9 Best Mystery Board Games Like Clue
Love playing Clue and looking for a similar mystery board game? Then this article is for you. The game of Clue (originally Cluedo) is one of the most popular board games of all time, introducing generations to suspicious characters such as Miss Scarlet and Colonel Mustard. Games like Clue are beloved by families as it teaches both kids and adults how to use logic to find the answer.
There are many other awesome mystery games that you can play as a group, and some you can even play by yourself. In this article, we will mention the 9 Best Mystery Board Games Like Clue that are full of suspense and fun to spice up your game night with some mystery.
Betrayal at House on the Hill
Players : 3-6
Ages: 12+
Game Time: 60 minutes
Complexity: Medium
Release Year: 2010
Betrayal at House on the Hill is a great mystery board game for anyone who loves horror, suspense, and excitement. In this game, you can build a haunted house of your own design. You combine dangerous rooms and creepy tiles; after that, you have to figure out how you’ll escape alive.
It is a cooperative game, so all the gamers must work together to overcome all encounters and win the game. But keep in mind that one player will take the role of the traitor, who will betray the whole team and hamper its strategy.
So, in addition to defeating the monsters and getting out of the house alive, the players have to work together to beat the traitor before the end of the game.
In this game, you can choose from 50 different blood-curdling scenarios, which means that there is always something new every time you play it. If you like playing board games that involve Deception and where you have to strive for survival, then Betrayal at House on the Hill is an excellent choice for you.
Pros
It has high variability and replayability
50 blood-curdling scenarios to choose from
Game components are made of high-quality materials.
Cons
Gameplay may take too long when there are too many gamers.
Final Thoughts
Betrayal at House on the Hill is a great mystery board game where all your suspense-seeking, thrill-probing, and horror-hunting board game desires can be satisfied. This game can accommodate up to 6 players and has a playing time of 60 minutes. It is a great game to add some thrill and mystery to your game night and have fun with family and friends.
Deluxe 221B Baker Street Board Game
Players: 2+
Ages: 14+
Game Time: 30-60 minutes
Complexity: Medium
Release Year: 2016
If you love Sherlock Holmes, then the Deluxe 221B Baker Street is a good choice. In the deluxe version, there are 200 different Sherlock Holmes adventures that you can solve by collecting clues and solving riddles on a Victorian London-themed board.
At the start of a new case, each gamer will get a skeleton key, a Scotland Yard badge, and a solutions checklist. The rest of the badge cards and skeleton key cards go on the board. One gamer will read the case aloud to the other players; after that, he places the case card face up by the board for any gamer to take and review it during the game.
On every turn, the gamer rolls the dice; then, he moves the indicated number of spaces around the board. Depending on the number rolled, you can possibly go into locations around the board, such as the library, museum, or apothecary. If you reach one of these locations on the board, you have to read the corresponding clue for the case and get one step closer to solving the mystery.
The Deluxe 221B Baker Street game can be played competitively to see who can solve the case faster. Or it can be played as a cooperative game where the players team up to solve the cases together. And If you are in the mood to play alone, this game can also be played solo.
Pros
The Deluxe edition has additional, never-before-seen cases.
More fun and intense when there are more players.
it can be played in cooperative, competitive, and even solo gameplay
fun and challenging game for any group of players
A great choice for Sherlock Holmes fans
Cons
Has the tendency to be very challenging.
It might not be a good fit for kids.
Final Thoughts
If you want to play the role of Sherlock Holmes, then the Deluxe 221B Baker Street can be a great choice. This game can be played with 2 players and up, so there is always a place for more people to join. It is a great game for a big group of people to play, especially if they are Sherlock Holmes fans. This game can suit every player’s taste as it can be played competitively, cooperatively, and even solo.
One Night Ultimate Werewolf
Players: 3-10
Ages: 8+
Game Time: 10 minutes
Complexity: Low
Release Year: 2014
If you ever dreamed of having the supernatural powers of a werewolf, then this board game is something you should try. One Night Ultimate Werewolf is a quick game that will take only 10 minutes to finish. It is a great choice for game night with the family or parties with friends.
At the beginning of the game, Everyone secretly gets assigned a role. Some of the most important roles are a seer, minion, robber, werewolf, troublemaker, and tanner. All of the other characters are significant as well, as everyone has special powers and unique traits.
One Night Ultimate Werewolf consists of two phases which are the day phase and the night phase. During the night phase, some gamers will perform night actions while others, such as tanner, villagers, and the hunter, will not do anything during this phase.
During the day phase, the gamers will talk with each other and try to guess who among them is a werewolf. If you find the werewolf, you win, but If you don’t, they win.
