Trust No One: The Masks of Hollow LaneA printable hidden role party game for Halloween, for 6 to 25 players

What is a hidden role party game?

Trust No One is a hidden role party game: at the start, every guest secretly receives a role card and keeps it to themselves. Most players are Lantern Keepers, the honest villagers of Hollow Lane. Hidden among them are a few Masked players who know each other and pretend to be honest. Nobody else knows who they are, and that is where the fun begins.

The game is played in short rounds. Each round, the group plays a quick Halloween challenge, then everyone talks, asks questions, accuses and defends. At the end of the talk, the group votes, and the player with the most votes is cast out and shows their role. At night, while everyone else closes their eyes, the Masked choose one lantern to snuff out. Players who are out become Wisps with small missions, so nobody sits around bored.

You do not need to have played a game like this before. The host does not play: they read from a word-for-word script, keep time and count the votes. The rules for guests fit on one page, and the host guide explains everything else, from setup to the final reveal.

How a round works

• Dawn. The host tells the village whose lantern went dark during the night. That player becomes a Wisp.
• Trial. A quick Halloween challenge such as a word scramble, riddles or charades. The winners earn a Charm that keeps them safe for one night and add coins to the Lantern Purse.
• Lantern Council. Everyone talks, accuses and defends, then votes. The player with the most votes is cast out and their role is revealed.
• Nightfall. The Masked secretly choose one lantern to snuff out: with eyes closed, with folded notes or by phone message.
• Last Light. When only 4 or 5 players are left, everyone secretly chooses to end the night or cast out once more. If a Masked player is still standing when the night ends, the Masked take the Purse.

The roles

• Lantern Keeper. The honest majority. Keepers do not know anyone's role. They win when every Masked player has been cast out.
• The Masked. The hidden deceivers. They know each other, blend in, steer the votes and snuff out one lantern each night.
• Wisp. A player who is out. Wisps stay in the game with a small mission card and never give away a secret.
• Lantern Seer (optional). A Keeper with a gift: once each night, the Seer learns whether one player is Masked. For experienced groups.

What is in the PDF

• Host Guide (21 pages): rules, word-for-word scripts for every phase, timing plans for 90, 120 and 180 minutes, tips and FAQ
• One-page Player Rules for the guests
• 36 role cards with matching backs: 27 Lantern Keepers, 8 Masked, 1 Lantern Seer
• Trial Book with 14 Halloween challenges and answers (host only)
• 11 Trial sheets: word scramble, riddles, spot the difference, memory tray, quiz, secret code and word slips
• Envelope labels, Mask Circle slips, Lantern Council ballots, Night Notes and Last Light voting cards
• 12 Charm tokens and 60 Lantern Purse coins
• 18 Wisp mission cards and big reveal cards
• Game Tracker for the host
• Fill-in invitations, name tags, 6 table signs and winner certificates
• Read Me First guide, Colour and Printer-Friendly editions, US Letter and A4

How to host it

• Read the Host Guide once (about 20 minutes) and find your group size in the role table.
• Print the role cards and pages for your group, then cut and fold the cards.
• Pick your night method: eyes closed, folded notes or phone messages.
• Deal the roles into named envelopes and note them on your Game Tracker.
• Choose five or six Trials, print one sheet per team and set out the chairs, Charms and Purse.

Great for

Halloween party · Class party · Youth group · Office party · Birthday party · Large family gathering