Are you looking for the best mystery board games to fill your evenings with fun and thrills?
You’ve come to the right place.
Who doesn’t love a good mystery, after all? They’re great for getting your mind churning, as well as encouraging fun conversations with friends and family.
Whether your mystery games involve devilish deceit as you try to trick your fellow players or strategic teamwork, there’s plenty of excitement to unravel.
All you need to do first is find the game that’s right for you.
We’ve searched through some of the most compelling mystery board game ideas from this year and the years gone by, to bring you a list of titillating top performers.
Here are just 9 of the best mystery board games for your next whodunnit game night.
1. Clue – Best Traditional Mystery Board Game
Let’s start with an option you’ve probably already heard of. Clue is one of the most well-known mystery board games on the market.
Designed by the team at Hasbro, over the years, Clue has evolved to take on a variety of themes, branching all the way from Disney to Harry Potter.
The appeal of Clue as an easy-to-follow and fun game means that it’s continued to hold onto its popularity for decades.
Now, it’s known as the classic “Who Dunnit” option in board games.
The purpose of Clue is to dole out cards amongst players and let them use those cards to make deductions about who might have been the person behind a terrible murder.
You need to find out which room the murder occurred in, who did the deed, and what weapon was used for the crime, all while using a careful strategy to ensure you don’t give the game away to your fellow players.
2. Betrayal at House On The Hill – Best Rated
Regarded as one of the best mystery board games to appear on the market for several years, Betrayal at House on the Hill is excellent for mystery buffs.
Less of a traditional game, Betrayal takes a modern approach to mystery by asking people to explore a creepy house on top of a hill, looking for clues, and hints on the kind of mysteries that are hidden within.
The game is designed to be a little creepy – but honestly, it’s still not scary enough that you’re going to feel truly chilled when playing with it.
The good news is that there are up to 50 fiendish scenarios that you can come across within the house, so you can play the game time and time again without getting a repetitive experience.
Players explore tiles and perform haunts when people secretly attempt to betray each other.
This game will require your very best detective work, and it’s ideal for 3 to 6 players.
Here’s our full guide on how to play and set up the game of Betrayal at House on the Hill.
3. Escape the Crate – Best Escape Room
Escape rooms have become incredibly popular in the mystery circle these days. It’s a craze that’s growing all around the world.
The idea is to stuff a bunch of people into a room and lock it from the outside while they attempt to solve the puzzles that will lead to their freedom.
A set-up like this is perfect for those who love problem-solving.
One of the highest-rated options that we’ve found in the escape room board game market so far is “Escape the Crate“.
This game comes with everything you need to recreate the experience of an escape room within your own home.
The good thing about this game is that while there is some competition involved, it’s essential to work together too.
The resulting experience is great for breaking the ice – even if you’re looking for something to do with the team at work.
4. Family Pastimes Secret Door – Best for Simplicity
If you’re looking for the best mystery board games you can play when you’re pressed for time; then you’re sure to appreciate the simplicity of Family Pastimes Secret Door.
This fantastic game is available for a pretty low budget price, which makes it excellent for anyone with a budget to stick to.
It’s also an award-winning game, so you can rest assured that it’s made with quality in mind.
To play this game, you’ll need to work together with your team members to figure out the mystery behind the secret door.
The cooperative element means that everyone is part of the same team, discussing ideas and coming up with strategies as they go.
This game is ideal for up to 8 players at a time – and the more people you get involved the more fun you’ll have.
It’s even a good option for children because it’s straightforward to understand the rules.
However, you do need to remember a few things, so make sure that everyone can focus before you get started.
5. Asmodee Mysterium – Best for Kids
If you’re looking for mystery board game ideas to keep the kids entertained, then you’ll love the experience that you get with Asmodee Mysterium.
This board game comes with all the intrigue and clever ruses that you would expect from a mystery title. However, it’s not so complicated that your kids won’t understand how to play.
This option is an excellent choice for families who want to focus on cooperation, instead of competitive game-play too.
Essentially, everyone wins, or everyone loses.
The players (2-7) will need to investigate a case like detectives, looking into a crime that has been committed in Warwick Manner.
It’s up to you and your family to find out what happened, and who was the cause of the disaster.
All the while, one player acts like a ghost, attempting to reveal clues to the others about the murder.
This means that the remainder of the players are all psychic investigators with their own unique powers. It’s a fun and unique approach to the mystery genre.
Learn more about how to play Mysterium.
6. Deluxe Baker Street Game – Best Multi-Adventure
One of the biggest problems that players have when it comes to finding the best mystery board games is that the same story can get stale after a few times playing through it.
This could mean that you end up spending more money on a new mystery every time you want something fun to play.
Fortunately, that doesn’t need to be the case with the Deluxe 221B Baker Street Game.
The most impressive thing about this board game is that it’s designed to give you a new adventure every time you play it.
As you might expect from a game based on Sherlock Holmes, the game is set in Victorian England, where players need to walk around London solving various cases as they occur.
In every game, you might end up solving a dozen different situations, each with their own unique story and background.
You can play with up to 6 players without the action getting too confusing, and it’s suitable for players down to the age of 14 too.
7. Scotland Yard – Best Deduction Game
If you love mimicking the style of the great Sherlock Holmes when playing the best mystery board games, then you’re going to get a kick out of the Scotland Yard family game.
This unique mystery board game is all about putting clues together, sleuthing around a crime scene for evidence, and connecting the dots in crimes.
You get everything you need in this board game for an exciting educational experience – making it great for children too.
The Scotland Yard Game asks you to hunt down a criminal named Mr. X in London.
Each round, Mr. X will make a move that leaves clues behind for the other players to find.
The thing that makes this game so impressive is the fact that you need to pay attention to the tiny details if you want to solve the crimes.
It’s fantastic for improving the observation and deduction skills of children aged 8 and up.
8. Letters from Whitechapel – Best One Vs. Many
Have you ever wanted to prove that you can outwit all of your friends and family members?
You can do just that with the Letters from Whitechapel game by Fantasy Flight Games.
This is one of the older mystery games in our list, but it’s still a fantastic option for anyone in search of a thrilling night of fun.
One person plays as Jack the Ripper – the infamous murderer. Each night, that player chooses a place where they will make Jack’s Home.
At the beginning of each round, they need to kill a person, then make it back home before being caught.
The killer needs to work with strategy to make sure that the other players don’t figure out where their home is or capture them.
The game can get pretty intense at times, so it’s probably not best for any younger children under the age of 13.
9. Deadbolt Mystery Society – Best Monthly Mystery
If you’re a true lover of mystery board games, and can never seem to get enough opportunities to play, then why not try signing up for a monthly subscription?
The Deadbolt Mystery Society is a unique board game experience that delivers everything you need for a brand-new mystery experience each month.
When you sign up, you’ll pay a fee once a month to receive an amazing puzzle-based game to your door step every 30 days.
The box comes with a stand-alone case file including everything you need to work with your team on solving a unique mystery.
It’s the perfect way to improve your skills as an amateur sleuth and satisfy your puzzle cravings too!
There are 3 and 6 month subscriptions available depending on how long you want to play for.
What do you think of our selection of the best mystery board games for 2021?
Let us know if we’ve missed any of your top picks in the comments below!
