Chit game strategy: how to catch the Thief and how to hide

The chit game looks like pure luck, but good players win far more often than chance allows. The draw is random; what happens after it is all about people. These tips come from how the game is actually played, at home and in CHITPLAY, and work for every edition.

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Know the odds

With three suspects, a guess made without any clue is right one time in three. Every clue that clears one person improves the odds to one in two. That is why a cleared suspect, a witness or a careful look is worth so much: it turns a coin-flip into a likely catch. Over a long match, a guesser who reads the table even a little better than chance will finish far ahead.

As the guesser: watch first, talk second

In the first seconds after the chits are opened, people react before they think. Watch for the person who looks at their chit twice, folds it unusually fast, or suddenly becomes very interested in something else. Then ask simple questions and listen to how people answer, not to what they say. A Thief often answers a little too quickly or makes a joke to move attention away.

As the guesser: use what the rules give you

If your edition clears an innocent player or gives you a witness, use it before you decide. In CHITPLAY you can also try to peek once a round: most of the time you see one innocent chit, but if you are noticed you lose 100 points, so it is a gamble best saved for rounds where you have no clue at all.

As the Thief: be ordinary

The best disguise is to behave exactly as you did in the last round. Don’t go silent and don’t suddenly talk a lot. If you usually joke, keep joking. Look at the guesser when they look at you, then look away naturally. Pointing at someone else can work, but only if you sound like you are guessing, not accusing.

As the King or Queen: stir things up

Your points are safe whatever happens, so you can make the round fun. Act a little guilty to pull suspicion towards you, or defend someone you are sure is innocent. Every wrong guess costs the guesser points, so a good King or Queen can quietly decide who wins the match.

Reading a table you know

Families and old friends have tells that only show up after a few rounds: the cousin who always laughs, the friend who touches their ear. Keep a mental note of how each person behaves when they are innocent, so you notice the change when they are not.

Table talk in CHITPLAY

In CHITPLAY you can send emojis and short fixed messages to other players. A private message can be a bluff: “It’s not me, check Riya” might be true, or it might be the Thief. Computer players use the same tricks, and they are not always honest either.

Playing a long match

Points add up across rounds, so one big catch does not decide the match. If you are behind near the end, rounds where you are the guesser are your chance to catch up; if you are ahead, a careful guess is better than a risky peek.

Pick the version you grew up with

• Raja Rani Chor Police (India)
• Raja Wazir Chor Sipahi (Pakistan)
• Raja Mantri Chor Sipahi (Nepal)
• Raja Mantri Chor Police (Bangladesh)
• Tonosama to Dorobo (Japan)
• Mafia Game (South Korea)
• Jingcha Zhua Xiaotou (China)
• Mafia: Commissar (Russia)
• Cops and Robbers (USA)
• King, Queen, Bobby & Robber (United Kingdom)
• Räuber und Gendarm (Germany)
• Gendarmes et Voleurs (France)
• Polícia e Ladrão (Brazil)
• Policías y Ladrones (Mexico)

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