Insider

Insider takes the classic feel of 20 Questions and slips a hidden role into the middle of it.

One player is the Master, who knows the secret word. The rest of the players ask yes-or-no questions, trying to figure out the answer before time runs out. But one player is secretly the Insider. They also know the answer, and their job is to gently steer the group toward the right word without being too obvious.

If the group fails to guess the word, everyone loses. If they guess it, the table then has to figure out who the Insider was. So the Insider is walking a tiny social tightrope: help too little and the group may fail, help too much and everyone will point at you like you just knocked over a vase.

It’s quick, clever, and very easy to teach. Insider is a social deduction party game that works especially well with groups who like conversation, suspicion, and games where someone eventually says, “Wait a second… you knew way too much.”

Insider plays 4–8 players, takes about 15 minutes, and is recommended for ages 9+. It was designed by Akihiro Itoh, Kwaji, Daichi Okano, and Kito Shinma, and published by Oink Games.

What We Think

We haven’t played Insider yet, but this has a very appealing pitch: a word-guessing game mixed with hidden-role deduction.

We like that the game gives the hidden player a tricky job. They are not just trying to sabotage the group. They actually need the group to succeed, but in a way that doesn’t expose them. That makes the table talk feel important, because every helpful question can suddenly become suspicious.

This looks like a great small-box party game for people who enjoy 20 Questions, social deduction, and quick rounds where the fun comes from reading the room.

Why You Might Like It

You might like Insider if you enjoy hidden roles, word games, party games, bluffing, or deduction games that don’t require a long rules explanation.

It should be a good fit for casual game nights, larger groups, and players who like games where the best clue might also be the most suspicious one. A tiny box full of questions, side-eyes, and conversational trapdoors.