Secret Hitler plays 5 to 10 players, and the best player count is 8. It can’t be played with fewer than five. The number of Fascists, what Hitler knows and which presidential powers are in the game all change with the count.
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| Players | Liberals | Fascists | Hitler | Fascist team’s share of the table |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 5 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 40% |
| 6 | 4 | 1 | 1 | 33% |
| 7 | 4 | 2 | 1 | 43% |
| 8 | 5 | 2 | 1 | 38% |
| 9 | 5 | 3 | 1 | 44% |
| 10 | 6 | 3 | 1 | 40% |
The role numbers come from the table in the official Secret Hitler rules. The percentages are ours.
Odd Counts Are Harder for the Liberals
Each odd player count gives the Fascist team a bigger share of the table than the even count just above it: 40% at 5 against 33% at 6, 43% at 7 against 38% at 8, and 44% at 9 against 40% at 10. It matters because every election is a majority vote.
At 6 players the Liberals outnumber the Fascist team four to two. At 7 it’s four to three. One extra seat went to the Fascists, and the Liberals now need every one of their own votes to block a government. A tie fails the vote, according to the rules, which helps a little.
The Liberals have their biggest voting margin at 6 and their smallest at 9. If your group finds the Fascists win too often, play at an even number.
What Hitler Knows Changes at 7
The biggest rules change in the game happens between 6 and 7 players.
- 5 or 6 players: Hitler and the one other Fascist open their eyes at the start and see each other. They can work together from the first vote.
- 7 to 10 players: the ordinary Fascists see each other, and they see who Hitler is. Hitler keeps their eyes closed and learns nothing.
The common assumption: Hitler never knows who the Fascists are, because the rulebook overview says so.
What the setup steps say: that’s only true at 7 or more. At 5 and 6, the rules tell the Fascist and Hitler to “open your eyes and acknowledge each other.”
At the bigger counts, Hitler has to play like a Liberal, because Hitler really doesn’t know who to trust. The Fascists’ job is to get Hitler elected without Hitler knowing who is helping.
The Presidential Powers Change Too
There are three different Fascist boards, one for each pair of player counts. The powers printed on them are different.
| Fascist policy | 5–6 players | 7–8 players | 9–10 players |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1st | No power | No power | Investigate Loyalty |
| 2nd | No power | Investigate Loyalty | Investigate Loyalty |
| 3rd | Policy Peek | Call Special Election | Call Special Election |
| 4th | Execution | Execution | Execution |
| 5th | Execution, and the veto becomes available | Execution, and the veto becomes available | Execution, and the veto becomes available |
| 6th | Fascists win | Fascists win | Fascists win |
We read these from the boards in the publisher’s free print-and-play file, because the rulebook doesn’t list them by slot.
Small games have fewer powers. At 5 or 6, the first two Fascist policies do nothing extra, and nobody ever gets to investigate a player. At 9 or 10, the very first Fascist policy lets the President look at someone’s party card.
Why 8 Is the Best Count
Eight gives you the full game without the longest waits. It’s the count BoardGameGeek’s community poll rates best, along with 10.
Here’s what 8 gets you, from the tables above:
- Hitler doesn’t know the Fascists, so the Fascist team has to coordinate in the open.
- Five Liberals against three, which is a better margin for the Liberals than at 7 or 9.
- An Investigate power and a Special Election, which the 5–6 player board doesn’t have.
- Two fewer people than at 10, so each player gets to be President more often.
We’ve only played Secret Hitler a few times, so this recommendation rests on the rules and the poll, not on a long record of our own games.
Is Secret Hitler Good With 5 Players?
“Can you play Secret Hitler with 5?” Yes. It’s the minimum, and it’s the one count BoardGameGeek voters don’t recommend.
The reasons are in the rules. There are only two players on the Fascist team, and they know each other. There are no investigations. And one rule exists only for this count: when there are five players left, only the last elected Chancellor is term-limited, so the last President can be nominated as Chancellor straight away.
Worth knowing: that five-player rule is about how many players are left, not how many started. A seven-player game with two executions follows it too.
It works as a way to learn the game. For a regular five-player group, a game built for that size will hold up better.
Fewer Than 5, or More Than 10
Secret Hitler can’t be played with 2, 3 or 4. The box only has ten role cards, so it stops at 10 as well.
For two to six players who want bluffing, Coup plays in about 15 minutes. For a crowd larger than ten, Werewolf scales up, though it needs a moderator and eliminates players from the first round.
For 5 to 10 without the theme, The Resistance: Avalon seats the same range. We compare the two in our Secret Hitler vs Avalon guide. Our Secret Hitler review covers the game as a whole, and the rules guide explains each power.
Check The Resistance: Avalon price on Amazon →
Frequently Asked Questions
How many players do you need for Secret Hitler?
At least five and at most ten. The box includes ten role cards: six Liberals, three Fascists and Hitler.
What is the best player count for Secret Hitler?
Eight. BoardGameGeek voters rate it best with 8 or 10. At eight, Hitler doesn’t know the Fascists, the Liberals have a five-to-three majority and every type of power except Policy Peek is in play.
How many Fascists are in a 7 player game of Secret Hitler?
Two Fascists plus Hitler, against four Liberals. The same two Fascists plus Hitler are used at eight players, with five Liberals.
Does Hitler know who the Fascists are?
Only at 5 or 6 players, where Hitler and the single Fascist see each other at the start. At 7 to 10 players, the Fascists know who Hitler is, but Hitler doesn’t know them.
Can you play Secret Hitler with 2 players?
No. The minimum is five. For two players who want a bluffing game, Coup plays two to six in about 15 minutes.
Can you play Secret Hitler with more than 10 players?
Not with the official game. There are only ten role cards and the largest board is for 9 to 10 players. Fan-made add-ons exist, but they aren’t from the publisher.
How many Liberals are in a 10 player game?
Six Liberals, three Fascists and Hitler. The Fascist team is four of the ten players, or 40% of the table.