
- BGG rank
- BGG #4,580
- BGG rating
- 6.8
Pili Pili
- 2–8 players
- 20–30 min
- Complexity 1.1/5
- 2025

2022
Rules assistance for Little Secret
Plain-language explanations of turns, card effects and disputed situations, with official source references and saved question history.
For 3 players

What would you like to know?
Answers come from the official rulebook, with the page to check.
Little Secret is a board game released in 2022 for 3–9 players, 15–45 minutes per game, and ages 10 and up. It was designed by Ben (II) and JB and its main mechanics are Deduction and Hidden Roles.
Little Secret is a game in which you have to uncover intruders. To verify the identity of the participants in a meeting of a secret organization, you need to know the secret word, and only the disciples have the correct word. Hidden amongst you are infiltrators and a lone journalist who want to remain unrecognized. Can the disciples unmask them all? To play, each player receives a card with secret words that define their role in each round of the game. Your role might change from round to round. If you lack a secret word, then you're a journalist; if you have one, you're either a disciple and an infiltrator, but you don't know which. In turn, each player gives a clue to their secret word, the aim being to find out who has a different word than theirs — or no word at all in the case of the journalist. All players then debate and vote on who to eliminate, after which the game continues with remaining players giving a new clue until either only disciples remain or only two players are in the game. Players who have not been eliminated earn points. The U.S. edition of Little Secret from Exploding Kittens changes the groups to good kitties, confused kitties, and a spy pup, but otherwise gameplay remains the same, with each player card having enough clues to play 21 games without needing to shuffle or re-deal.
Little Secret supports 3–9 players according to the catalogue. This range comes from the publisher’s listed player count, so the game can be set up for any group size within it. Some setups, rules and scoring details may still vary by player count, so check your edition’s rulebook for the exact configuration.
The listed playing time for Little Secret is 15–45 minutes. This is the publisher’s estimate for a full game. The actual duration depends on the group, the player count and familiarity with the rules: first sessions usually run longer, while experienced groups often finish faster. Setup and teaching time are not included in this estimate.
The catalogue lists Little Secret for ages 10 and up. This is the publisher’s recommendation and reflects reading demands, rule complexity and small components rather than theme alone. Younger players can often join with help from an adult, so check the age guidance on your edition and consider your group’s experience with board games.
Little Secret has a complexity rating of 1.0 out of 5 from BoardGameGeek players, which makes it a light game. The rating reflects how much rules knowledge, planning and decision-making a typical game demands. Expect a longer first teach for heavier games, and use a preparation guide before game night.
Little Secret belongs to these categories: Humor, Word Game, and Children's Game. Its main mechanics are Deduction and Hidden Roles. Categories describe the theme and setting of a game, while mechanics describe what players actually do on their turns. Each mechanic links to a catalogue hub with similar games, which helps when you want something comparable.
The credited designers of Little Secret are: Ben (II) and JB. These credits come from the published game data and name the people responsible for the game’s design, not its illustrators or publishers. Designer pages on MeepleRules collect other titles by the same designers, which helps when you enjoy a game and want to find similar ones.
The catalogue lists Little Secret as a base game. It can be played on its own with the components in the box and does not require any other title. Expansions, if any exist, add new content or rules on top of it and are listed separately in the catalogue with a link back to this base game.