How to Play I've Got a Secret

The game show "I've Got a Secret" first appeared on television in 1952. Since then, it's been revived a few times and its reruns remain popular. You don't have to be a contestant on the show to play. If you recruit a few friends, it's a game show you can play in your own home.

Instructions

Difficulty: Easy

Things You’ll Need:

• Stopwatch or other timer

1. Create roles for all players. You'll need a host, a person with a secret and a panel of at least three panelists. You can change roles after the first round so everyone will have a chance to play each role.
2. Whisper the secret to the host, if you're the one with the secret. You can use any type of secret, but make sure it's something that the other players can guess by asking questions. Also make sure it's a suitable secret to share with the people who are playing.
3. Give each panelist a certain amount of time to question the one with the secret, if you're the host. The original game show gave contestants only 15 seconds, while the latest version of the show gives everyone 40 seconds. Choose whatever time makes sense to the group, and time everyone carefully.
4. Answer the questions truthfully if you're the one with the secret but don't volunteer any extra information.
5. Guess the secret after you ask questions, or any time during your questioning time. If you guess incorrectly, the next panelist can start questioning, even if you have more time left.
6. Allow everyone to ask more questions if no one has guessed the secret after each panelist has asked questions. Time them again, as the host.
7. Award points when someone guesses the secret. You can make it easy by awarding only one point whenever someone guesses, or you can give extra points for guessing during the first round or before the panelist's questioning time is used up.
8. Give the one with the secret points if nobody guesses his secret. The points you award to him should be similar in value to the points you award to the panelists for guessing the secret.
9. Rotate roles and continue playing until everyone has shared a secret.