The best board game deductions
The best board game deductions
There are spies, traitors or just a killer outside. Your job is to find out who is or who is who.
Luckily for us, there are some amazing board games with deductions that we can dive into mysteries and explore to the heart ... without the real risk of injury. (Unless things get a little intense and someone turns the board.)
So put on your thinking and look suspiciously at your neighbor because we’re full of the Back Window and take a look at some of the best social deductions we’ve found.
? Our best selections for the best board games with deduction
Are you in a hurry? Check out our favorites below.
The best social deduction
Best for large groups
Best overall
# 1. Decrypto
Decrypto is an interesting game.
Players get a coded message using certain phrases, and then have to decipher the correct word order.
Players must use one-word descriptions to direct their teams in the correct order. It can get pretty intense when the players do their best not to misinterpret things, and as usual with games like this, my brain goes completely off and I forget English .
Decrypto uses an interesting component to reveal the game, similar to the board game Jumanji from the 90s . There are 4 boxes with red plastic wrap. When a player inserts a card into the box, the red film eliminates the nonsense on the cards and allows players to see the text below it.
This is something I haven’t seen done well since I was little.
- Country of origin: China
- A new party for party members, where teammates try to pass on secret codes ...
- Smart components use Anagylph effects to move code ...
# 2. Code names
Code Names is a fun word / fun game . Players are divided into 2 teams and are directed to find spies on the map. Each team has its own spy who knows the location of their spies and must guide their team with one-word hints to the correct map.
It can get very tense and require players to figure out in one word what the spy wants to say. This is a great fun game that has actually changed recently as the 2-player only version, Code Names: Duet .
- Collaborate to get in touch with all your agents in front of others ...
- Perfect fun for fun nights
- 2-8 + player (in two teams)
# 3. Love letter
I love a love letter ...
Okay, maybe that’s too much love, but the game is fantastic. It is a simple (and cheap ) card game in which players count cards and bluff until they win. You can play in a series of rounds for points or just play until you get bored.
Players use different card abilities to eliminate each other until 1 player remains on the stand or when the draw is empty.
The cards in the hands of each player simulate who currently has a love letter to the princess. The card with the highest impact (the card with the highest number) wins this round at the end of the round.
The whole game contains only 16 cards, so there is an element of counting cards that is related to the mechanics of bluffing.
It’s a simple game and I got many years of use from my copy.
- In the package with the Again Products guarantee: authentic, real, ...
- Small packaging for easy carrying Two new character roles ...
- Brand new illustrations give the classic game a fresh, modern ...
# 4. Resistance: Avalon
Avalon is very similar to The Resistance. The powers of the players are small, but the core of the game is the same. That being said, I prefer Avalon over resistance.
And Avalon , as with most social deductions, is every player either a subject of Mordred (a bad boy) or a loyal member of Arthur’s court (a good boy).
The players will try to convince each other that they are good guys so they can be sent on missions in the field. Players will then decide not to succeed or secretly complete the mission. It can become very competitive and heated.
This was perhaps my first real game of social deduction and it has a special place in my heart. I met Kendo for the first time in Oxford and before the date we started playing a lot with Avalon. Honestly, I don't just have fond memories of this game.
- The Resistance: Avalon is a standalone game and while The ...
- For 5 to 10 players
- Playback lasts 30 minutes
# 5. Secret Hitler
Fine. So questionable marketing aside, Secret Hitler is one of the most popular new social deduction games.
To be perfectly clear: not having a pro-Nazi / Hitler mood in the game.
Secret Hitler plays similarly to Avalon and Werewolf , but improves the system (in my humble opinion). A group of liberals hides a fascist faction that is dead to put Hitler in power. Hitler, however, knows that there are followers in the group, but he has no idea who they are.
A few new mechanics and more nuances are added in each side’s win, creating tension throughout the game.
If you love social deduction games, you should try Secret Hitler. If you really oppose Hitler’s theme, you could always get it Trump’s Secret Expansion that replaces Hitler with Trump.
- A quick game of deception and betrayal
- Beautiful wooden components
- Massive game boards with foil insert
# 6. Scam: Murder in Hong Kong
Deception is another social deduction that adds the mystery of CSI murder to the game.
There has been a murder in Hong Kong and the players will become part of the investigation team, but the killer is part of the investigation and can sabotage the investigation from within.
