History Main / SocialDeductionGame

* This occurred in the first episode of ''Series/WhoWantsToBeASuperhero.'' Ostensibly, people who'd created their own superhero identities were chosen as contestants for the show, including one bearded man named "Rotriart." After the group all met each other for a cocktail hour and headed for the manor where they'd be staying, this hero revealed that "[[SdrawkcabName Rotiart spelled backwards is 'TRAITOR!'"]], and that he'd been planted as TheMole to trick the group into exposing some less-than-ideal secrets, which in turn led to the first elimination ''before the game had technically begun.'' Needless to say, the other contestants immediately realized that they were in for a tougher challenge than expected.

''TabletopGame/Werewolf1986'' is the TropeCodifier and many games follow this template: there's a secret killer hidden within the group, and the rest have to figure out who it is before all TenLittleMurderVictims are offed [[DwindlingParty one by one]]. However, there are many ways to expand and complicate the Social Deduction Game, such as by adding more teams, roles, and various other mechanics, or by [[GenreMashup mixing it with other genres]]. Some games have this as an optional or random aspect of the larger gameplay.

* ''TabletopGame/Werewolf1986'' and its predecessor ''Mafia'' are the TropeCodifier. Players are assigned various 'civilian' roles (some of whom have special abilities) and there's at least one killer, who offs one villager during the night each round. During the day the rest have to figure out who it is, and can choose to execute someone they suspect is the werewolf (although the werewolf/mafioso can misdirect them as well). The werewolf/mafioso wins if he kills all (or all but a couple) of villagers; the civilians win if they successfully identify the killer.
* ''TabletopGame/TheWerewolvesOfMillersHollow'' is a more complex version of ''TabletopGame/Werewolf1986'', with more roles and cards. The premise is still a Social Deduction Game, however, as villagers have to root out the werewolf who is killing them by voting on who they think it is.

* ''VisualNovel/{{Gnosia}}'' is essentially ''TabletopGame/Werewolf1986'' in space. The Gnosia are infected humans who will kill everyone on the space ship if they are not discovered and confined to cold sleep. Unfortunately for the crew, sometimes there will be a human who worships the Gnosia and is willing to lie for their sakes, and it is also discovered that [[spoiler:sometimes a human is a "Bug" who will destroy the universe if they are not confined by the time either the crew or Gnosia claim victory]].

* ''VisualNovel/RagingLoop'' is about a village that must deduce who among them are [[TabletopGame/Werewolf1986 werewolves]] and execute them before they are all killed. Notably, each of its three routes have you play different roles, with the first route being a normal villager (though the main character notably isn't active in this due to outside circumstances, you still see the entire thing unfold), the Snake (which functions as the Seer), and lastly as a wolf.

* ''TabletopGame/{{Werewolf}}'' and its predecessor ''Mafia'' are the TropeCodifier. Players are assigned various 'civilian' roles (some of whom have special abilities) and there's at least one killer, who offs one villager during the night each round. During the day the rest have to figure out who it is, and can choose to execute someone they suspect is the werewolf (although the werewolf/mafioso can misdirect them as well). The werewolf/mafioso wins if he kills all (or all but a couple) of villagers; the civilians win if they successfully identify the killer.

''TabletopGame/{{Werewolf}}'' is the TropeCodifier and many games follow this template: there's a secret killer hidden within the group, and the rest have to figure out who it is before all TenLittleMurderVictims are offed [[DwindlingParty one by one]]. However, there are many ways to expand and complicate the Social Deduction Game, such as by adding more teams, roles, and various other mechanics, or by [[GenreMashup mixing it with other genres]]. Some games have this as an optional or random aspect of the larger gameplay.

* ''TabletopGame/TheWerewolvesOfMillersHollow'' is a more complex version of ''TabletopGame/{{Werewolf}}'', with more roles and cards. The premise is still a Social Deduction Game, however, as villagers have to root out the werewolf who is killing them by voting on who they think it is.

* ''VisualNovel/{{Gnosia}}'' is essentially ''TabletopGame/{{Werewolf}}'' in space. The Gnosia are infected humans who will kill everyone on the space ship if they are not discovered and confined to cold sleep. Unfortunately for the crew, sometimes there will be a human who worships the Gnosia and is willing to lie for their sakes, and it is also discovered that [[spoiler:sometimes a human is a "Bug" who will destroy the universe if they are not confined by the time either the crew or Gnosia claim victory]].

* ''VisualNovel/RagingLoop'' is about a village that must deduce who among them are [[TabletopGame/{{Werewolf}} werewolves]] and execute them before they are all killed. Notably, each of its three routes have you play different roles, with the first route being a normal villager (though the main character notably isn't active in this due to outside circumstances, you still see the entire thing unfold), the Snake (which functions as the Seer), and lastly as a wolf.

