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Best games like Clue (2026): Clue has been the go-to murder mystery board game for decades, and for good reason. Asking questions, ruling out suspects and making the big accusation never gets old. But if your family knows every card by heart, there is a whole shelf of newer mystery games that keep the detective feeling and change everything else. Some add a hidden murderer at the table, others use an app or a real logic puzzle, and a few are built for kids.
Best game like Clue for groups: Deception: Murder in Hong Kong
One player secretly is the murderer, one is the forensic scientist who knows the answer but can speak only through clue tiles, and everyone else investigates. It seats 4 to 12 and plays in about 20 minutes, which makes it the best Clue-style game for parties.
Price band: $30+ (about $45) · Check today’s price on Amazon
Games like Clue at a glance
Pick by group size and age.
- Best for groups: Deception: Murder in Hong Kong — hidden murderer, 4–12 players (about $45)
- Best cooperative case: Chronicles of Crime — app-assisted crime scenes (about $28)
- Best for adults: Detective: A Modern Crime Board Game — five linked cases (about $30)
- Best for kids: Sherlock Files Jr. — three family-friendly cases (about $25)
What makes a good Clue alternative
Clue works because you gather information bit by bit and race to be first with the right answer. The best alternatives keep that deduction loop and change one major thing. Deception puts the culprit at the table. Chronicles of Crime and Detective turn you into a team of investigators. Mysterium Park swaps questions for picture clues from a ghost. Pick based on whether your group wants to compete, cooperate or simply solve.
1. Deception: Murder in Hong Kong — best party-sized murder mystery
Players: 4–12 · Price band: $30+ (about $45) · Pick for: Best party-sized murder mystery · See Deception: Murder in Hong Kong on Amazon
The forensic scientist places markers on scene tiles to guide investigators toward the murderer's weapon and key evidence. The murderer tries to steer the conversation away, and a witness role adds a twist at the end. Rounds last about 20 minutes.
If your group loves bluffing as well as deduction, also check our social deduction party games.
Skip it if: you usually play with three or fewer. It needs at least four.
2. Chronicles of Crime — best cooperative investigation with an app
Players: 1–4 · Price band: $20–$30 (about $28) · Pick for: Best cooperative investigation with an app · See Chronicles of Crime on Amazon
Players work as a team, scanning location, character and evidence cards with a free smartphone app. The app lets you look around crime scenes in virtual reality, question suspects and follow leads against the clock. Multiple scenarios are included.
It feels like playing through a detective TV episode together.
Skip it if: you want a screen-free night. The app is required.
3. Detective: A Modern Crime Board Game — best deep case file for adults
Players: 1–5 (ages 16+) · Price band: $20–$30 (about $30) · Pick for: Best deep case file for adults · See Detective: A Modern Crime Board Game on Amazon
Five interconnected cases tell one larger story. You use clues, general knowledge and an online database to investigate, and each case takes two to three hours. It is fully cooperative and can be played over video calls.
Pick it for serious mystery fans who enjoy true crime podcasts.
Skip it if: you want something under an hour or suitable for kids.
4. Mysterium Park — best cooperative ghost mystery under $30
Players: 2–6 (ages 10+) · Price band: $20–$30 (about $30) · Pick for: Best cooperative ghost mystery under $30 · See Mysterium Park on Amazon
One player is a ghost who sends illustrated vision cards, and everyone else is a psychic trying to work out the culprit and location before the carnival leaves town in six nights. It is a smaller, faster take on the original Mysterium and needs no reading.
Families with kids ten and up enjoy the visual puzzle.
Skip it if: your group struggles with open-ended picture clues.
5. Sherlock Files Jr.: Introductory Investigations — best first mystery for kids
Players: family · Price band: $20–$30 (about $25) · Pick for: Best first mystery for kids · See Sherlock Files Jr.: Introductory Investigations on Amazon
Three silly cases, such as tracking down a missing meerkat from the zoo, ask your team to sort real clues from misleading ones and piece together the evidence. It is a standalone game that needs no other Sherlock Files box.
It is a great bridge from kid games to proper deduction.
Skip it if: your kids are already teens. Try Mysterium Park or Deception instead.
6. Deduckto — smallest and cheapest mystery game
Players: 2–4 (ages 8+) · Price band: $10–$20 (about $11) · Pick for: Smallest and cheapest mystery game · See Deduckto on Amazon
Each player tries to deduce their own secret character, location and disguise from clues given by others. It teaches in under two minutes and plays in about 15, and the box fits in a pocket.
It is a terrific stocking stuffer for a family that enjoys Clue.
Skip it if: you want a full murder mystery story.
Choosing the right mystery game
| If you want… | Pick | Why |
|---|---|---|
| A party game | Deception | Up to 12 players |
| A team case | Chronicles of Crime | Cooperative with an app |
| An evening-long case | Detective | Two to three hours each |
| Something for kids | Sherlock Files Jr. or Deduckto | Short and simple |
Hosting a mystery night
Mystery games are more fun with a little atmosphere. Print name cards for suspects, dim the lights, and keep a notepad and pencil for every player, even in games that include their own sheets. For party-sized groups, run Deception first while people arrive, then move to a cooperative case once everyone has settled in. Kids enjoy wearing a detective hat or carrying a magnifying glass, which turns Sherlock Files Jr. into a full evening.
Prefer classic Clue itself?
If you want the classic itself, the Clue Classic Edition from Winning Moves brings back the original suspects with metal weapons for three to six players. Our Clue rules guide covers setup and tips for winning.
Games like Clue questions
What is the closest game to Clue?
Deception: Murder in Hong Kong keeps the who-did-it feel, with a culprit hiding among the players.
Is there a cooperative version of Clue?
Not officially, but Chronicles of Crime and Mysterium Park are cooperative mysteries.
What mystery game is good for kids?
Sherlock Files Jr. and Deduckto are both easy and family friendly.