Basics

Tags: Deduction, Memory, Bluffing
Difficulty: 8 out of 10
Players: 2-4
Play Time: 10-20 Minutes
Learn Time: 1-2 Minutes

Last Updated: Aug 25, 2025

Overview

A social deduction + logic game where players must discover each other’s hidden cards. The twist: some players are pathological liars and must always lie, while others are honest and must always tell the truth.

Setup

  1. Each player draws 1 card at random from the deck and keeps it secret.

  2. Each player flips a coin in secret:

    • Heads → Honest person (must always tell the truth).

    • Tails → Pathological liar (must always lie).

Gameplay

  • Players take turns asking yes-or-no questions about other players’ hidden cards.

  • Honest players must answer truthfully.

  • Pathological liars must always lie.

  • With multiple players, you may direct your question to any one player.

Questions Types

  • All yes/no questions must be about the card itself, not about the person answering.

  • Legal examples:

    • “Is your card red?”

    • “Is your card higher than 7?”

    • “Is your card a face card?”

  • Illegal examples:

    • “Are you lying right now?”

    • “Are you honest?”

    • “Did you flip tails?”

Guessing

  • After any question, the questioning player may attempt to guess someone’s card, which must include the number (or face) and suit. The only time pathological liars must tell the truth is when someone is guessing their specific card.

  • If correct → The player who had their card guessed is eliminated. The player who guessed it correctly continues their turn with another question.

  • If incorrect → The guessing player loses one of their guesses, and it’s the next person’t turn. Each player is allowed 2 wrong guesses in total. After being wrong twice they are eliminated from the game.

  • If you don’t want to guess, you may pass to the next person instead.

Winning

  • The game ends when one player is left. They are the human lie detector.