Suspicious Brew

Story: Our reigning emperor is obsessed with two things: war and herbal tea. In times of war, we are largely free. Since our nation is at peace, we are all forced to spend every waking moment serving the Emperor tea. It's worse than death. It's monotonous. So, we've all decided: The Emperor must die.

So...ahem. We challenge you to a duel!

Experience: Suspicious Brew is a bluffing game where you and your royal court are locked in a tea-time battle of wits, serving up a deserving death to the Emperor as you compete for the title of “tricksiest hero of all.” The game gets really intriguing and silly when you start choosing your secret agendas based on the evolving social dynamics of the court, knowing your friends know that you know they know you know how they play each role, and that they will use that against you, and you know it! When that happens, you feel determined to outwit them, or to just plain old lie your pants off to thwart their efforts!

Interesting elements: Your Agendas are chosen, not dealt randomly. The role of Emperor has all the authority to make decisions, and the players they rely on have all the first hand information and are the only ones who can influence the outcome of each round. Each Secret Agenda has a vague alignment, but everyone is in it for themselves, so cooperation outside of your "faction" can be valuable. Everyone has the chance to play the Emperor once before the Emperor dies. The emotional stakes are lower than many other bluffing games, because the narrative being played out is absurd, and person who gets screwed over ultimately is not any of the players but the fictional Emperor.

This game is certified non-toxic to friendships.

—description from the designer