True Colors (1989)

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True Colors is a compact social deduction game built around hidden roles, simple actions, and careful reading of other players’ choices.

At the start of the game, each player secretly receives a role card that determines their true color and win condition. During the game, players take turns playing color cards to the table, influencing which colors appear dominant while trying not to reveal their own allegiance too early.

On a turn, a player chooses and plays a color card, adding it to the shared area. Over time, patterns begin to form, and players must judge whether others are genuinely supporting a color or deliberately misleading the group. Because everyone’s role is hidden, every play can be interpreted in multiple ways—honest support, calculated bluffing, or strategic misdirection.

At key moments, players may be forced to reveal information or trigger evaluations based on the current distribution of colors. When this happens, roles are checked and points or victory conditions are resolved depending on how well each player managed to protect their true identity while influencing the overall outcome.

The game ends once the final evaluation is triggered. Players then reveal their roles, and victory goes to those who best aligned the visible colors with their hidden objectives.