There is also a free app that makes playing incredibly engaging and addictive. It is available for Android, iOS, and Kindle Fire users.
Pros
Great concept, fun to act in different roles.
various characters to choose from
A quick game that takes only 10 minutes to finish
Provides hours of fun; it never gets old.
Game mechanics are easy to learn and understand
Tests your observation abilities and deductive skills
Cons
Learning that the werewolf is in the center (not any of the gamers) can be disappointing.
Final Thoughts
Looking for a fun, quick game to break the routine of your next party, then the One Night Ultimate Werewolf is a great choice. It is a 10-minute game that you can play just once or play a whole bunch of them in a row. Also, there are a lot of different characters in this game; you will have a different unique experience every time you play it.
Letters from Whitechapel Board Game
Players: 2-6
Ages: 14+
Game Time: 90 Minutes
Complexity: Medium
Release Year: 2020
Letters From Whitechapel is a bluffing and deduction game. The game is set in Victorian London. It is based on a true story of a dangerous serial killer Jack the Ripper, who actually terrorized the Whitechapel district in the 1800s.
The game brings you back to Victorian London with a board that represents the Whitechapel district in 1888. In this game, one gamer will play as Jack the Ripper, while the others will act as the detectives who will work together to hunt him down. The detectives must find the clues and catch Jack before the end of the game.
The game consists of four nights; each night has two parts and a number of different phases. If Jack kills five victims without being caught, he will win the game. Every game takes around 90 minutes to finish.
Pros
Very thematic and historical.
Rules are easy to learn and understand
Has engaging artwork and effective components.
The game focuses on logic and deduction.
Strategy board game
Cons
Not recommended for those who don’t like murder-themed board games.
Final Thoughts
If you want a detective board game that will put your deduction skills to the test, then Letters From Whitechapel is a good choice.
In this game, you can play as Jack or one of the detectives. With a map that has 199 numbered locations, the locations will be different each time. You can play this game over and over again and have a unique experience every time. Letters From Whitechapel can take up to 6 players; it is a good choice for friends and family gatherings.
Mysterium Board Game
Players: 2-7
Ages: 10+
Game Time: 40 minutes
Complexity: Medium
Release Year: 2015
The game is set in the 1920s, and it revolves around Mr. MacDowell, who detected a supernatural being in his new house. Quickly he gathered mediums, and they tried to communicate with the ghost.
In this game, one gamer will play as the ghost while the other gamers will play as mediums. The mediums will help the ghost to remember what happened on the night of the murder.
The ghost can not speak; he will communicate with the mediums through visions (illustrated cards ). The gamers will try to put together the clues to discover who the killer is, where the crime scene is, and what is the murder weapon.
Once a majority of the mediums successfully determine the answers, the game will end, and the entire team will win. Otherwise, the ghost weakens and disappears, and the game is over.
The game comes with a lot of various cards, the solution differs each time, and everyone wants to take the role of the ghost eventually; this game is highly replayable.
In a way, it is similar to Dixit (when it comes to the cards and how they are used), but as gamers work together, Mysterium offers a far superior experience.
Pros
High replayability
Engaging.
Unique idea
Brilliant artwork on the cards.
Playing as a ghost.
Has a well-thought-out storyline that makes it fun and interesting
A great family board game
Cons
Doesn’t work well with low player numbers.
Final Thoughts
Mysterium is a murder mystery board game; it is a great choice for those who like solving mysteries that deal with the supernatural. The game can accommodate up to 7 players and has a playing time of around 42 minutes; it is a great game for a spooky game night with friends and family.
Sherlock Holmes Consulting Detective – The Thames Murders & Other Cases
Players: 1-8
Ages: 12+
Game Time: 90 minutes
Complexity: Medium
Release Year: 2017
In the Sherlock Holmes Consulting Detective, you are a member of the Baker Street Irregulars, and you have to trace the threads of evidence through the streets of London and try to solve the most heinous crimes.
The game comes with 10 cases to solve. In this game, you will try to outsmart Sherlock Holmes himself; your aim is to solve them faster than Holmes.
The 10 mysteries in this game come with their own case books. Each case book gives you an introduction to the mystery, leads, and solutions that will help guide your way through each mystery.
This game can be played solo or with up to 8 players. It is a great cooperative game and works really well with 2 gamers as well. But you’ll need everyone’s wits to work together to solve the case, so perhaps more input from more gamers is a good thing here. With each case, players will take turns to become the lead investigator who will make the decisions for the next action.
To solve those cases, you need to interview suspects, search newspapers, and walk the streets for clues. After you are done with your investigation, compare your detective skills to the master sleuth himself, Sherlock Holmes.
Sherlock Holmes Consulting Detective comes with a Directory, a map of London, 10 Newspapers, 10 case books, and a rulebook.
