The best Deduction games 2024

Looking for a game where you have to deduce very well? Then here we have the list of 30 best deduction games for you.

What are deduction games?

Deduction games are games where players have to draw conclusions based on available information. These games are quite diverse and include several different types of logical reasoning. While many social games, such as Bridge or Poker, require the use of deductive/inferential reasoning only to some degree, if at all, deductive reasoning is the central mechanism in deduction games.

The classic among deduction games: Scotland Yard

Cat-and-mouse games like Scotland Yard are a type of deduction game in which players use a series of observations and truthful statements from a player to narrow down the possibilities and catch a constantly moving opponent in the right position.

Another deduction classic: the elimination game Clue

Elimination games like Clue expect players to come to the correct conclusion after narrowing down possibilities from a large list. Signal games such as Werewolf allow for a series of observations and player-driven feedback (which may not be truthful) to draw the correct conclusion from 2-3 main choices. Finally, this category includes induction games like Zendo, where players must deduce a general rule from nearly infinite possibilities.

New Trend: Social Deduction Games

Social deduction games are a related subcategory that is proving increasingly popular and includes games with hidden roles and bluffs such as The Resistance and the Werewolf Series.

Three subcategories: abstract, investigative, social

Deduction board games fall into three broad categories:

  1. abstraction-deduction games (e.g., Mastermind, Zendo, Code 777) and.
  2. investigative deduction games or detective games (e.g., Scotland Yard, Clue).
  3. social deduction games (e.g. Love Letter, Werewolf Series, The Resistance/Avalon)

List of the best deduction games 2024

This list was last updated on October 8, 2024. We compared 4404 board games for this list and selected the top 30. There's also a print version for this list.
  1. Codenames

    All details for the board game Codenames and similar games

    Codenames is a captivating and popular party game that involves clever wordplay and deduction. Two teams compete, each led by a spymaster who knows the secret identities of 25 agents, represented by cards bearing single-word codenames like "disease," "Germany," or even "carrot." The objective is for each team to be the first to correctly identify all their agents based on clues given by their spymaster, while avoiding the dangerous assassin.

    Nominated for 27 awards and won 15.

    ⭐️ Spiel des Jahres 2016

    More details for Codenames
    • 2 - 8 Players
    • 15 Minutes
    • 14+ years old
    • Immediately playable
  2. MicroMacro: Crime City

    All details for the board game MicroMacro: Crime City and similar games

    MicroMacro: Crime City is a unique detective game that immerses players into a detailed and expansive cityscape to solve intriguing crimes. The game centers around a large, detailed map of a city where various crimes have occurred. Players become detectives tasked with unraveling these mysteries using the clues scattered across the city.

    Nominated for 20 awards and won 11.

    ⭐️ Spiel des Jahres 2021

    More details for MicroMacro: Crime City
    • 1 - 4 Players
    • 15 - 45 Minutes
    • 12+ years old
    • Immediately playable
  3. Love Letter

    All details for the board game Love Letter and similar games

    Love Letter is a charming and strategic card game where players vie for the affection of a noble Princess, aspiring to become her most trusted confidant. Utilizing a blend of deduction, risk, and luck, players must navigate the royal court by enlisting influential characters to deliver their love letter to the Princess.

    More details for Love Letter
    • 2 - 6 Players
    • 20 Minutes
    • 10+ years old
    • Immediately playable

    Video reviews for Love Letter

    • YouTube Review for the game "Love Letter" by Shut Up & Sit Down
      Video is in English
  4. The Crew: Mission Deep Sea

    All details for the board game The Crew: Mission Deep Sea and similar games

    The Crew: Mission Deep Sea is a cooperative trick-taking card game that embarks players on an underwater expedition to discover the lost continent of Mu. Building on the foundations of its predecessor, The Crew, this game combines the familiar mechanics of trick-taking with unique cooperative elements and a compelling thematic narrative.

    Nominated for 4 awards and won 3.

    More details for The Crew: Mission Deep Sea
    • 2 - 5 Players
    • 20 Minutes
    • 10+ years old
    • Easy to learn
  5. MicroMacro: Crime City – Full House

    All details for the board game MicroMacro: Crime City – Full House and similar games

    MicroMacro: Crime City – Full House is a captivating detective game that expands upon the original MicroMacro: Crime City. Players become sleuths, examining a giant city map (75 x 110 cm) filled with intricate details to solve various crimes. This edition includes 16 new cases, each offering a unique story and set of challenges that require players to scrutinize the map to uncover hidden information and trace suspects' movements.

