GET YOUR SLEUTH GAME ON! By Yvonne Saxon

Are you and your mystery-loving friends looking for a fun way to challenge your investigative skills? Want to solve a murder without leaving the comforts of home? Or maybe you secretly desire to be the villain every now and then—without committing a crime of course! Why not gather one or more likeminded friends around a tabletop board game and find out which one of you is the best detective? (Or villain, as the case may be!)

 ** For the Victorian sleuth in you **

1. Mysterium by Asmodee is a great group game where players work together to figure out who committed the murder at Warwick Manor, a haunted mansion full of ghosts. Can you and your friends beat the clock to solve the murder while ghosts send messages that may help or hinder you?

2. Also by Asmodee, in Sherlock Holmes Consulting Detective, you can step back in time to help Scotland Yard solve ten cases that get

progressively harder. Play by yourself or with up to eight players to see who’s the best!

3. Victorian Masterminds by CoolMiniOrNot (CMON). In a world where Sherlock Holmes has gone missing, supervillains concoct grand schemes to take over, and the police can’t keep up. You and your fellow players get to be villains, kidnapping scientists, stealing buildings, and sabotaging each other. Will you gather your resources first to finish your scheme and take over the world?

** For the modern detective in you **

1. Deception: Murder in Hong Kong by Grey Fox Games. Will you choose to be the forensic scientist, the investigator, or the murderer? Can you find the murder weapon and the killer or will you evade detection? You get a different role with every game. It’s been called the perfect party game!

2. Ravensburger’s Scotland Yard: Mr. X will lead players on a chase all over London to evade the detectives. You’ll need to work together, using your deductive reasoning,  problem solving skills, and the game board’s intricate map of London. Good Luck!

3. Detective — A Modern Crime Board Game by Portal Games. Can you handle the job of a true detective in a modern setting? You’ll have five scenarios to solve with high quality components and you’ll need to use every tool at your disposal, including checking the internet, your facts, and new clues. Recommended for ages sixteen and up.

4. In Hunt A Killer — Nancy Drew: Mystery at Magnolia Gardens, Nancy Drew asks for your help to determine "who done it." You and your friends develop a timeline by examining testimonials, case evidence and more to crack the case. There’s no maximum player limit so it’s as good for family night as it is for a party.

** For the Clue detective in you **

Of course, no list is complete without Parker Brother’s classic mystery board game, Clue. Was it Professor Plum in the library with the candlestick? Miss Scarlet in the conservatory with the lead pipe? Or was it Harry Potter or Homer Simpson? 

There’s so much more Clue to choose now; you’ll want to investigate all the variations! From a search at nobleknightgames.com you can find the oldest, the updated, and the reimagined. Choose Clue with characters from Game of Thrones, Diary of a Wimpy Kid, Harry Potter, Friends, etc. You can find board games based on Clue, like Clue Escape: Robbery at the Museum, Clue Mysteries, and even Clue-based card and dice games.

***

When you’re looking for a fun challenge to your investigative skills, a cozy evening of deductive reasoning, or just showing your friends you have what it takes to evade capture, look no farther than a mystery game— your inner sleuth will thank you!