Paranoia is a whisper game. One player whispers a question that starts with “who”, the next player answers out loud with a name, and the person named has no idea what they were picked for. The 80 questions above are written so that being named is never an insult. That keeps the suspense fun.
How to play
You need at least four players, sitting in a circle, and a coin.
- Player A whispers a question to Player B, the person on their left. Nobody else hears it.
- Player B answers out loud with only a name: anyone in the circle except themselves.
- The named player flips the coin. Heads, Player B repeats the question out loud. Tails, it stays a secret.
- Player B now whispers a new question to the player on their left, and the game moves around the circle.
The named player can always ask to hear the question, and Player B tells them. Curiosity is part of the game; worry isn’t.
Choosing your questions
Agree on the groups before you start. “Flattering”, “Funny” and “What if” work for most mixed groups. “A little revealing” touches on dating and is meant for adults who know each other.
The whisperer holds the power in this game, so the rule is simple: whisper only questions you’d be happy to hear read out. Skip questions about a crush on someone in the room, looks, money or anything someone is going through. If a name is called and the person looks uneasy, flip the coin for them and read the question out.
Variations
- Everyone guesses: before the coin flip, each player guesses what the question was. Closest guess picks the next whisperer.
- No coin: reveal every question, which makes the game gentler for a new group.
- Story round: when a question is revealed, the person who said the name explains why.
For the open version, where everyone hears the question and points, play most likely to. For a game where one person answers everything, try hot seat.