How to play Insider (20 Questions meets Werewolf/Mafia)

You will need: At least 4 players (aged approximately 9 or older),

some cards (almost any will do), paper, something to write with,

and a timer. (The game takes ~15 minutes to play.)

Each player gets a card, which will tell them whether they are the Master, the Insider, or neither. (You will need to designate

2 different special cards and some ordinary cards – for example,

you can use a red Ace, a black Ace, and a bunch of non-Ace cards.)

The Master announces themselves, and the other players close

their eyes while the Master writes down a noun (which the other

players are going to try to guess later). The Master then closes

their eyes and tells the Insider to open theirs. The Insider

opens their eyes, sees what the noun is, and closes their eyes.

The Master then opens their eyes, puts the paper away,

and tells everyone else opens their eyes.

A 5-minute timer is started, and the players ask the Master

yes-or-no questions about the noun, trying to guess what it

is before the timer runs out. (If they haven’t identified the

noun by then, everyone loses, so it is in the Insider’s interest

to make sure that they point the others in the right direction.)

Once the item is identified, the timer is flipped back over and

the players – Master included – have that much time to discuss

who they think is the Insider. Once the time runs out, they vote

(at the same time, by raising or lowering their thumbs) on

whether the person who made the correct guess is the Insider.

If the majority think that player is the Insider, that player

reveals their card; if they are the Insider, everyone else wins,

but if not, only the Insider wins.

If the majority doesn’t think that player was the Insider,

everyone points at the player they think is the Insider,

and the player with the most fingers pointed at them reveals

their card. If they are the Insider, everyone else wins, but

if not, only the Insider wins.