Insider (2016) Board Game – Board Game Guys

Insider is a party game that was released in 2016 by Oink Games. It was designed by Akihiro Itoh, Kwaji, Daichi Okano, and Kito Shinma, with artwork by Jun Sasaki. The game falls under the categories of bluffing, deduction, party game, and word game, and is suitable for players aged 9 and above.

Game Components of Insider

Role cards (Master, Insider, Commons)

Word cards with multiple words on each

Sand timer (approximately five minutes)

Player tokens or markers

How To Setup Insider

To set up the game, players are dealt role cards: one Master, one Insider, and the rest as Commons. The Master reveals a word card to the Insider while everyone’s eyes are closed. The Master then hides the word, and all players open their eyes to begin the game. The setup involves shuffling the role cards and ensuring the Insider’s identity remains secret.

Gameplay Mechanics and Game Objective

Roles: One player is the Master, one is the Insider, and the rest are Commons.

Questioning: Players ask yes/no questions to guess the word within a five-minute time limit.

Insider’s Goal: The Insider must guide the group to the correct answer without revealing their identity.

Group’s Goal: Guess the word and then identify the Insider.

Winning Conditions: If the group guesses the word, they discuss and vote on who they think the Insider is. If they correctly identify the Insider, they win; otherwise, the Insider wins. If the group fails to guess the word within the time limit, everyone loses.

Player Experience

Insider is a highly engaging and dynamic game that encourages active participation and social interaction. The game’s short duration of about 15 minutes makes it ideal for parties or quick gaming sessions. Players must balance asking the right questions with avoiding suspicion, creating a fun and suspenseful atmosphere. The game requires medium-difficulty clues to maintain excitement and challenge.

Pros

Highly Engaging: The game’s social deduction and word-guessing mechanics make it very compelling.

Portable: The game is compact and easy to carry.

Quick Setup: Simple and quick to set up and play.

Versatile: Suitable for a wide age range (9 and up) and player count (4-8).

Social Dynamics: Encourages cooperation, confrontation, and strategic communication.

Cons

Dependence on Clue Quality: The game’s success can be fragile if the clues are too easy or too hard.

Tracking Player Questions: Keeping track of who asks what questions can be challenging, especially in a free-for-all questioning format.

Quiet Players: Players who are naturally quiet may not be suspected as the Insider, affecting game balance.

Personal Thoughts on Insider

Insider is perfect for groups looking for a quick, engaging, and socially interactive game. It is ideal for parties or gatherings where you want to encourage teamwork and deduction. While it may not be as complex as some other social deduction games, its simplicity and minimalism make it very accessible. However, it does require a certain level of player engagement and attention to detail to fully enjoy. If you’re looking for a game that combines strategy, social deduction, and word-guessing in a fun and compact package, Insider is a great choice.

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