Mystery games are an awful lot of fun for so many reasons! They’re suspenseful, atmospheric, cerebral, and provide plenty of hours of entertainment. Some include horror elements to keep players on the edge of their seats and some promote cooperative gameplay to provide a more collaborative experience.
All mystery games offer a different experience from a typical dice-rolling or token-moving game, usually with more of an emphasis on social interaction or mental acumen. They vary greatly in length and the level of challenge and all involve thinking critically, deciphering facts from clues, and drawing conclusions to try and get to the bottom of strange goings on. These games are not to be taken lightly and must be approached with an open mind and a degree of skill in order to come away a winner.
Best Mystery Board Games
Below are a selection of some of the best mystery board games we can find. Some share some of the same gameplay mechanics and principles, but certainly, they all provide something very different from one game to another.
Betrayal at House on the Hill
Published by: Avalon Hill Ages: 12+ Players: 3-6 Time: 60 mins
Betrayal is a suspenseful and exciting game where players explore a haunted mansion, revealing its secrets and surviving the horrors within. Players will have to work together to complete the various scenarios within the game unless the traitor in their party is able to sabotage them first!
Players take turns exploring a randomly generated mansion, moving through the rooms, and resolving the events that transpire within it. Tiles are drawn at random and placed as players venture deeper into the mansion and uncover more of its mysteries. Players can move from room to room, collect items, and trade them as well as attack other players. Certain rooms will prompt players to draw from one of the several card decks that come with the game.
Event cards will provide flavor text and require players to roll dice or use the stats of their character to resolve what happens. Item cards will provide players with useful items to help them overcome the tricky encounters they’ll face. Omen cards are a mixed bag; they will sometimes be beneficial but there are risks involved also. They will also prompt you to ‘roll a haunt’ which can potentially trigger a scenario to start and reveal who the traitor amongst the group is.
Each scenario is different but players must ultimately work together to thwart the betrayer’s plans and fulfill their own objectives to be successful. The betrayer meanwhile must vanquish the survivors and achieve their own goals.
Betrayal combines mystery and horror elements to offer a unique experience with each playthrough. Offering fifty scenarios and over forty tiles, players will never experience the same game twice. Combined with straightforward rules and a relatively short playtime, the game offers a great strategic and suspenseful experience for both casual and hardcore gamers.
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One Night Ultimate Werewolf
Published by: Bezier Games Ages: 8+ Players: 3-10 Time: 10 minutes
In this game of deceit and deception, players must deduce who amongst the villagers they play as is a werewolf in hiding. All werewolves must be rooted out to save the village and its citizens. If even one is left undiscovered by the end of the night it will result in a bloodthirsty rampage.
Players take on the role of one of several villagers, each with their own unique story, role, and abilities. The cards representing villagers and werewolves are shuffled and randomly distributed amongst the players. The game is broken up into two phases: night and day. During the night, players will have their eyes closed but will follow instructions and perform different actions based on their roles.
ONUW is supplemented with an app that helps to streamline gameplay and provides guidance on the steps to take for the different types of villagers at nighttime. It will, for example, say “All werewolves look at each other”, or prompt a different type of villager to swap roles with another player. When the night ends and the day phase begins, players share what they know and discuss with each other who they believe the werewolves to be. This phase is timed and by the end of it, players need to decide who they will eliminate from the game.
If all werewolves are eliminated, the villagers win. If however, even one werewolf remains, the villagers lose. It’s an incredibly simple game to learn as there are very few rules and it literally only takes a few minutes to play, which makes it perfect if you’re short on time or need a new and different party game.
Ultimate Werewolf is light on rules but heavy on social interaction, relying on players to bluff their way to victory and use their persuasion and negation techniques to convince other players to side with them. It’s a fast and fun game that pretty much anyone can play and provides an entertaining experience each time.