    Nominated for 4 awards.

    More details for MicroMacro: Crime City – Full House
    • 1 - 4 Players
    • 15 - 45 Minutes
    • 10+ years old
    • Immediately playable
  6. Codenames: Duet

    All details for the board game Codenames: Duet and similar games

    Embark on a collaborative journey of espionage in Codenames Duet, where the familiar elements of Codenames persist – providing one-word clues to unveil your agents among those on the table. This time, however, you and your teammate work together to uncover all your agents, adding a thrilling cooperative dimension to the challenge. The mystery of not knowing your agents from the outset adds an intriguing layer to the mission, raising questions that even Congressional investigators might ponder later!

    Nominated for 9 awards and won 4.

    More details for Codenames: Duet
    • 2 Players
    • 15 - 30 Minutes
    • 11+ years old
    • Immediately playable

    Video reviews for Codenames: Duet

    • YouTube Review for the game "Codenames: Duet" by BoardGameGeek
      Video is in English
  7. Love Letter

    All details for the board game Love Letter and similar games

    In Love Letter, you must compete with other suitors to deliver a romantic letter to Princess Annette, who has secluded herself in the palace.

    Nominated for 14 awards and won 7.

    More details for Love Letter
    • 2 - 4 Players
    • 20 Minutes
    • 10+ years old
    • Immediately playable

    Video reviews for Love Letter

    • YouTube Review for the game "Love Letter" by Shut Up & Sit Down
      Video is in English
  8. Decrypto

    All details for the board game Decrypto and similar games

    Engage in the riveting team-based challenge of Decrypto, where players strive to correctly interpret coded messages from their teammates while unraveling the intercepted codes of the opposing team.

    Nominated for 14 awards and won 7.

    More details for Decrypto
    • 3 - 8 Players
    • 15 - 45 Minutes
    • 12+ years old
    • Easy to learn

    Video reviews for Decrypto

    • YouTube Review for the game "Decrypto" by BoardGameGeek
      Video is in English
  9. Top Ten

    All details for the board game Top Ten and similar games

    Top Ten is a lively party game that challenges players to creatively rank responses based on humorous or bizarre scenarios. Each player’s task is to align their answer with a secret number they are assigned, ranging from worst (1) to best (10), according to the theme provided by the round's chief. The game combines elements of comedy, strategy, and social deduction as players try to guess and assign the correct rankings to each other's answers.

    Nominated for 5 awards and won 1.

    ⭐️ Nominated for Spiel des Jahres 2022

    More details for Top Ten
    • 4 - 9 Players
    • 30 Minutes
    • 14+ years old
    • Immediately playable
  10. MicroMacro: Crime City – All In

    All details for the board game MicroMacro: Crime City – All In and similar games

    MicroMacro: Crime City – All In is the latest installment in the MicroMacro: Crime City series, offering players a new district of the black-and-white, crime-ridden metropolis known as Crime City to explore. This edition comes with a fresh, large city map that connects seamlessly with the maps from previous games, presenting 16 new and more complex crime cases for players to solve.

    More details for MicroMacro: Crime City – All In
    • 1 - 4 Players
    • 15 - 45 Minutes
    • 12+ years old
    • Immediately playable
  11. Love Letter: Premium Edition

    All details for the board game Love Letter: Premium Edition and similar games

    Love Letter: Premium Edition is an enhanced version of the beloved game Love Letter, offering both physical and gameplay upgrades to the original. This edition brings a new level of sophistication and enjoyment to the game, making it suitable for larger groups and adding variety to the gameplay.

    More details for Love Letter: Premium Edition
    • 2 - 8 Players
    • 20 - 30 Minutes
    • 8+ years old
    • Immediately playable

    Video reviews for Love Letter: Premium Edition

    • YouTube Review for the game "Love Letter: Premium Edition" by Shut Up & Sit Down
      Video is in English
  12. Codenames: Pictures

    All details for the board game Codenames: Pictures and similar games

    Uncover the mystery behind peculiar symbols on the map in Codenames: Pictures, where these enigmatic codes signify locations where spies connect with secret agents. In this clandestine world, two rival spymasters possess knowledge of the agents in each location, communicating coded messages to guide their field operatives to discreet meetings. Operatives must navigate these visual puzzles with utmost precision, as a decoding misstep might lead to an unfortunate encounter with an enemy agent – or worse, an encounter with the deadly assassin! The race is on for both teams to contact all their agents, but only one can emerge victorious.

