CasaBianco: hangman reimagined as a party game

A few blank spaces, one revealed letter, and you are already guessing the word. That small mystery is part of the appeal of hangman. CasaBianco adds another question: are the people around you actually trying to help?

This free phone party game takes hidden words and letter guesses into a shared game for 4–12 players. Secret roles and Saboteurs who know the answer turn a familiar word puzzle into a bluffing game with friends.

Hangman reimagined: a familiar puzzle with hidden motives

In classic hangman, you suggest letters to uncover a word before making too many mistakes. CasaBianco keeps the satisfaction of recognizing a word from a handful of clues. But it changes the rules: there is no hanging figure to draw, and every round starts with a new word.

Each person privately chooses one letter. Once the phone has gone around, the group discusses the partially revealed word and submits a single answer. Success or failure advances one of two opposing teams.

Allies and Saboteurs: two secret teams

The Allies want to solve the words. The Saboteurs see the answer on their private screens and want the group to fail. Players learn their roles on their turn and keep the same role throughout the game.

An Ally picks a letter that seems useful without knowing the word. A Saboteur can deliberately choose an unhelpful letter, or choose a good one to build trust. One helpful letter does not prove someone is innocent; one bad letter does not prove sabotage.

That uncertainty makes CasaBianco a social deduction game as well as a word game. Explanations and reactions matter alongside the letters themselves.

How a round works

1. Pass the phone. Each player privately checks their role and chooses a letter.
2. Look at the incomplete word together. Useful letters have been revealed. Discuss possible answers and fill the blanks.
3. Submit one group answer. Agree before confirming: you get a single answer for this round.
4. A solved word reveals the choices. Everyone sees who picked which letter. Discuss and vote to eliminate a player, or decide to eliminate no one.
5. A missed word keeps the choices secret. There is no vote after a failure. Move on to a new word.

By default, the Allies win with 4 solved words and the Saboteurs with 3 missed words. Targets are adjustable. Eliminating every Saboteur also wins for the Allies; eliminating the last Ally wins for the Saboteurs. A tied vote means no one is eliminated.

A good letter can hide a bad ally

Suppose the word is “GUITARE,” as in the screenshot below. Someone picks A; someone else picks B. The A reveals a letter and helps, while the B reveals nothing. Yet the A might come from a Saboteur protecting their cover, and the B from an honest Ally taking a guess.

If the group solves the word, the revealed choices give everyone something to discuss. “Why that letter?” becomes as interesting as “What is the word?” If the group fails, there is no public breakdown of who chose what.

What changes from classic hangman?

• The hidden word remains. There is a new word each round.
• Letter choices become private. Everyone contributes one letter before the group answers.
• Not everyone wants the same outcome. Allies solve; Saboteurs try to make the group miss.
• Success creates new clues about people. After a solved word, you can review choices and vote.

Bringing CasaBianco to your game night

The idea is easy to introduce: “We find a word from letters, but some of us want us to fail.” Your friends recognize the hangman-style puzzle, then learn the social side by playing. You need one connected phone, no app download, and no account.

Let everyone explain a guess, and do not mistake confidence for proof. Eliminated players watch silently so their private information cannot help either team. Start with the default targets and explain just the main steps.

The duplicate-letter option changes your choices. With duplicates off, a chosen letter becomes unavailable. With duplicates on, each letter may be chosen at most twice per round. All letters become available again with the next word.

What to play after CasaBianco

For more words and secret teams, try Babel, where letters turn into symbols. For a different pace, J’annonce ! challenges you to deliver the answers you promised. TROVEU combines letters, changing constraints, and a timer. Browse all baræ party games to suit your group's mood.

Before you start

Is this regular online hangman?

No. CasaBianco uses hidden words and letters, then adds opposing teams, private choices, group answers and voting. Everyone plays together in the same room on one phone.

Is it cooperative?

The Allies cooperate, but the Saboteurs have an opposing goal. There is no shared victory for everyone.

How many people can play?

Gather 4–12 people. You can adjust the targets and Saboteur count before starting.

Ready for a word puzzle with a little distrust? Play CasaBianco or explore the rules and screenshots.