# Diplomacy board game

Hacker Approved page: https://hackerapproved.com/p/diplomacy/

9 people recommended Diplomacy board game in Hacker News comments, 3 had mixed feelings and 1 criticized it, November 2025 to October 2026. It was recommended in 3 of 12 months, in 5 threads. It does not meet the Hacker Approved badge rule.

5 of the 9 people who recommend it commented in one thread, “The Board Game of the Alpha Nerds (2014)”.

**Verdict:** A fun multiplayer game of negotiation and deception that people say works best with the right group, and that is good for practicing negotiation.

Summary written by Claude from 13 comments.

## Why people recommend it

- Fun, especially with the right crowd (2 comments in the sample): "Diplomacy can be really, really, fun but you absolutely have to play it with the right crowd." ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=49837382)) "Diplomacy is a fun parlor game" ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=47911791))
- Practices negotiation and deception (2 comments in the sample): "On the plus side, I got to know my co-workers better, or at least got to know how well they could deceive me." ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=49841390)) "for its capacity to end relationships and practice war time negotiations" ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=47876580))
- Memorable, unusual experience (2 comments in the sample): "it was a remarkable experience that I'm not sure I'll be able to repeat" ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=49836761)) "It was quite the experience." ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=49837931))

## Other board games people recommend

- [1D Chess](https://hackerapproved.com/p/1d-chess/): 16 recommend, 0 mixed, 2 criticize
- [Azul board game](https://hackerapproved.com/p/azul/): 9 recommend, 0 mixed, 2 criticize
- [Mastermind board game](https://hackerapproved.com/p/mastermind/): 9 recommend, 1 mixed, 0 criticize
- [Root by Leder Games](https://hackerapproved.com/p/root/): 9 recommend, 2 mixed, 4 criticize

## The badge

A product earns the Hacker Approved badge when at least 10 people recommend it, recommenders outnumber critics at least 2 to 1 (mixed feelings count toward neither side), it was recommended in at least 4 of the 12 months and in at least 5 different threads, and no single thread supplies more than half of the people who recommend it. Health and money products are never badged.

## Cite as

Hacker Approved, "Diplomacy board game", https://hackerapproved.com/p/diplomacy/ (9 recommend, 3 mixed, 1 criticize; Hacker News comments, November 2025 to October 2026).

Counts updated 2 Nov 2026, with data through October 31, 2026.