How to catch the spy: a guide for civilians

You know the secret, the spy doesn't. That sounds like an easy win, but every word you say is also a clue for the spy. This guide shows how to prove you know without giving the secret away, which answers betray a spy, how to vote, and how to turn night information into a morning win.

The one balance that matters

Every question and answer has two listeners: your fellow civilians, who should think "yes, they know", and the spy, who should learn nothing useful. Aim for answers that only make sense if you know the secret, but that fit several secrets in the category from the outside.

Say the secret place is Airport. "You fly from there" is too obvious: the spy guesses at once. "It's a building" is too vague: you look like the spy. "I always get there too early and then wait" is right: civilians nod, but the spy still has to choose between airport, train station, hospital, cinema...

Your card also lists a few "avoid these words". Treat them as forbidden, along with their close cousins.

Half-obvious questions, by category

A good question invites a personal, concrete answer. Some to borrow (more in our question bank):

📍 Places

• "What would you wear to go there?"
• "Do you go there alone or with others?"
• "What's the most annoying thing about it?"
• "Would you go there at 3 a.m.?"
• "Do you pay before or after?"

🌍 Countries

• "Would you need a coat there in January?"
• "Which meal would you order first?"
• "Could you drive there from here?"
• "Would your grandmother like it?"

💼 Jobs

• "Would you want this person at your wedding?"
• "Do they work weekends?"
• "What do they carry to work?"
• "When did you last need one?"

🍎 Fruits

• "Do you peel it, cut it, or bite it?"
• "Is it better cold?"
• "Would you put it in a cake?"
• "What season makes you think of it?"

Word lists help you sense how wide a category is: places, countries, jobs, fruits.

Tells that betray a spy

A spy is guessing while trying to sound sure. Listen for these:

One tell proves nothing; nervous civilians stall too. Look for a pattern over two or three turns. Also watch whom a player asks: a spy often asks the players who gave the clearest answers, hoping for more.

Using the timer and the question order

• First minutes: be careful. Early answers feed the spy the most. Keep them half-obvious.
• Middle: test. Send a question to the quietest player or to someone whose answer felt off. You can't ask back the person who just asked you, so plan one step ahead.
• Last minute: close in. Agree on a suspect before the timer ends so the vote isn't a panic.
• Later days are shorter (60% of the previous one). Don't waste day two repeating day one.

Voting wisely

With a secret vote, everyone chooses alone, so a quiet spy can't follow the crowd. Say your suspect out loud before the vote so civilians don't split. With a group vote, you must agree on one name, or choose "we didn't agree". Watch who pushes hardest for a name with little reason.

Ties: the vote is repeated between the tied players; a second tie means nobody goes out. If you are split, regroup on the stronger case rather than giving the spies a free day.

Why voting out an innocent helps the spies: each lost civilian brings the spy team closer to equal numbers, which is a spy win. When you are truly unsure, "we didn't agree" in a group vote can be better than a coin flip. Remember too that a spy voted out still gets one last guess at the secret, so careful answers keep paying off.

Night information: share it as a team

At night the phone reaches every living player in random order, so nobody knows who has a power. That cover is valuable. Spend it carefully (full details on the roles page).

• 🔎 Detective: "looks suspicious" means spy or jester; "probably innocent" includes the saboteur. Collect two or three results, then speak, and phrase it as a strong suspicion.
• 🔮 Seer: the most accurate info in the game, and the spies' first target once known. Reveal only when it can decide a vote, ideally when a guardian is alive.
• 🛡️ Guardian: stay silent. Protect whoever just spoke up with strong information. You can't protect the same player two nights in a row, so alternate.
• 🧪 Witch: you see the spies' victim, and the spies don't attack their own, so that player is almost surely not a spy. Save a valuable player (a likely seer or detective) and keep your death potion for a confirmed spy.
• 👧 Little Girl: half the time you see a spy's name, but peeking can get you killed. If you see one, say it in the morning: you may not get a second peek.
• 🏹 Hunter: you can reveal yourself; spies then hesitate to kill or vote you, because you take someone with you. Choose your shot from everything said so far.
• 💘 Cupid's lovers: keep the link secret: if the spies learn it, one attack kills two. If your lover may be on the other team, play your own side and watch them closely, but never defend them so hard that you both look suspicious.

Reading the village opinion

Each morning shows who the players suspected at night. It is the honest version of the table, because nobody saw anyone else's choice. A name that collects many suspicions deserves the first questions of the day. Watch out for a player who pointed hard at someone in the day but picked a different name at night, or a strong suspect who has dropped from the list.

Traps: the saboteur and the jester

The 🧨 saboteur knows the secret, so their answers sound perfect. Their job is to steer your vote at innocents and defend the spies. Look for someone who answers well but keeps pushing suspicion onto confirmed civilians. The detective will see them as innocent; don't let that silence other clues.

The 🃏 jester wants to be voted out and knows the secret. They act too strange on purpose: odd answers, defensive overreaction. A "suspicious" detective result plus answers that clearly know the secret often means jester, not spy.

A worked round

Six players, secret job Pilot. The app picks Lina to start.

1. Lina asks Omar: "Would you trust them with your life?" Omar: "Every time I travel." Good, half-obvious.
2. Omar asks Sami: "Do they wear a uniform?" Sami: "Yes, a smart one." True for many jobs. Fine.
3. Sami asks Nour: "Do they work weekends?" Nour, after a pause: "Sometimes... it depends." Vague and slow.
4. Nour asks Karim: "So, do they work inside or outside?" Fishing.
5. Karim: "Neither, really." Clever. Karim asks Huda: "Do they see their family a lot?" Huda: "Not enough, they're always far away." Civilians smile.
6. Huda asks Nour: "Would you want one at your wedding?" Nour: "Sure, they'd make a great speech!" Over-confident, and a little off.

Lina says it before the timer ends: "Nour stalled, fished, then guessed." Secret vote: Nour is out and is the spy. On her last chance she guesses "teacher", which is wrong. Civilians win, because nobody said "plane".

Ready to play?

The best way to get good at this is a round with friends. One phone, 4 to 20 players, no download. Start a game of BETRAYAL now. Want the other side? Read the spy guide or our tips.