    Nominated for 3 awards and won 3.

    More details for Codenames: Pictures
    • 2 - 8 Players
    • 15 Minutes
    • 10+ years old
    • Immediately playable

    Video reviews for Codenames: Pictures

    • YouTube Review for the game "Codenames: Pictures" by BoardGameGeek
      Video is in English
  13. Deception: Murder in Hong Kong

    All details for the board game Deception: Murder in Hong Kong and similar games

    Deception: Murder in Hong Kong offers a riveting game of deduction and deception designed for 4-12 players, providing an immersive experience in approximately 20 minutes.

    More details for Deception: Murder in Hong Kong
    • 4 - 12 Players
    • 20 Minutes
    • 14+ years old
    • Easy to learn
  14. A Fake Artist Goes to New York

    All details for the board game A Fake Artist Goes to New York and similar games

    A Fake Artist Goes to New York is a creative and social party game that combines elements of drawing, deduction, and bluffing. It's designed for 5-10 players and offers a unique gameplay experience full of laughter and intrigue.

    More details for A Fake Artist Goes to New York
    • 5 - 10 Players
    • 20 Minutes
    • 8+ years old
    • Immediately playable
  15. Pictures

    All details for the board game Pictures and similar games

    Nominated for 8 awards and won 3.

    ⭐️ Spiel des Jahres 2020

    More details for Pictures
    • 3 - 5 Players
    • 20 - 30 Minutes
    • 8+ years old
    • Immediately playable

    Video reviews for Pictures

    • YouTube Review for the game "Pictures" by BoardGameGeek
      Video is in English
  16. The Resistance: Avalon

    All details for the board game The Resistance: Avalon and similar games

    The Resistance: Avalon is a standalone game set in the legendary world of King Arthur, combining the mechanics of secret identities and deduction found in The Resistance with a thematic backdrop of Arthurian legend and the struggle between good and evil.

    Nominated for 4 awards and won 1.

    More details for The Resistance: Avalon
    • 5 - 10 Players
    • 30 Minutes
    • 13+ years old
    • Easy to learn
  17. Stella: Dixit Universe

    All details for the board game Stella: Dixit Universe and similar games

    Stella: Dixit Universe offers a fresh and competitive twist to the beloved Dixit game, inviting players to dive into a world where interpretation and intuition meet under the stars. As Starseekers, players will explore thematic imagery on Dixit cards, using a shared clue to guide their choices and strategically score points by aligning their interpretations with those of others.

    Nominated for 8 awards and won 1.

    More details for Stella: Dixit Universe
    • 3 - 6 Players
    • 30 Minutes
    • 8+ years old
    • Immediately playable
  18. Detective Club

    All details for the board game Detective Club and similar games

    Detective Club is a social deduction and party game that involves both cooperation and deception. Players are drawn into rounds of intrigue, where one player secretly passes clues to their accomplice to reveal a secret word, while others, acting as detectives, try to unveil the conspiracy. Creativity and persuasion play crucial roles as players discuss and defend their choices to avoid suspicion.

    Nominated for 6 awards and won 3.

    More details for Detective Club
    • 4 - 8 Players
    • 45 Minutes
    • 8+ years old
    • Immediately playable

    Video reviews for Detective Club

    • YouTube Review for the game "Detective Club" by BoardGameGeek
      Video is in English
  19. MicroMacro: Crime City – Showdown

    All details for the board game MicroMacro: Crime City – Showdown and similar games
    • 1 - 4 Players
    • 15 - 45 Minutes
    • 12+ years old
    • Immediately playable
  20. Secret Hitler

    All details for the board game Secret Hitler and similar games

    Secret Hitler is a compelling board game set in the tumultuous political landscape of 1930s Germany. This game of deception and deduction requires players to conceal their identities while working towards opposite goals, depending on whether they are liberals or fascists.

    Nominated for 1 award.

    More details for Secret Hitler
    • 5 - 10 Players
    • 45 Minutes
    • 13+ years old
    • Easy to learn
  21. Outfoxed!

    All details for the board game Outfoxed! and similar games

    Outfoxed! invites you into a whimsical detective chase after Mrs. Plumpert's missing prized pot pie. It's a cooperative game where players work together to gather clues, eliminate suspects, and catch the cunning fox before it escapes. The game introduces a unique evidence scanner mechanism that adds a fun twist to deducing the thief among a lineup of potential foxes.

    Nominated for 3 awards and won 2.