A social deduction game's premise is simple: there are at least two teams with contrary goals. One of these teams is often smaller, villainous, hidden within the larger group, and working together to achieve some nefarious goal such as sabotage or [[KillEmAll killing the other players]]. The other players then have to figure out who the traitors are. This is often done through some WitchHunt-esque combination of questioning, catching them in the act, or [[VotedOffTheIsland voting them off]], while the traitors avoid suspicion by deflecting, bluffing, or [[BitchInSheepsClothing pretending to be innocent]].

See also AsymmetricMultiplayer and VariablePlayerGoals.

* ''VideoGame/TownOfSalem'' has three factions: the Townies (who must survive to the end of the game but don't know who the other townies are), the Mafia (who want to kill everyone and ''do'' know who their teammates are), and the neutral parties (who have their own individual win conditions). Townies and Mafias can only win if the other party all dies. Each day, the townspeople vote on who to lynch.

* ''VideoGame/UnfortunateSpacemen'' combines this with FirstPersonShooter and a touch of SurvivalHorror with its main Shapeshifter game mode. One player is the Monster who is disguised as a human and is trying to eliminate the Spacemen. The Spacemen need to complete tasks in order to call a rescue shuttle to escape, while being on the lookout for suspicious activity so that they could vote off the imposter at set intervals of time; they could also try to kill the Monster if they find it, but as he Monster is significantly stronger than any one Spaceman ganging up on it with heavier weapons is pretty much necessary. There is also a Traitor available that is biologically a human but works against the Spacemen in their own way, like sabotaging equipment.
* ''Untrusted - Web of Cybercrime'' has three factions: NETSEC (a group of hackers, who in order to win, must either complete a hacking task in a hacking minigame, or eliminate all agents - they have numbers, but do not know each other), the AGENTS (who can win by tricking the hackers into giving them control, or by arresting/killing all NETSEC), and the neutral classes (who have their own individual win conditions and can very often side with either). The game includes a hacking minigame, where hacking actions are performed during days and actions toward other players similar to other games (occupations, etc.) are performed during the night.

* ''Franchise/{{Danganronpa}}'' is a single-player example. The games are divided into chapters, and in each chapter one of the students will commit murder, forcing the rest of the characters to investigate and then take part in a Class Trial: If they get the murderer right, the murderer is executed, if they get them wrong, everyone ''but'' the murderer is killed off.

* ''TabletopGame/ShadowsOverCamelot'' is primarily a cooperative game, but there's a chance (proportionate to the number of players) that one player is a traitor trying to destroy Camelot. The loyal knights don't need to expose the traitor to win, but their final score is reduced by two points if they fail to, which can mean a last-minute defeat.

* ''TabletopGame/DeadOfWinter'' is a ZombieApocalypse survival horror board game, where players work together to gather supplies, resolve crises and protect their colony from zombies. However each player also has a special victory condition, unique to them, and some of these can require them working to sabotage the colony without the other players realising they're a traitor.

* ''Push the Button'' in ''VideoGame/TheJackboxPartyPack 6'' is a sci-fi themed game set on a space shuttle. Players have a set amount of time to deduce who among them are aliens in disguise through a series of tests. Aliens are given different prompts during these tests, so they must attempt to blend in with the humans. The humans win if they successfully guess which players are aliens and [[ThrownOutTheAirlock jettison them]], while the aliens win if the humans run out of time or vote attempts, or they trick the humans into throwing one of their own out the airlock.

* ''VideoGame/Untrusted - Web of Cybercrime'' has three factions: NETSEC (a group of hackers, who in order to win, must either complete a hacking task in a hacking minigame, or eliminate all agents - they have numbers, but do not know each other), the AGENTS (who can win by tricking the hackers into giving them control, or by arresting/killing all NETSEC), and the neutral classes (who have their own individual win conditions and can very often side with either). The game includes a hacking minigame, where hacking actions are performed during days and actions toward other players similar to other games (occupations, etc.) are performed during the night.

* The ''VideoGame/SecretNeighbor'' SpinOff of ''VideoGame/HelloNeighbor has players control one of a group of children attempting to rescue their friend from the basement. However, one of them is actually the Neighbor in disguise trying to pick off the children one by one before they can figure out which one is taking them out.

[[folder:Visual Novel]]

* ''VisualNovel/{{Raging Loop}}'' is about a village that must deduce who among them are [[TabletopGame/Werewolf werewolves]] and execute them before they are all killed. Notably, each of its three routes have you play different roles, with the first route being a normal villager (though the main character notably isn't active in this due to outside circumstances, you still see the entire thing unfold), the Snake (which functions as the Seer), and lastly as a wolf.

A Muggus's premise is simple: the imposter is sus. One of these teams is often smaller, villainous, hidden within the larger group, and working together to achieve some nefarious goal such as sabotage or [[KillEmAll killing the other players]]. The other players then have to figure out who the traitors are. This is often done through some WitchHunt-esque combination of questioning, catching them in the act, or [[VotedOffTheIsland voting them off]], while the traitors avoid suspicion by deflecting, bluffing, or [[BitchInSheepsClothing pretending to be innocent]].