A change in conventional mechanics makes Deception something really special. The roles aren’t necessarily anything we haven’t seen before, but they’re extremely polished and do an amazing job of making a really fun fun game.
- A fast paced murder game in which one of the players ...
- Play with only 4 or as many as 12 players
- Show your sleuthing as forensics
# 7. Refugee
The refugee is set in the world of Burgle Bros., but I can only imagine that he was inspired by Harrison Ford and Tommy Lee Jones from 1993. The film . This two-player cat and mouse game has a runaway player who hides and runs away from the invincible Marshall.
The refugee shows that escaping from Marshall is not only about physical endurance, but also about the mental game of trying to hide and slip.
Each player plays cards with the number 1-42 along with cards for special events. The fugitive's goal is to play cards face down and eventually play the last 42 cards to officially escape. Marshall's job is to discover cards by guessing numbered cards based on available information and stubbornly catching the fugitive.
Almost like a movie ...
# 8
Coup is loosely placed in a world of rebellion (mostly artwork), but this is another game of social deduction. The difference between a game like Coup and Resistance / Werewolf is the number of players required. You’ll need at least 5 to resist, but I’ve actually played quite a few fun games with only 2-3 coup players.
Each player gets 2 hidden cards, which give him a special ability, and in turn they will have the opportunity to perform 1 action. They can request any card and any action, even if they don’t have one, but there are only three of each character on board, so you’ll need to improve your card counting skills.
Coup d'etat is one of my favorite games, which is often taken with us to the bar on Friday nights and always finds its way into my hand luggage while traveling .
- Age Mfg. Minimum: 120.0 months
- For 2 to 6 players
- Play in 15 minutes
# 9. One Night: Ultimate Werewolf
Love or hate, but Werewolf is usually the first game of social deduction for most people, or is a version of it. This is a rerun of the Mafia game in which each player gets a role. There are two sides: Baddies (Werewolves) and Goodies (Villagers). Each side tries to guess the others by their actions and abilities. Some villagers will have special abilities that will allow them to see other players ’cards or many other benefits.
Werewolves try to stay hidden and kill all the villagers.
Werewolf isn’t the perfect game, but with the right crowd (and maybe a few cocktails) it’s a horrible blow. I used to play it all the time with friends on the weekends and even used it as a learning tool when I was teaching 8th grade.
Love or hate, it’s a classic.
- Each player gets a unique role: werewolf, seer, troublemaker, ...
- After a secret night phase that involves switching roles, the players ...
- Includes a free iOS / Android app that makes playing amazing ...
# 10. A fake artist goes to New York
It's one of those games that makes me think, "Why didn't I think about it?"
Fake Artist is a fun game with drawing and deduction. All players will get the same word from the topic except one player. They are fake artists. Each actor alternately draws one line trying to draw the image of the word, and the fake artist tries to merge. Everyone has a different color marker, so everyone knows what everyone drew.
It’s an explosion of fun game and reminiscent of Jack Box Steam games and it’s a great board game where your party will be arguing and having some funny conversations.
# 11. Crossfire
If you are a fan of Specter Ops, you are looking for a social deduction game and you have very specific tastes ... you are in luck.
Crossfire returns to the world of Specter Ops, but changes the basic mechanics. Instead of chasing an infiltrator at the Raxxon facility, you will try to rescue the Raxxon executor from the assassination in broad daylight.
Crossfire has several interesting roles and ways that drastically change the standard social deduction formula and is incredibly fast. During the round, players will be able to see multiple stake cards and shuffle them across the board. So players know little information, but never enough to be 100% sure.
What follows are my favorite parts of every social deduction: lying, asking, threatening, and accusing. Basically, you can say whatever you want to convince your desk of who you are. It's up to you.
Crossfire is a breath of fresh air and its speed is really enjoyable, especially for newer players.
- Return to the world of spectral operations and rejoin dystopian ...
- A tense game of hidden roles for five to ten players
- Use deduction, negotiation and limited information on your ...
# 12. Detective: a social game of modern crime
Okay, this game is cool.
The detective uses "everything and the sink" and then sends you to the Home Depot for more approaches.
Players will have to use everything at their disposal to solve 5 different cases to complete the field 100%, but it is exciting that everything is interconnected. Although this is not obvious at first, each case will be persistently linked to the next.
