by Rich Hutnik
I found this article on Penny Arcade Report, where the writer was using the word betrayal for games normally found in the traitor category:http://penny-arcade.com/report/article/the-best-boardgames-a...
My take is that the writer should of probably referred to the games as "traitor" games. In a traitor game, there is usually a hidden traitor picked out secretly at the start in a cooperative game where one or more players secretly try to undermine the cooperative effort, without being caught, usually at the start of the game. In Betrayal on the House on the Hill, the game system will usually involve randomly picking one of the players. I would say Betrayal on House on the Hill is likely closer to the way a betrayal game works, however, for it to be more of really a game of betrayal, I think the players should have control over defecting to the enemy, thus real betrayal.
The article in question ended up, however, give me a word that would fit what I have been kicking around for a game concept, and that is betrayal.
What I proposed is a real betrayal game would be one where a player can defect to the enemy and work for them. In short, they change their loyalty, and that makes the difference.
One place I kicked around the concept is in a variant of Castle Panic where one of the players can defect to the monster side of the game, and start to work against the players. This is really betrayal. I also have a massive multiplayer version of Captain's Mistress (Connect Four), where the idea is you defect to the other side, when you feel your side is going to lose. The analog version of massive multiplayer Captain's Mistress does weaken the full defecting to just quitting, because group dynamics in person make it tricky to get players to betray their group.
So, as I see it, there is a difference here, one I am working on and interested in. Do check out some of the stuff I did as examples on this.
You can see the Castle Panic variant here:
http://boardgamegeek.com/thread/974765/how-about-an-overlord...
Other games are below.