A social deduction game's premise is simple: there are at least two teams with contrary goals. One of these teams is often smaller, villainous, hidden within the larger group, and working together to achieve some nefarious goal such as sabotage or [[KillEmAll killing the other players]]. The other players then have to figure out who the traitors are. This is often done through some WitchHunt-esque combination of questioning, catching them in the act, or [[VotedOffTheIsland voting them off]], while the traitors avoid suspicion by deflecting, bluffing, or [[BitchInSheepsClothing pretending to be innocent]].

* ''VideoGame/AmongUs'' features a bunch of AmbiguouslyHuman creatures scurrying around a spaceship/research station/space station, with at least one "Impostor" among them. The crewmates run around the maps and do maintenance tasks, while the impostor blends among them and tries to sabotage the facility and kill them all without anyone noticing or suspecting them during team meetings. The impostor(s) win if crewmates no longer outnumber them, making victory a mathematical certainty; the crewmates win if they finish all their tasks (including ghosts of dead crewmates) or eliminate all the impostors. Impostors have access to features that let them kill more effectively, such as using air vents to [[WarpWhistle relocate instantly]] across the map; but of course being caught diving in or popping out of a vent by a crewmate is a death sentence.

* ''VideoGame/AmongUs'' features a bunch of AmbiguouslyHuman creatures scurrying around a spaceship/research station/space station, with at least one "Impostor" among them. The crewmates run around the maps and do maintenance tasks, while the impostor blends among them and tries to sabotage the facility and kill them all without anyone noticing or suspecting them during team meetings. The impostor(s) win if crewmates no longer outnumber them; the crewmates win if they finish all their tasks (including ghosts of dead crewmates) or eliminate all the impostors.

* In ''VisualNovel/HighSchoolStory'' Book 3 Chapter 15, a [[BribingYourWayToVictory premium]] scene allows Jordan and their friends to have an afterparty for the prom where they play "Mafia." [[spoiler: Maria is the mafia.]]
* ''VisualNovel/{{Raging Loop}}'' is about a village that must deduce who among them are monsters and execute them before they are all killed.

* ''Franchise/{{Danganronpa}}'' is a single-player example. The games are divided into chapters, and in each chapter one of the students will commit murder, forcing the rest of the characters to investigate and then take part in a Class Trial: If they get the murderer right, the murderer is executed, if they get them wrong, everyone ''but'' the murderer is killed off.

* In ''VisualNovel/HighSchoolStory'' Book 3 Chapter 15, a [[BribingYourWayToVictory premium]] scene allows Jordan and their friends to have an afterparty for the prom where they play "Mafia." [[spoiler: Maria is the mafia.]]

* ''VisualNovel/{{Raging Loop}}'' is about a village that must deduce who among them are monsters and execute them before they are all killed.

* ''VideoGame/TroubleInTerroristTown'', one of the built-in game modes for ''VideoGame/GarrysMod'', features a terrorist faction in which some members have turned on the cause and aim to kill everyone else. Traitors know who their teammates are, but the terrorist cell at large does not. Meanwhile, innocent players must piece together who the traitors are from corpses left behind and their interactions with other players, with the Detective role -- designed to help weed out traitors -- randomly assigned to a single player.

* ''Series/TheMole'' is a spy-themed reality-tv show where the contestants work together to complete various tasks to earn a cash prize that only one of them will win. One of the contestants, however, is TheMole, a double agent hired by the producers themselves to sabotage the group's missions and keep money from the pot. At the end of each episode, the contestants take a quiz on The Mole's identity. The player with the lowest score is [[EliminatedFromTheRace "Executed" and leaves the game.]] The winner is the player who survives all elimination rounds and figures out who The Mole is on the final quiz.

* ''Series/TheMole'' is a spy-themed reality-tv show where the contestants work together to complete various tasks to earn a cash prize that only one of them will win. One of the contestants, however, is TheMole, a double agent hired by the producers themselves to sabotage the group's missions and keep money from the pot. At the end of each episode, the contestants take a quiz on The Mole's identity. The player with the lowest score is [[EliminatedFromTheRace "Executed"]] The winner is the player who survived all elimination rounds and figures out who The Mole is.

* ''Series/TheMole'' is a spy-themed reality-tv show where the contestants work together to complete various tasks to earn a cash prize that only one of them will win. One of the contestants, however, is TheMole, a double agent hired by the producers themselves to sabotage the group's missions and keep money from the pot. The winner is the player who survived all elimination rounds and figures out who The Mole is.

* ''VideoGame/{{Lost Dimension}}'' tasks the protagonist with ascending a pillar while determining which member of his group is the traitor on each floor.