Pros
Complex, detailed scenarios where you exercise problem solving and perception
It can be played solo or with up to 8 players
A standalone game with 10 scenarios
High-quality components.
Cooperative gameplay
You get to be like Sherlock Holmes.
Impressive game design and creative writing.
Cons
Low replay value
Final Thoughts
If you want to test yourself against Sherlock Holmes, then this game is a good choice; it can be played solo or with up to 8 players. Sherlock Holmes Consulting Detective is a good game for family and a group of friends who are Sherlock Holmes fans or those who enjoy deciphering clues and solving mysteries. It is a superb game that will put your deduction skills to the test.
Outfoxed
Players: 2-4
Ages: 5+
Game Time: 20 minutes
Complexity: Low
Release Year: 2018
Outfoxed is a game for budding younger detectives. It is designed for players from 5 years old and up and can accommodate up to 4 gamers. It is a game that the whole family can enjoy.
The game goal is simple; you have to find the guilty fox who stole Mrs. Plumpert’s prized pot pie before they reach their den. Gamers will roll the dice to move around the board, finding clues and revealing suspects along the way. If the fox reaches his foxhole, then you have missed your chance.
It is a cooperative game; the players have to strategize and work together to catch the culprit and win. Outfoxed has a playing time of 20 minutes, and the strategy can change each round, making it highly replayable. It is a superb deduction game that your children will love.
Pros
Kids will learn cooperation and deductive reasoning
A great game for primary school-age kids.
Unique theme.
High replayability
Fast-paced, fun game
Builds the trust and confidence in co-players.
Excellent components.
Cons
Only for five-year-old kids or older; younger kids may not enjoy it.
Final Thoughts
If you want to introduce your kids to deduction games, then Outfoxed can be a great choice. It is a great tabletop game that will teach kids deductive reasoning and cooperation.
Outfoxed is also a good choice if you want to have a quick game with your kid before dinner. It is an excellent start and could definitely prepare kids for later games of Cluedo.
Deception: Murder in Hong Kong Board Game
Players: 4-12
Ages: 14+
Game Time: 20 minutes
Complexity: Medium
Release Year: 2020
When you play this game, you will find yourself employing deduction or deception skills; it all depends on which role you will play, the investigator or the murderer.
In Deception: Murder in Hong Kong game, one player takes the role of the murderer, and he will secretly choose his weapon and the evidence he leaves behind. Another gamer will be the Forensic Scientist who holds the solution to the crime, but he can only express his knowledge through analysis of the scene.
The investigators will attempt to interpret the evidence in order to identify the key evidence and the murder weapon needed to convict the criminal. At the same time, the murderer will try to mislead and confuse all the investigators in order to derail the case. Every game will take around 20 minutes to finish, so you can play it more than once in one night. It is a classic whodunit that belongs in every board game collection.
Pros
good party game
Plenty of social interaction
High replayability and variability.
a fast-paced murder mystery game
Fun and exciting game for large groups
Cons
Odds seem to skew in favor of the detectives; it can be hard to win as the murderer.
Final Thoughts
If you love deception-themed movies, games, or T.V. shows, then this game is a good choice. Deception: Murder in Hong Kong is a quick game for up to 12 players; it is a great murder mystery game for a big group of friends and family. The game comes with some different unique roles, so you can play it over and over again and have a fun experience every time.
MicroMacro: Crime City
Players: 1-4
Ages: 12+
Game Time: 15-45 minutes
Complexity: Medium
Release Year: 2020
MicroMacro: Crime City is a cooperative detective game. It comes with a giant game board of 75x110cm. The board is a black and white stylized map that includes buildings, cars, people, events, and crime.
The game comes with 16 cases that you have to solve. Every one of those cases is presented as a deck of cards. You will solve those tricky criminal cases by determining motives, finding evidence, and convicting the perpetrators. In order to reach your goal, you need attention to detail and a perceptive eye.
While the map is physically static, the events are pictured in many stages. For instance, you will see the victim walk down the street, then buy an ice cream a few blocks down, then on the next street; he is killed.
The players have to follow the trail and answer the questions on the case card to discover what happened. Your success is determined by the number of questions you answered correctly.
Pros
Easy to play.
Great fun for the whole family.
Brilliant concept.
the game comes with 16 tricky criminal cases
Cooperative detective game
The highly detailed map
It can be played solo or with a group
Combines card game and board game play
Cons
Limited replayability.
Final Thoughts
MicroMacro: Crime City is a detective board game for players from 12 years old and up; it is a good game to play with family. The game consists of 16 cases that you all need to cooperate and solve one by one. You can play this game solo or with a group of up to 4 players.
