Best physical board detective game

• Cluedo is not considered the best detective board game and the article lists 7 better alternatives.
• The author recommends different detective board games for different types of players.
• Sherlock Holmes Consulting Detective is a complex and well-written mystery board game set in Victorian London. Players solve a set of ten cases while playing as Sherlock’s rag-tag group of street urchins, The Irregulars.
• Detective: City of Angels is set in 1940s Los Angeles and is a competitive crime-cracking experience. Players can deploy less scrupulous methods such as concealing evidence or spying on their opponents. City of Angels’ true masterstroke is The Chisel, that player who controls all of the suspects in the case and works to mislead, misdirect and send the other players’ detectives off the scent by providing certain responses to certain questions.
• Mortum: Medieval Detective is a sleuthing game set in the Middle Ages. There are three quests included in the box and players learn by doing, with no instructions to read through. Players head to different locations on their ever-growing map and reveal cards depending on how they want to tackle the investigation.
• MicroMacro: Crime City is a Where’s Wally-style game where players study an enormous illustration to answer a series of questions. The game’s map is not a snapshot of a single moment in time, but instead a composite image of loads of little moments spread throughout the city.
• Deception: Murder in Hong Kong is a social deduction game that takes place in the city of Hong Kong. Players must locate the murder weapon and a key piece of evidence and tie both to the murder. This game allows players to step into the role of investigator and hunt down a killer hidden amongst a bunch of innocents.
• Chronicles of Crime is a virtual reality detective board game where players use a smartphone app to track evidence, examine crime scenes, and interview witnesses.
• Each game comes with varying levels of complexity and difficulty and is recommended for specific types of detective board game players.
• The article includes a synopsis, gameplay mechanics, and recommendations for where to buy the games for each of the seven board games.
• The article states that “board games have moved on a lot in the past few decades since the release of Cluedo” and encourages readers to explore these options if they are looking for a better detective board game experience.

• Detective board games provide excitement and mystery for game nights.
• They come in two main types: single-use and multi-use.
• Single-use games are involved and can take hours to solve, while multi-use games are simpler and come with a set of interchangeable cards that provide different results each time.
• The article recommends considering the level of difficulty or recommended ages of the players before purchasing a game.
• The list of the 8 best detective board games includes:
  • Sherlock Holmes, Consulting Detective: The Thames Murders & Other Mysteries
  • Clue Retro Series 1986 Edition
  • Hunt a Killer: Death at the Dive Bar
  • Nancy Drew: Mystery at Magnolia Gardens
  • Clue Master Detective
  • Deception: Murder in Hong Kong
  • Mysterium Board Game
  • Unsolved Cold Case Files: Who Killed Harmony Ashcroft?
• The Sherlock Holmes game comes with 10 booklets, each including a different mystery, and can be played solo or with up to 8 people. Each mystery takes around 90 minutes to solve.
• Clue Retro Series 1986 Edition is the classic whodunnit with a simple layout and objective. It can be played with 2 to 6 players and takes about 45 minutes to play.
• Hunt a Killer: Death at the Dive Bar is a murder mystery game with a low difficulty rating. It includes realistic police reports, a drink coaster, and a bottle opener, and can be played with 1 to 5 players in 45 to 60 minutes.
• Nancy Drew: Mystery at Magnolia Gardens involves hunting down the murderer at the botanical gardens using seed packets, a locked keepsake box, and a tea infuser. It has a moderate difficulty rating and can be played with 1 to 6 players in around 90 minutes.
• Clue Master Detective expands upon the original Clue game with more rooms, weapons, and characters for up to 10 players aged 10 and up. It can be played an unlimited number of times with groups of various sizes.
• Deception: Murder in Hong Kong is a fast-paced game that’s great for large groups. A murderer and forensics scientist try to convince the player that their clues are correct. It can be played with 4 to 12+ players in around 20 minutes.
• Mysterium Board Game involves a murder victim communicating with players through visions to identify their murderer, location, and weapon. It can be played with

1. Title: “The 11 Best Mystery Board Games for Spooky Fun of 2023”
2. Overview:
   • Provides a list of 11 mystery board games available online for kids and adults
   • Recommends age, number of players, duration, features, and drawbacks for each game
   • Board games include cooperative and competitive options
   • Topics of games vary from ghostly haunts to murder mysteries
   • All products were independently tested
3. Specific Board Games:
   • Ravensburger’s Scotland Yard
     • A detective game where players race to capture Mr. X in London
     • Best with a large group, 3-6 players
     • Recommended for ages 8 and up
     • Duration: 30 minutes
   • Hunt A Killer partnering with Nancy Drew
     • Collaborative murder mystery game
     • Unlimited players
     • Recommended for ages 14 and up
     • Duration: 60-90 minutes
     • Price at time of publish: $30
   • Unsolved Case Files: Harmony Ashcroft
     • Murder mystery game
     • Suitable for solo players or groups
     • Recommended for ages 14 and up
     • Duration: 2-3 hours
     • Price at time of publish: $27
   • Deception: Murder in Hong Kong
     • Fast-paced game with a murderer, forensic scientist, and investigators
     • Perfect party game, 4-12 players
     • Recommended for ages 14 and up
     • Duration: 20-30 minutes
     • Price at time of publish: $50
   • Sherlock Holmes Consulting Detective: Thames Murders
     • Game set in Victorian London for Sherlock Holmes fans
     • Can play solo or with a group up to 8 people
     • Recommended for ages 12 and up
     • Duration: 90 minutes
     • Price at time of publish: $46
   • Mysterium
     • Collaborative game for up to 7 players
     • Solve murder mystery at Warwick Manor
     • Recommended for ages 14 and up
     • Duration: 45 minutes
     • Price at time of publish: $44
   • There’s Been a Murder
     • Collaborative card game
     • Recommended for ages 14 and up
     • Number of Players: 3-8
     • No duration listed
     • Price at time of publish: $15

• The author writes a blog post discussing different board game mechanics and design.
• The author shares their interest in board game mechanics and how they discovered these mechanics when they first got into modern board gaming.
• Examples of mechanics discussed include dice rolls, Rondel mechanism, card drafting, worker placement, area control, and many more.
• The author provides a brief description of each mechanic and notes a few examples of games that utilize that mechanic.
• The author poses a question to the reader, asking them what their favorite board game mechanics are.
• The author references Board Game Geek as a helpful resource for learning about different board game mechanics.
• The author reflects on how understanding different mechanics can help identify what games a player may enjoy.
• The webpage does not discuss detective games specifically.

Notes:

• Reddit post discussing mechanics for designing a detective video game.
• User suggests that successful detective games should allow for failure.
• Failure should be connected to the story and not just a segment done and move on.
• Tutorial or optional library needed for learning psychological tricks.
• Randomized features or events are important.
• Maybe incorporate an assistant to point out some missteps in a subtle way that prompts the player to get back on the right track.
• One user dislikes the possibility of a player failing an experience that is too long.
• Dialogue options should be more open-ended rather than simple.
• In some games, there is a feature where your character can say “I feel like I am missing something with this…” to prompt players to continue searching.
• There are different mechanics for different types of detective games.
• A video is linked to further explain the topic.
• PI is a board game recommended by a user.
• A persona 5 style “ third eye” that can reveal secrets is another mechanic recommended.
• One user highly praised night call’s feature of arranging clues on the board by suspect at the end of the night so you can review what you learned that day.

💭  Looking into

Main mechanics common to physical board detective games

💭  Looking into

Top 3 physical board detective games and why they stand out