    More details for Outfoxed!
    • 2 - 4 Players
    • 20 Minutes
    • 5+ years old
    • Immediately playable
  22. Werewords

    All details for the board game Werewords and similar games

    Werewords is a fast-paced word-guessing game blended with the intrigue of a hidden role mechanism. In this engaging party game, players work together to guess a secret word, while also navigating the deceit of a werewolf who knows the word but is trying to lead them astray.

    Nominated for 2 awards and won 1.

    ⭐️ Nominated for Spiel des Jahres 2019

    More details for Werewords
    • 4 - 10 Players
    • 10 Minutes
    • 8+ years old
    • Immediately playable
  23. One Night Ultimate Werewolf: Daybreak

    All details for the board game One Night Ultimate Werewolf: Daybreak and similar games

    One Night Ultimate Werewolf: Daybreak is a standalone expansion to the popular social deduction game One Night Ultimate Werewolf. Designed for 3-7 players, Daybreak offers a quick, engaging experience where everyone gets a hidden role with a special ability. In the span of just one in-game morning, players must deduce who among them is a werewolf, with the game's outcome hinging on uncovering at least one werewolf.

    Nominated for 1 award.

    More details for One Night Ultimate Werewolf: Daybreak
    • 3 - 7 Players
    • 10 Minutes
    • 8+ years old
    • Immediately playable

    Video reviews for One Night Ultimate Werewolf: Daybreak

    • YouTube Review for the game "One Night Ultimate Werewolf: Daybreak" by BoardGameGeek
      Video is in English
    • YouTube Review for the game "One Night Ultimate Werewolf: Daybreak" by Shut Up & Sit Down
      Video is in English
  24. Love Letter: Adventure Time

    All details for the board game Love Letter: Adventure Time and similar games
    • 2 - 4 Players
    • 20 Minutes
    • 10+ years old
    • Immediately playable
  25. Phantom Ink

    All details for the board game Phantom Ink and similar games

    Nominated for 2 awards.

    More details for Phantom Ink
    • 4 - 8 Players
    • 10 - 15 Minutes
    • 13+ years old
    • Immediately playable
  26. Insider

    All details for the board game Insider and similar games

    Insider is a unique board game that offers a fresh and engaging experience for players. With its distinctive gameplay and innovative mechanics, it stands out in the world of board games.

    Nominated for 2 awards and won 1.

    More details for Insider
    • 4 - 8 Players
    • 15 Minutes
    • 9+ years old
    • Immediately playable

    Video reviews for Insider

    • YouTube Review for the game "Insider" by BoardGameGeek
      Video is in English
    • YouTube Review for the game "Insider" by BoardGameGeek
      Video is in English
  27. Tempel des Schreckens

    All details for the board game Tempel des Schreckens and similar games
    • 3 - 10 Players
    • 15 Minutes
    • 8+ years old
    • Immediately playable

    Video reviews for Tempel des Schreckens

    • YouTube Review for the game "Tempel des Schreckens" by BoardGameGeek
      Video is in English
  28. The Resistance

    All details for the board game The Resistance and similar games

    The Resistance is a dynamic party game focused on social deduction, set against the backdrop of a dystopian empire. It's designed for five to ten players and offers a thrilling experience of intrigue and deception.

    Nominated for 3 awards.

    More details for The Resistance
    • 5 - 10 Players
    • 30 Minutes
    • 13+ years old
    • Easy to learn
  29. One Night Ultimate Werewolf

    All details for the board game One Night Ultimate Werewolf and similar games

    One Night Ultimate Werewolf is a dynamic and fast-paced game for 3-10 players that brings the excitement and deduction of werewolf stories to your tabletop. This game is all about quick thinking, bluffing, and trying to outsmart your friends.

    Nominated for 4 awards.

    More details for One Night Ultimate Werewolf
    • 3 - 10 Players
    • 10 Minutes
    • 8+ years old
    • Immediately playable

    Video reviews for One Night Ultimate Werewolf

    • YouTube Review for the game "One Night Ultimate Werewolf" by BoardGameGeek
      Video is in English
    • YouTube Review for the game "One Night Ultimate Werewolf" by Shut Up & Sit Down
      Video is in English
  30. Star Wars: Jabba's Palace – A Love Letter Game

    All details for the board game Star Wars: Jabba's Palace – A Love Letter Game and similar games
    • 2 - 6 Players
    • 20 Minutes
    • 10+ years old
    • Immediately playable

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