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Mysterium
Published by: Libellud Ages: 10+ Players: 2-7 Time: 45 minutes
In Mysterium, players become psychic investigators attempting to solve a chilling murder mystery. Alongside an amnesiac ghostly companion, the sleuths are provided with visions that provide them clues to uncover the circumstances and cause of the ghost’s untimely demise. In a cooperative detective game involving deduction and intuition, players will unravel a web of clues to try and identify the culprit before the night is through.
Amongst the 2-7 players involved in each game, all but one players take on the role of various investigators who are invited to a séance. They must work together to identify the correct suspect, location, and murder weapon by the end of the night. They’re assisted by a player who takes on the role of the ghost of the victim. The ghost uses non-verbal communication and what they can remember to guide the investigators to draw the correct conclusion.
Each hour (turn) the ghost gives players vision cards to add to their existing hand of cards. These are dreamlike images that are supposed to help players deduce which suspect corresponds to which card. Players then have a short timeframe to make guesses about which suspect they think committed the murder. If players guess incorrectly they are presented with more vision cards next turn to give them more clues but as players guess correctly they can then move on to try and decipher the location and item used.
The quicker players guess correctly, the more points they gain, which gives them the advantage of making more choices in solving the epilogue phase at the end of the game. After seven hours if the majority of the mediums have guessed correctly the game is won! If not, the crime remains unsolved…
Mysterium provides a fun and thrilling collaborative experience complimented with wonderfully illustrated components. Offering a truly immersive experience, players will need to ensure they use their skills of deduction to their fullest to uncover the mystery and solve the case.
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Blood on the Clocktower
Published by: The Pandemonium Institute Ages: 15+ Players: 6-21 Time: Up to 2 hours
In the town of Ravenswood Bluff, dark secrets run rampant, the promise of treachery and death is abundant, and evil forces lurk in the shadows. As each night passes, murders transpire and suspicions increase. Players must vote and make accusations to try and identify the villainous players in order to save the town and its residents.
In Blood on the Clocktower, players are split between two teams, one good and one evil, all overseen by a storyteller. Their role is to conduct and oversee the action and make crucial decisions. In addition, each player takes on a specific role drawn at random, each with their own set of abilities. The good team wins if the demon running the evil team is executed, the evil team wins if the townsfolk are killed or the demon and one townsfolk are left alone.
Play is split between a night and day phase. During the night, players with special abilities may perform certain actions or find out certain information, whilst other players may be killed off. Player’s eyes are closed at night but the storyteller will wake them and they can use this opportunity to non-verbally ask yes or no questions to try and gain clues as to who is and isn’t on their side. In the day phase, players can have conversations with each other and try and uncover information, or plant seeds of false information, all with the purpose of deciding who to execute.
Players may then nominate and vote for who they think should be executed, whilst giving the nominee and those that nominated them a chance to explain their reasoning and plead their case. This continues until one side meets their win conditions.
Blood on the Clocktower is a fun social party game where deception and bluffing are key. Rules are minimal and the game is much more based on the social interactions between the players, or more accurately how convincing those interactions are in putting the attention on other players.
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Sherlock Holmes Consulting Detective
Published by: Sleuth Publications Ages: 13+ Players: 1-8 Time: up to 2 hours
Walking the streets of Victorian London, players will investigate a series of cases, visit iconic locations, and meet famous faces all present within Arthur Conan Doyle’s stories. Mental agility plays a huge part in this game as players must trace clues, interview suspects, search newspapers for missing clues, and put together the facts to uncover the mystery successfully. This game offers players a chance to become a detective and try to be better than Sherlock Holmes himself.
The game comes with ten different cases to work through, all of which will take 1 to 2 hours each to complete. They’re all quite varied and different involving the likes of dead lions, stolen artwork, and even various cases of murders. When the case is chosen, one player reads the introduction for everyone to hear and the game is officially afoot!
Players choose to meet various contacts, the details of which are included within the game’s documentation, and read aloud a paragraph explaining what happens. Players may be able to use this information to decide who to visit next and pick out important information to help them get closer to uncovering the mystery.
