Little Secret
Little Secret Rulebook
Table of Contents
Table of Contents
Object of the Game
The members of an international secret society hold meetings in different cities in order to verify the identity of the participants, using a password. Only the Disciples have the right password. Infiltrators and a Journalist are hiding among them. Unmask them without getting eliminated!
Components
- 170 cards, divided into 17 missions that will make you travel from Paris to New York.
- 9 Powers: to spice up your game (from 6 players).
Contents of a Mission
Each mission consists of:
- 5 Disciples: They all receive the same password. Their goal is to unmask the Infiltrators and the Journalist.
- 3 Infiltrators: They receive a password slightly different from that of the Disciples. Their goal is to pass themselves off as Disciples.
- 1 Secret Codes card: Lists the Disciples' passwords ("Here are the Disciples' Secret Codes"), in order to tell the Infiltrators and the Disciples apart.
- 1 Journalist: The Journalist receives no password. Their goal is to make everyone believe they have one, while trying to guess the Disciples' password.
The Disciples' cards all share the same color; the Infiltrators' cards have a different color.
Card Distribution
To tell the Disciples cards apart from the Infiltrators cards, both the passwords and the colors are different.
| Number of players | Number of Disciples | Number of Infiltrators | Number of Journalists |
|---|---|---|---|
| 3 | 2 | 1 | 0 |
| 4 | 3 | 1 | 0 |
| 5 | 3 | 1 | 1 |
| 6 | 4 | 1 | 1 |
| 7 | 4 | 2 | 1 |
| 8 | 5 | 2 | 1 |
| 9 | 5 |
Important
- Before each game, prepare 4 or 5 missions in advance by checking that each has the right number of Disciples and Infiltrators cards, as indicated in the table above.
- Players who hold a password must be careful not to give away too much precise information, so that the Journalist does not guess their password.
- The colors shown on the Disciples and Infiltrators cards change depending on the mission. This way, nobody knows their role.
Course of the Game
- The oldest player must choose the 4 or 5 missions you are going to play (count 10 minutes per mission).
- On one side of the table, they place the mission cards by selecting the right number of Disciples, Infiltrators and Journalist cards according to the table. For each mission, the passwords of the Disciples are of the same color as those of the "Secret Codes" card (this is easier that way).
- On another side of the table, they place the "Secret Codes" cards corresponding to the chosen missions (face down).
- The player to their left chooses one of the missions, deals one corresponding card to each player, and puts the corresponding "Secret Codes" card in the middle of the table (face down).
- After looking at their card, one of the players volunteers to start and chooses a number between 1 and 10.
- In turn, starting with the volunteer, each player gives a clue (a single word) that is the password matching the number chosen. The Journalist must therefore improvise. This is the moment to listen carefully in order to try to discover your role and that of the other players. You cannot give the same clue as another player, nor the password as a clue.
- Once all players have given a clue, it is time for a debate among you to decide who to eliminate (the player you think is a Journalist or an Infiltrator). Vote at the same time by pointing your finger.
- The player designated by the majority of votes is eliminated. (In case of a tie, play Rock Paper Scissors.)
- If it was the Journalist, they then get a chance to guess the Disciples' password. They say it out loud, then it is checked on the "Secret Codes" card. If they succeed, the game stops and they score 3 points. If they fail, the game continues.
- If it was not the Journalist, they discreetly look at the "Secret Codes" card and announce to the other players whether they were a Disciple (it is the same word as on the "Secret Codes" card) or an Infiltrator (it is a different word).
- The next round begins with the player to the left of the eliminated player, and so on, until all the Infiltrators and the Journalist have been eliminated or only 2 players remain.
Variant (from 6 players)
To spice up the game, randomly distribute to all players one Power card: the enraged, the sage, the revenant, the dictator, the novice, the elder, and the adepts. The cards must be placed face up in front of each player, who must act accordingly.
Bonus
If you have the soul of a Journalist, find inside the box: the Grand Master, the Revenant's Blade, the Elder's Pipe, and the Secret Symbol.