Beyond The Castle: The 3 Classic Games The Traitors Is Secretly Based On

The Traitors, the global reality TV phenomenon that pits 'Faithfuls' against 'Traitors' in a high-stakes game of deception, has captivated millions with its dramatic banishments, clandestine murders, and host-led theatrics. As of December 2025, the franchise continues to dominate streaming, with news of upcoming seasons like The Traitors US Season 4 and a civilian-only 2026 edition hosted by Alan Cumming keeping fans on the edge of their seats. The burning question for new viewers and dedicated fans alike is: What game is The Traitors actually based on? The answer is more complex—and much older—than you might think, tracing its roots back to a Soviet-era psychological experiment.

While many correctly point to the Dutch series De Verraders as the immediate source, the core mechanics of The Traitors are directly adapted from a timeless social deduction party game. The show's success is built upon the simple, brilliant foundation of hidden roles, public accusation, and secret elimination, a formula first codified nearly 40 years ago.

The Ultimate Ancestor: Mafia and Werewolf (The 1986 Soviet Original)

The entire concept of The Traitors is fundamentally an adaptation of the social deduction game Mafia, which is also widely known by its popular variant name, Werewolf. This foundational game is the true intellectual ancestor of the reality show, providing the basic framework that makes the on-screen drama possible.

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The History and Creator of the Game

• Creator: Dimitry Davidoff.
• Year of Creation: 1986.
• Origin: Davidoff, a psychology student at Moscow State University, created the game for a course on group dynamics and social interaction.
• Original Concept: The game was designed as a tool to study how a small, informed minority (the Mafia) could influence and deceive a large, uninformed majority (the Innocent/Faithful) in a public forum.

The core premise of Mafia/Werewolf is simple: a group of players is secretly divided into two factions. The majority, known as the Villagers or Innocent (the Faithfuls in the TV show), must identify and eliminate the minority, the Mafia or Werewolves (the Traitors). The minority knows who each other are and must secretly 'kill' the majority until their numbers are equal.

Core Mechanics Inherited by The Traitors

The reality series directly translates the following mechanics from the classic party game:

• Hidden Roles: Players are assigned their roles in secret, with the Traitors knowing each other's identities but the Faithfuls knowing only their own status.
• The Night Phase (Murder): The Traitors meet in secret (the Turret in the TV show) to choose a Faithful to 'murder' (eliminate). In the original game, the Mafia secretly point to their victim.
• The Day Phase (Banishment): All players gather for a public meeting (the Round Table in the TV show) to discuss, accuse, and vote to 'banish' (eliminate) a player they suspect of being a Traitor. This is the core social deduction element.

Without Dimitry Davidoff's original 1986 creation, the dramatic tension and psychological warfare that defines The Traitors would not exist.

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The Evolution to Reality TV: De Verraders (The Dutch Original)

The direct predecessor that bridged the gap between the tabletop party game and the international television blockbuster is the Dutch series, De Verraders (which translates to 'The Traitors').

The Birth of the Format

The reality show format was created by the production company IDTV and first aired on the Dutch television channel RTL 4. This show took the essential hidden-role mechanics of Werewolf and added the necessary elements to sustain a multi-episode, high-production-value reality competition.

The Crucial TV Adaptations

The transition from a simple party game to a television franchise required several key innovations, which are now standard across all international versions, including the popular UK and US editions hosted by Claudia Winkleman and Alan Cumming, respectively.

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• The Prize Pot Missions: Unlike the original game, where the only goal is survival, De Verraders introduced daily physical and mental challenges. These missions serve two purposes: they create content for the show, and they allow the Faithfuls and Traitors to collectively build a cash prize pot. This introduces a cooperative element that complicates the Faithfuls' ability to trust each other.
• The Shield/Immunity: The missions often offer an individual reward, such as a Shield or Amulet of Protection, which grants immunity from the Traitors' murder that night. This adds a strategic layer of individual self-interest.
• The Recruitment Mechanic: A feature often utilized in the TV show is the ability of the remaining Traitors to recruit a Faithful after a Traitor has been banished or if the Traitor numbers dwindle. This maintains the necessary power imbalance and keeps the game dynamic.
• The Host: The introduction of a charismatic host, such as Alan Cumming or Claudia Winkleman, who acts as the "Gamemaster" (a role traditionally played by a non-playing moderator in Mafia/Werewolf), adds a strong narrative and dramatic flair.

The Traitors' Global Success and Current 2025/2026 Status

The format proved to be a global hit, leading to franchises in over 20 countries, including the UK, US (streaming on Peacock), Australia, and Canada. The show's ability to blend the intellectual strategy of a board game with the emotional intensity of reality television has cemented its status as a cultural phenomenon.

Recent Developments and Future Seasons

The franchise shows no signs of slowing down, with major announcements confirming its continued relevance into 2026.

• The Traitors US Season 4: The show is confirmed for a fourth season, continuing its run of mixing celebrities and reality TV stars in a Scottish castle.
• The Civilian Shift (2026): One of the most anticipated announcements is the plan for a new, civilian-only US edition of The Traitors, scheduled for 2026. Host Alan Cumming revealed this move, which will bring the US version closer to the UK's successful format of using everyday people.
• Celebrity Editions: The UK's BBC has also announced the return of the celebrity format, with a second series of Celebrity Traitors expected in 2026, following the success of the civilian version.

The Game's Flaw and the Faithful's Dilemma

While entertaining, the TV show's format is often discussed by game theorists as being fundamentally different from the pure logic of Mafia/Werewolf. In the original party game, the goal is purely to eliminate the opposing team. In The Traitors, the added element of the prize pot and the recruitment option can create a strategic flaw for the Faithfuls. The Faithfuls are often criticized for their difficulty in identifying the Traitors, sometimes due to the show's deliberate lack of concrete evidence or the Traitors' ability to recruit new members when they are under pressure. This inherent imbalance is what creates the drama, forcing players to rely on social cues, paranoia, and "trial by vibe" rather than pure logic.

In conclusion, when you watch a dramatic banishment at the Round Table, you are witnessing the direct evolution of a game invented by a Soviet psychology student nearly four decades ago. The Traitors is not just a reality show; it is the ultimate television adaptation of Mafia and Werewolf, filtered through the brilliant reality format of De Verraders. The show's enduring popularity, evidenced by the upcoming 2026 seasons, proves that the simple battle between trust and betrayal remains the most compelling game of all.