This continues until players feel they have enough information and can explain thoroughly what they believe happened and who the culprit was. After this, there is an official breakdown from the man himself, Sherlock Holmes, where he points out step by step what happened. Scoring is based on how many more or less leads the players followed up on than Holmes did and will lose points based on this. If you follow the same number as Sherlock Holmes then a perfect score is obtained.
This board game is unique in that it’s very light on rules and instead relies on players using their own initiative to decide what to do. Based on the intro to a case and various interactions with characters, players need to deduce what they think they should do and who they should talk to next, and there are very few restrictions. Providing lots of greatly crafted components, the game can be as long and short as players want and provides a significant challenge for those who want a cerebral experience with their board games.
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Whitehall Mystery
Published by: Fantasy Flight Games Ages: 14+ Players: 2-4 Time: Up to 90 minutes
Set against the foggy backdrop of Victorian London, Whitehall Mystery challenges players to engage in a thrilling cat-and-mouse game between the infamous Jack the Ripper and Scotland Yard detectives. One player assumes the role of Jack, secretly plotting his movements across the city to commit nefarious deeds, while the other players take on the roles of detectives tasked with tracking him down.
The game involves strategic movement and cunning deception, with Jack’s player moving secretly on a map of Whitehall. They leave behind clues for the detectives, who must then work together to deduce Jack’s path and anticipate his next moves. The tension mounts as the detectives close in, hoping to capture Jack before he can complete his grim objectives.
Whitehall Mystery is renowned for its immersive experience, drawing players into the dense atmosphere of historical London. Its gameplay balances deduction, risk-taking, and cooperation among the detective players, offering a deeply engaging and suspenseful experience. The game is a test of wit and strategy that promises a gripping tabletop experience, suitable for those who relish psychological thrillers and detective work.
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Insider
Published by: Oink Games Ages: 9+ Players: 4-8 Time: 15 minutes
Insider combines the tension of word-guessing games with the deductive reasoning and intrigue of a social deduction game. Players gather around, one player is secretly chosen as the Insider, they know the secret word that the others will try to guess. The rest of the participants ask yes or no questions to figure out the word before time runs out. However, the game doesn’t end once the word is discovered. The second phase begins where players must identify who the Insider is, adding another layer of excitement and challenge.
The Insider must be subtle, guiding the guessers toward the correct answer without revealing their identity. If the word is guessed within the time limit and the Insider is not identified, the Insider wins. Alternatively, if the group successfully identifies the Insider, the group wins. But here’s the twist – if the group fails to guess the word in time, everyone loses, which of course means the Insider must balance their influence carefully.
Insider is a fast-paced, engaging game that requires quick thinking, strategic questioning, and the ability to read others. It offers a unique blend of cooperation and competition, where communication is key, and everyone has a secret. With its simple rules and quick playtime, Insider is perfect for any game night and is sure to bring laughter, accusations, and revelations to the table. And while the game ends quickly, it’s one you might find yourself playing all night.
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Deception: Murder in Hong Kong
Published by: Grey Fox Games Ages: 14+ Players: 4-12 Time: 20-40 minutes
In the bustling streets of Hong Kong, a criminal mastermind has committed a heinous crime of murder, and it’s up to the investigators to solve the case before the killer slips away. Deception: Murder in Hong Kong is a game of deduction and deceit, where players take on the roles of investigators, forensic scientists, and the murderer among them.
The game begins with the forensic scientist randomly assigning roles, ensuring only they know the true identity of the murderer. The forensic scientist then provides clues to the group through analysis cards, aiming to guide the investigators toward the correct murder weapon and key evidence, all while unable to speak.
The killer twist? Among the investigators, the murderer hides, working to mislead and misdirect the investigation toward innocence. Players discuss their theories based on the clues given, with the murderer trying to derail the discussion without drawing suspicion. The game is a thrilling race against time, where players must use their wits and deduction skills to uncover the truth.