You will be able to solve several cases and just decipher the final general secret by completing all 5.
The approach to gathering information is also pretty cool. You will have all the case files out of the box, and in addition, you will need to log in to the online game database access device to browse the web for information. This is a concept I’ve seen lately, but it hasn’t been done very well so far.
- Complex detective investigation with hints of general knowledge and ...
- 5 cases of crimes to solve all interconnected and one eloquent ...
- A fully cohesive night game experience
# 13. Chronicles of crime
Chronicles of Crime has it all in a bit and it might be a good transition choice to buy non-players or video players into the experience.
I say experience Instead of playing because Chronicles is different from most board games. For one thing, it needs an app on your smartphone device and maybe even a VR app for your phone.
WHAT ?!
Chronicles uses mixed media to print each item, location, and card with a QR card.
Need to downtown? Scan the card downtown.
Need to ask a forensic lab to check the tip? Scan the forensic lab and then scan the item card.
If you get a separate VR attachment for your phone, you can even see the crime scene in VR!
It’s a crazy concept, but it works well and is something completely unique.
Gimmicky? Maybe.
Great? Definitely!
- Chronicles of Crime is a joint crime investigation game, ...
- With the same physical components (board, locations, signs, ...
- Each script can be its own session or play multiple scenarios ...
# 14. Sherlock Holmes: Counselor Detective
Are you ready to direct your inner Holmes and Watson?
Remember to remove the cocaine ... seriously, Sherlock Holmes was taking cocaine when he wasn't in the case.
Detective counseling is one of my favorite gaming experiences. Put you in the shoes of a famous detective and the players try to solve the matter by discovering clues.
It uses perhaps one of my favorite components in the game so far. Along with the example are several newspapers that can help players get tips and a map of London. It’s a wonderful themed touch that will make you spill paper and scratch your head.
It works especially well as a standalone or two player game .
- NEW STANDALONS IN THE SERIES: As members of Baker Street ...
- MYSTERY COMMITTEE GAME: Solve mysterious cases with an interview ...
- COOPERATIVE GAME: The actors participate as a team of detectives ...
# 15. Alchemists
Ah, the top world of the Academy.
Alchemists are a puzzle in a box that is completely unique. Each player takes on the role of an alchemist who wants to publish his findings.
The match is who will be the first to discover the different combinations. Each game will use a variable setting, so the combinations in each game will be different, which will increase the chance of repeating the game.
Concept and mechanics are a new impetus that really needs an analytical mind to succeed. It’s also one of the most well-crafted games I’ve seen, and it has a lot of quality components.
- Over 13 years old
- 2 to 4 players
- Play time: 120 minutes
# 16. Whitehall's secret
Across London, we find body parts in a mission similar to a man named Jack ...
In the mystery of Whitehall, both sides face off in a battle for intelligence. Jack the Ripper will be running and hiding in the streets of London, and the task force in charge of bringing this fool to court will have to follow the clues and deploy a trawl around the city to bring the man to court.
Whitehall uses a hidden mechanics of movement that allows Jack to remain unnoticed as he crawls through the back streets of London.
Investigators are slower, but they will have to rely on their numbers to catch the craze.
- It draws directly from history for rich detail and dramatic pace
- The new location offers a simplified version of the original game
- Optional rules adapt the game to both new and ...
# 17. Battlestar Galactica: Board Game
Battlestar Galactica is amazing. Show, play and extensions, whatever. My opinion does not change, no matter what we are talking about.
Humanity is almost destroyed and travels the edges of space . Cylons are constantly hunting the last remnants of humanity.
The board game Battlestar Galactica works great in inserting a traitor among the crew, so you’ll really need to pull out all of your deductive reasoning skills to find the hidden Cylon agent.
The layout, themed elements and suspense that Battlestar Galactica throws at players make Battlestar one of my favorite Sci-Fi games of all time.
- Based on the hit TV show SyFy
- Participate in accusations and paranoia as humanity fights for ...
- Age: 10+
# 18. Dead of Winter: A Crossroads Game
I don’t lie, I love zombie games and hidden traitor games .
Dead of Winter is a very themed scary board game in which the zombie Apocalypse has already happened. Governments have fallen and it's over. All we have to do is try to spend another day, but… Winter is coming !
