Deduction games
Everyone holds part of the answer. You ask questions, see cards, and eliminate possibilities until only one answer is left. Luck decides where you start; logic decides who finishes first.
Examples: Cluedo (Clue), Mystery of the Abbey, NoHonor.
Social deduction games
A few players are secretly on another team. Nobody holds cards that prove anything; you win by persuading, bluffing and noticing who is lying.
Examples: Werewolf / Mafia, The Resistance, Secret Hitler, Blood on the Clocktower.
Scripted murder-mystery parties
Each guest gets a character, a costume suggestion and secrets. Over an evening, clues are revealed and the group works out the culprit together.
Examples: boxed murder-mystery party kits and online versions for video calls.
Heist games
You are on the other side of the law: planning a job, splitting the take, or betraying the crew. Some are co-operative, some are deduction, some are bluffing.
NoHonor sits here and in the first group: the crew pulled off the job, someone emptied the safe overnight, and you deduce who, how and where.
Which suits your group?
| Your group likes… | Try |
|---|---|
| Quiet logic, no lying needed | A deduction game |
| Arguing and bluffing | Social deduction |
| Costumes and acting | A scripted murder-mystery party |
| A crime story with a twist | A heist game |
Where to play online
Deduction: NoHonor and Board Game Arena. Social deduction: fan-made browser versions and Discord bots. Murder-mystery parties: kits designed for video calls. See The Best Deduction Games You Can Play in a Browser.
Questions
Is Cluedo a social deduction game? No. You can bluff with your questions, but the answer is decided by the cards, not by who is lying.
What's the difference between a whodunnit and a deduction game? A whodunnit is the story; a deduction game is the mechanism that lets players solve it.
