The best Detective board games 🕵️‍♂️ 2026

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.

Dixit 3: Journey expands the enchanting world of Dixit with 84 new cards, each adorned with evocative and surreal artwork that stirs the imagination and fuels storytelling. As an expansion to the beloved Dixit game, it enhances the experience by offering a fresh array of visually stunning cards that players can use to inspire their tales, adding depth and variety to the game's creative narrative play.

When I Dream is a whimsical and imaginative board game that delves into the world of dreams, blending elements of storytelling, deduction, and teamwork in a playful setting.

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.

A chill of fear spreads through the streets of Hong Kong. Recently, several murders may have been committed by one of the investigators assigned to solve these cases. The police are bringing in additional support, while the murderer discreetly recruits allies.

The wealthy patriarch Anthony Westongrove celebrated his 70th birthday with family at his estate. However, the festivities took a dark turn when he fell seriously ill and was hospitalized, later revealed to be due to poisoning. The family gathers again, eager to uncover the events of the previous night and determine who attempted to harm Anthony.

It was New Year's Eve at the luxurious restaurant "The Osgood," perched on a mountain ridge overlooking an upscale ski resort in the Rocky Mountains. Chef George Osgood had closed his renowned establishment to celebrate with family and staff, announcing he would reveal his successor that evening. However, just as the midnight celebration began, George was found dead on the terrace, suggesting foul play amid the festive atmosphere. As heavy snowfall delays the authorities, players must solve the mystery of what happened that night.

Embark on a thrilling cooperative adventure with Chronicles of Crime, a unique blend of crime investigation, board game excitement, and a touch of Virtual Reality. Picture yourself at the heart of criminal investigations, where the seamless integration of an app with physical components creates an immersive experience.

An idyllic celebration ends in a death, raising suspicions within the König family. Casper König goes missing right before the event, and his son Egon is found dead the next morning. Players investigate by analyzing letters, interpreting police interrogations, making phone calls, and conducting online research to solve the case. Access to the internet and a phone for receiving text messages is necessary, with a laptop or tablet being helpful but not mandatory.

Chronicles of Crime: 1400 invites players into the heart of medieval Paris, where they embody Abelard Lavel, a knight with a prophetic gift for solving crimes. As a standalone game in the Chronicles of Crime series, it combines familiar investigative gameplay with new elements to create a unique, narrative-driven experience. Players utilize Vision Cards to gain insights into crimes, relying on both futuristic and historical scenes to guide their investigation.

Mysterium is a cooperative mystery-solving game set in the 1920s, where players take on the roles of mediums trying to solve a murder at a Scottish mansion, guided by a ghost who communicates through visions.

Team Santa needs help! An exciting race through the depths of space is about to begin, filled with tricky puzzles. Work hard to find the solutions and win the race. Players aged 10 and up will experience an action-packed story with 24 puzzles, where each day's continuation depends on the solution to the previous riddle.

Sherlock Holmes appointed a group of street children as The Baker Street Irregulars, his unofficial "police force." This is their story, filled with challenging and dangerous events.

The 2025 EXIT advent calendar from Kosmos tells one continuous puzzle story behind 24 doors: a quiet winter hike through the forest ends with a loud bang – and when you wake up, the forest is enchanted, covered in snow and red baubles, and your hands have turned green and furry. Solving the daily puzzles reveals what happened and how to break the spell.

Sherlock Holmes Consulting Detective: Jack the Ripper & West End Adventures is a captivating standalone expansion to the renowned detective game Sherlock Holmes Consulting Detective. This expansion brings updated graphics and adds ten new cases set in Victorian-era London for players to solve. It includes essential detective tools such as a "London Directory," a map of London, and newspaper archives to aid in the investigation.

Players are taken into a British mansion in 1929 for the third case in the Crime Zoom series. This investigation game involves exploring a crime scene spread across multiple cards, revealing clues and items that lead players to solve the mystery. By discussing findings with others, players choose the best clues to pursue, ultimately answering questions to conclude the case and determine the outcome.

Take a tour through the peaceful vineyards and picturesque wineries of California's wine country. During the annual wine tasting festival, the body of local vineyard owner Barry Underwood is discovered hidden in his wine cellar, after being missing for six years. With the finding of his body, new clues emerge to unravel this vintage murder, and you might just be a suspect.

Noir is an expansion written by the talented author Stephane Anquetil, known for his work on Sherlock Holmes Consulting Detective scenarios and other interactive narratives. Players collaboratively assume the role of a private detective using unconventional methods, wielding four action cards: Spy, Break-In, Bribe, and Intimidate. Limited resources make every decision critical, adding a unique twist to crime-fighting. This expansion requires the base game and an app to play, which currently supports specific operating systems without needing an internet connection once downloaded.