You will have to deal with zombies, survivors, sub-zero temperatures and of course ... betrayal!
The single player character may not be what it seems. You might want to sabotage the whole group and leave with all the loot. Your job is to stop them and drive them away before they do too much damage.
Interesting? See our full review here .
- SURVIVAL GAME: Dead of Winter Crossroads game is an experience ...
- STRATEGY: Players often have to make difficult decisions ...
- COOPERATIVE GAME: While the survivors are all engaged in their ...
# 19. Cryptid
"Cryptide: an animal that has been claimed to exist but has never been proven to exist." - Webster's Dictionary
You’ve done research and dedicated your life to these mysterious creatures, and now the opportunity has finally come for you to finally find it.
You and your fellow researchers will have to find these elusive beasts together ... but who will take the credit?
Each player has a piece of the puzzle that leads to the crypt, but only one can be the first to discover it. Are they sending an expedition to this forest because they really think it’s there, or are they sowing the wrong direction?
You have to take risks and decide for yourself.
- Officially licensed
- 5 booklets with tips / 6 tiles / 54 cards / 100+ wooden counters
- An optional digital companion is available for faster setup
# 20. Captain Sonar
This is probably one of the coolest games on this list. Captain Sonar takes two opposing teams and locks them in an underwater battle of submarines. Each team consists of 2 crew members; Captain, first colleague, radio operator and engineer.
Each player has a different role and must participate in finding the submarine of the opposing team.
This group game creates such a fun gaming experience, especially since the setup requires teams to sit facing each other. This is crucial for the radio operator, as it is their job to listen to another captain trying to find their submarine according to their instructions.
I may just be biased because of my time in the Navy, but Captain Sonar is pretty cool. I may have to tear up my white dress next game.
- A tense new game of two-color submarines for 2 to eight players
- Each player takes on 1 of 4 submarine roles: Captain, ...
- Use submarine systems to find and destroy enemy submarines ...
# 21. Mystery
In a mansion with ghosts, several clairvoyants manage to summon a ggg-ghost. Unfortunately for you, this is a silent victim of a murder with amnesia.
Not seriously, that’s the premise of the game.
Like clairvoyants. players have to decipher the messages left by the ghost to find out who killed him, with what and where. Spoiler Alert! It was Professor Plum with a candlestick in the library.
This is not necessarily a fair comparison. Players will try to find traces of the killer, but this is much more interesting than the old school Clue games. the secret is the more Dixit & Clue Hybrid and it’s one of the most complex, well-crafted games I’ve ever seen.
- Mystery board game: A horrible crime was committed on the ground ...
- Cooperative board game: one player takes on the role ...
- Explaining the vision to solve the mystery: each player explores ...
# 22. Exit the game
The exit is like an escape room in a box.
There are several versions of the game and each has a loose theme that serves as a basis for solving puzzles. Players will need to manipulate the items that come with the box to eventually unlock anything that gets in their way and allow them to EXIT (win) the game.
They did a great job of translating an room to escape to the table. Players will need to cut, tear and install the pieces found in the box together to solve the puzzles. Now you may be wondering, "If I tear / cut pieces, how do I do it again when I'm done?".
Well ... you don't.
The way out is a single game. Either way, you would know how to solve the box puzzle after the first game.
So why would you get it? It’s pretty cheap and it’s a really great date.
# 23. Shadows over Camelot
Camelot is besieged, the Knights of the Round Table are scattered on various missions, and worst of all, there is a traitor among us.
Shadows Over Camelot happens a lot at once. Players must simultaneously defend Camelot, fight in the Black Night, find the Holy Grail, and rebuild Excalibur. All this is happening at the same time and all the time the acting character is actively working against a group from the shadows. You will need to identify the traitor and save Camelot in order to survive the forces of evil.
You can read our detailed review here .
- A unique joint game with a malicious twist
- Great for toys
- Playing lasts 60-90 minutes
Wrap-Up
It’s not all in stupid hats and magnifying glasses.
Deduction games have brought me some of my most rewarding moments in board games. That "Ah-ha!" the moment really gets the adrenaline rush when everything starts to fall into place.
If your favorite game with deductions isn’t on the list, you’d love to hear from you, or if you’d like to talk about some board games, leave a comment below.
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