The social deduction tabletop game Secret Hitler has been pulled from three Montreal game stores following complaints from the Jewish human rights group B'nai Brith Canada.
If you're unfamiliar with Secret Hitler, this social deduction tabletop game was first released in 2017. The product of a successful Kickstarter campaign, the game divides a group of 5–10 players into Liberals and Fascists.
According to the game's rules [PDF], the Liberals attempt to maintain the rule of law and keep things all nice and peaceful while the Fascists attempt to get Hitler installed as Chancellor. The Liberals win the game if five Liberal policies are passed or Hitler is assassinated, and the Fascist team wins if six Fascist policies are enacted or Hitler is elected Chancellor any time after the third Fascist policy has passed.
The game is understandably controversial considering its content, and now it has been removed from a chain of three Canadian tabletop gaming stores following complaints from the Jewish human rights group B'nai Brith Canada.
'We Have To Respond' to Secret Hitler Complaints
National Post reports that all copies of Secret Hitler were pulled from the shelves of three Tour De Jeux gaming stores following complaints.
"When we receive complaints from the community, we have to respond," B'nai Brith's regional director Harvey Levine told the National Post. "This is a sensitive issue with the Jewish population and with families of those involved in the Holocaust."
At first, complaints were sent to the store manager of a single West Island location. That manager subsequently contacted the store owner who ultimately made the decision to pull the game from shelves, stating that it no longer would be sold. Secret Hitler was in stock at the retail location over the holidays due to customer demand.
"(Levine) expressed his and the community’s shock concerning the fact that the game exists and that we would carry it,” the store manager told the National Post."I’m glad that he spoke to us directly." The store manager did not want his name published.
The game has been available worldwide via the game's official website secrethitler.com and on Amazon. They later released The Trump Pack in June of 2017, adding a cosmetic update to the game with no major rule changes. The new cards added in President Trump, Vice President Pence, then-advisor Steve Bannon, former Press Secretary Sean Spicer, and current political advisor Stephen Miller.
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What do you think of Secret Hitler being pulled from store shelves in Montreal gaming stores after complaints from Jewish Human Rights group B'nai Brith? Do you think the store owner should have removed the game or not? Let us know in the comments below!
