to jump into the political fray? Here are a few pointers to help you navigate the tricky waters of Secret Hitler:

• Everyone Claims Liberal: Unless you're trying to throw the game, everyone should claim to be a Liberal. As a Fascist, there's no upside to outing yourself early. Liberals should generally tell the truth to piece together the puzzle, as lying can put their team at a disadvantage.
• Hitler's Deception: If you're Hitler, remember to play as Liberal as possible! Enact Liberal Policies, vote for Liberal governments, and build trust. Your fellow Fascists will create opportunities for you to advance Fascism. The Fascists often win by electing Hitler, not just by enacting six Policies, so gaining the Liberals' trust is paramount. Avoid lying or getting into fights, as you need their votes when the time comes.
• Question Everything: Liberals benefit from slowing down and discussing information, while Fascists thrive on rushing votes and creating confusion. Always ask other players to explain their actions, especially when Presidential Powers are used. If a Fascist Policy is enacted, there are only three culprits: the President, the Chancellor, or the Policy Deck. Try to figure out who (or what!) is responsible!