Each round is a tense and engaging experience, as players interrogate one another, analyze the clues, and confront their suspicions. The murderer’s attempts to blend in and misguide add a layer of intrigue and challenge, making every game unpredictable and exciting.
Deception: Murder in Hong Kong is a board game that combines elements of murder mystery with a unique twist, providing an immersive and engaging experience for friends and family. With a vast combination of weapons and evidence cards, no two games are alike, ensuring endless replayability and fun.
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Clue
Published by: Parker Brothers Ages: 8+ Players: 3-6 Time: 45-60 minutes
Clue, also known as Cluedo outside of North America, is the classic whodunit board game that invites players into the mysterious manor of Dr. Black (Mr. Boddy in North American versions), where a dreadful murder has taken place. The objective is simple yet challenging: players must solve the murder mystery by discovering who the murderer is, the murder weapon, and the room in which the crime occurred.
Each player assumes the role of one of the six iconic suspects and moves around the game board, which represents the rooms of the manor. Players gather clues by suggesting combinations of suspect, weapon, and room, forcing others to reveal whether those elements are part of their hidden cards, thereby narrowing the field of suspicion.
The game progresses through a series of deductive reasoning, clever questioning, and strategic movement. A successful accusation means unveiling the three correct cards hidden within the murder envelope, solving the murder mystery, and winning the game.
Clue has captivated families and friends for generations with its simple mechanics, intriguing plot, and the sheer joy of piecing together a good mystery. Its longevity and enduring popularity have made it not only a classic board game but also a cultural icon, inspiring various adaptations in films, books, and other media. It doesn’t have as much depth as other games on this list, but the game’s appeal lies in its perfect combination of strategy, luck, and the timeless allure of a good whodunit storyline, and unlike many games in this genre, Clue is a murder mystery works for the whole family.
Check out our full review here.
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Conclusion: Which Classic Mystery Board Game Will You Choose?
Throughout this article, we have explored three classic mystery board games that offer different experiences and challenges for players. Whether you prefer a collaborative experience with Mysterium, a social party game with Blood on the Clocktower, or a cerebral challenge with Sherlock Holmes Consulting Detective, all three of these games will provide hours of entertainment and mystery-solving fun. So gather your friends and family, put on your detective cap, and see if you have what it takes to solve a mysterious murder.
Frequently Asked Questions about Popular Mystery Games
Q: Are these mystery board games suitable for kids?
A: Yes, these games are family-friendly with supervision. “Insider” and “Clue” are suitable for ages 8 and up, while “Deception: Murder in Hong Kong” is recommended for ages 14 and above due to its mature theme. Consider the child’s maturity and game content for suitability.
Q: How long does each board game last?
A: Game duration varies based on player count and familiarity. “Insider” is a quick 15-minute game, “Deception: Murder in Hong Kong” takes 20-40 minutes, and “Clue” lasts 45-60 minutes.
Q: Is the game setup complicated?
A: No, these games have straightforward setups. “Insider” and “Deception: Murder in Hong Kong” involve role distribution and basic equipment, while “Clue” requires board setup and card distribution. The quick setup ensures you can start playing promptly.
Q: Can these mystery board games be played by two people?
A: “Clue” is a board game that needs at least three players, but “Insider” and “Deception: Murder in Hong Kong” are best played with large groups. For two-player gaming, consider titles designed for that player count. Sherlock Holmes: Consulting Detective is best at two.
Q: Where to buy these board games?
A: Find these games at board game stores online and offline. Compare prices for the best deals. Explore digital versions or apps for tablet or smartphone play.
Q: Are there expansions for these board games?
A: Yes, Deception: Murder in Hong Kong and Mysterium offer expansions with new elements. Look out for these to enhance your board game.
Q: Do these board games boost critical thinking and social skills?
A: Absolutely. These games in this genre promote deductive reasoning, strategy, and communication skills, making playing them entertaining and beneficial for cognitive and social development.