7 detective board games that are better than Cluedo!
Whether you’re walking the streets of Los Angeles in your own noir thriller, chasing leads down the streets of London during Victorian times or analysing clues in a high-tech lab, these detective board games let you live out your own episode of CSI, play through a classic mystery story or become the next Agatha Christie with friends.
0:00 – Intro
1:02 – 1. Consulting Detective
4:17 – 2. Detective: City of Angels
6:42 – 3. Mortum: Medieval Detective
9:16 – 4. MicroMacro: Crime City
12:33 – 5. Deception: Murder in Hong Kong
15:11 – 6. Detective: A Modern Game Board Game
17:57 – 7. Chronicles of Crime
Buy Sherlock Holmes: Consulting Detective here:
(UK) –
(US) –
————————
Join Dicebreaker+ to get access to exclusive videos and perks:
For more news, reviews and recommendations as well as coverage from the world’s biggest board game events, why not check out
Tweet us:
Instagram us:
Like us:
Buy Dicebreaker merch:
For our policies on editorial content and reviews please read here:
What would you want to see added to the shelves of our new set?
Definitely liking the new set, has a bit more character. Hoping it is a permanent change
Oot but for a second i thought the first presenter is Elizabeth Olsen. Nice recommendations btw.
Very nice list! I'd also recommend Awkward Guests, which feels a lot more like Clue(do) on steroids, where the suspects wander around the house and you need to figure out how they got to the crime scene as well as the usual who, what, and why.
Loving the new set! Gives the video more personality
Can't wait for "The Dark Quarter" to come out (from the designer of "Detective: City of Angels") – it's absolutely my jam 😀
Hitting my thumb with a hammer is better than playing a game of Cluedo.
…also Monopoly.
I don't know how but somehow the set change makes the video so much more interesting. Love it.
Another game I would recommend is T.I.M.E Stories. It's like quantum leap meets Sherlock Holmes.
Sherlock is my favourite board game of all time. Was a wonderful 2 player with my partner. Definitely recommend!
(Also fyi, think the description links need updating 🙂 )
Mysterium is rather good.
Awkward Guests should definitely be on this list. I'd also include Inkognito and Obscurio.
Cluedo would be OK if the movement system was better. The main deduction side of it isn't bad, it's just the torture inflicted by the role and move mechanic that kills it. There is a really cool family game Small Detectives where there is a pool of movement cards, so as you use a card, you know you're handing it to an opponent for them to move.
I'd also back the other people who are bringing up Awkward Guests – it also strips the movement system out of Cluedo, and then adds some nuances to the cards which is genius
Consulting Detective and Chronicles of Crime are both fantastic, my wife and I have enjoyed many an evening solving their mysteries. Micro Macro is also good, although as you say play on hard mode otherwise it’s just too easy.
I would add TIME Stories to the list, although more mystery solving than a true detective game, it’s a lot of fun. Quantum Leap meets Groundhog Day in this great game.
Mystery games are fantastic since they both stimulate and entertain my thoughts. I really appreciate the suggestions. 🤓
I’ve missed this sort of video! Also, loving the new set guys
Something I've enjoyed lately is Cat Crimes. I bought it from a charity shop just for the name, but it was a real hit at a recent family gathering. It's a solo game, but easy to make it co-op.
221b baker street was so much better than clue(do). My dad can win clue within a few turns with just lucky guesses. We switched it up and played 221b baker st where you have to actually use clues and i won. He was mad because he was trying to play it like clue
Ty for this