The Chameleon

About this board game

The Chameleon is a bluffing deduction game for 3–8 players that plays in around 15 minutes. Each round, one player secretly becomes the Chameleon while everyone else tries to identify them.

At the start of the round, every player receives a card revealing whether they are the Chameleon or are hunting the Chameleon. Two dice are rolled, and their result gives everyone except the Chameleon coordinates to a specific word on a Topic Card. That word becomes the round’s Secret Word.

Each Topic Card contains 16 related words, covering subjects such as countries, books, food, and more. Players must then say a word relating to the Secret Word. The challenge is to demonstrate that you know the answer without making it too obvious, since the Chameleon is listening and trying to work out the Secret Word.

• As the Chameleon: blend in, avoid being caught, and use the 16-word Topic Card to make an educated guess at the Secret Word.
• As a hunter: identify the Chameleon while giving away as little as possible about the Secret Word.

The result is a contest of careful clues, deduction, and bluffing. Everyone must choose their words thoughtfully: a clue that is too clear may help the Chameleon, while one that is too vague could make it harder to spot who is pretending.

With its two contrasting missions and short play time, The Chameleon offers a compact social deduction experience built around a shared Topic Card, a pair of dice, and the tension of trying to sound like you know more than you do. It was released in 2017.