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Detective Club

Game ID: GID0093244
Collection Status
Description

Detective Club is a board game for players who enjoy party games, with simple rules that take just a minute to explain. Intrigue, sudden revelations, limitless creativity, and tons of fun await you in this game! Lead the investigation as a detective, or cover your tracks as the infiltrated conspirator. Discuss, accuse, object and try to convince everyone.

In Detective Club, on each round, one of the players secretly teams up with another — the Conspirator — and tries to make them guess a secret word using just two illustrated cards! Other players are detectives, who also know the word, but don't know the identities of each other. Detectives have to find out who the conspirator is, making sure they don't get accused by their fellow players!

Year Published
2018
Transcript Analysis
Browse transcript mentions, sentiments, pros/cons, mechanics, topics, quotes, and references.
Total mentions: 10
This page: 10
Sentiment: pos 9 · mix 0 · neu 1 · neg 0
Mentions per page
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Showing 1–10 of 10
Video gukAKNWVJ6Y No Rolls Bard playthrough at 0:49 sentiment: positive
video_pk 13503 · mention_pk 39489
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Overall sentiment (raw)
positive
Pros
  • provides broad interpretive space for players to weave stories from abstract imagery
  • strong social dynamics: bluffing, reasoning, and group discussion
  • card artwork and prompts generate rich, playful interpretations
  • blends Dixit-like prompts with spy/deduction vibe for a fresh hybrid
Cons
  • can be opaque if players overthink or misread clues
  • some cards may feel too cryptic for casual players
  • scoring depends on collective understanding of who is conspirator, which can be noisy
Thematic elements
  • bluffing, concealment, and storytelling through abstract clues
  • Casual, social game session in a board game café/studio environment
  • surreal, whimsical prompts that players weave into narratives
Comparison games
  • Dixit
  • Spyfall
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
  • clue writing with almost all-but-one — the clue giver writes a clue on each card except one, then places cards down to align with that clue; conspirator must misdirect while others deduce
  • public-conspiracy/round-based deduction — the group votes on who they think the conspirator is; scoring rewards successful detection or successful deception
  • silent card placement and storytelling — after clues are placed, players explain their choices, weaving a story that connects cards to the clue
Video topics + discussion points
No key topics recorded for this video.
Quotes (from this video)
  • it's like dixit on steroids
  • this is a total joy prepare to make some hunches as we play detective club
  • we wind basically it's dixit meets spyfall
  • the clue giver writes clues on all of these pads apart from one
  • it's a very snazzy collection of lies
References (from this video)
No references stored for this video.
Video tImgp2LROc0 The Broken Meatball top_10_list at 8:01 sentiment: positive
video_pk 12817 · mention_pk 37404
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Overall sentiment (raw)
very_positive
Pros
  • More fun and zany than Spyfall
  • Uses engaging Dixit cards
  • Host rolls out of chair laughing every game
  • Better for teaching new players
  • Less uncomfortable for new players
  • Never gone down badly in group play
Cons
  • Takes 45 minutes to an hour versus Spyfall's 8 minutes
  • Some players might feel uncomfortable being on the spot
  • More complex than Spyfall
Thematic elements
  • mystery solving
  • deduction
  • social interaction
Comparison games
  • Spyfall
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
Mechanics unknown.
Video topics + discussion points
No key topics recorded for this video.
Quotes (from this video)
No quotes stored for this video.
References (from this video)
No references stored for this video.
Video ayrMvbT5hgY The Dice Tower general_discussion at 1:28 sentiment: positive
video_pk 8925 · mention_pk 26340
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Overall sentiment (raw)
positive
Pros
none
Cons
none
Thematic elements
Comparison games
none
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
Mechanics unknown.
Video topics + discussion points
No key topics recorded for this video.
Quotes (from this video)
  • Times Up, one of the greatest party games ever.
  • Pictures is a game I don't understand.
  • Just One's such a great game. It works in every situation.
  • Detective Club where everyone's lying.
References (from this video)
No references stored for this video.
Video xKOXhqQR1kc The Secret Cabal general_discussion at 14:50 sentiment: positive
video_pk 8781 · mention_pk 25903
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Overall sentiment (raw)
positive
Pros
  • Accessible party game with storytelling elements
  • Good icebreaker for groups
Cons
  • Loud convention environment can hamper clarity
  • Demo may not reflect full game depth
Thematic elements
  • mystery and deception
  • party game with dreamlike imagery
  • social deduction with visual prompts
Comparison games
  • Mysterium
  • Dixit
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
  • bluff detection — players guess who wrote which card and who is bluffing
  • reusability with card expansions — cards can be used with Myste ri um or Dixit as expansions
  • secret word and card drafting — one player writes a word; others place cards that hint at it
Video topics + discussion points
No key topics recorded for this video.
Quotes (from this video)
  • you can mix these guys you can take Robin Hood against King Arthur
  • detective club was really interesting; it's kind of like a party game
  • Black Angel seems great and the board is really bold
  • Court of the Dead looks really pretty and the minis are fantastic
  • we backed Arena the Contest, we got a con-exclusive promo
References (from this video)
No references stored for this video.
Video f9x0DLrug4Y Board Game Coffee general_discussion at 22:11 sentiment: neutral
video_pk 8029 · mention_pk 23630
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Overall sentiment (raw)
neutral
Pros
  • Fun party-style deduction with light rules
  • Quick to teach and play
  • Good for social gatherings
Cons
  • May rely heavily on players' social dynamics
  • Not a deep strategy game
Thematic elements
  • Mystery solving in a social setting
  • Deductive social intrigue with hidden roles
  • Light mystery with social deduction flavor
Comparison games
  • Dixit
  • Codenames
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
  • Social deduction / guessing — Players deduce about a card or theme while others hide information
  • Word/idea association prompts — Players describe a concept to guide others toward a correct guess
Video topics + discussion points
No key topics recorded for this video.
Quotes (from this video)
  • it's the best game ever
  • this game is a nut job
  • the art is amazing the storytelling is amazing
  • Nemesis is fan Fantastic so it's it's semi-cooperative I guess it depends
  • it's the best alien game I've ever played that's not the alien license
  • Photosynthesis is a beautiful game
  • the core box is amazing
  • it's so heavy but it's worth it
  • awaken Realms sponsor this they’re so awesome
References (from this video)
No references stored for this video.
Video 0PCivhXQ2Vo Board Gameco top_100_list at 1:54 sentiment: positive
video_pk 5960 · mention_pk 17665
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Overall sentiment (raw)
positive
Pros
  • beautiful card art
  • fun group dynamics
  • engaging social play
Cons
  • depends on players' social skills
  • can be chaotic with large groups
Thematic elements
  • artful clues and social interaction
  • image-driven party game with deduction
  • humorous, light-hearted deduction
Comparison games
none
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
  • image-based clues — cards depict images; players provide clues to guide others
  • social deduction — one player tries to blend in while others infer
Video topics + discussion points
No key topics recorded for this video.
Quotes (from this video)
  • Detective Club is going to be one where you have these different cards that are all different kinds of images that are really beautiful and very unique
  • it's a clever timeline; accessible and easy to explain to anyone
  • the expansion really elevates the gameplay on Aquatica
  • it's the best slaughter game and it's very deep, but accessible
References (from this video)
No references stored for this video.
Video EorXZpwIINc Cardboard Rhino game_review at 3:13 sentiment: positive
video_pk 5573 · mention_pk 16598
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Overall sentiment (raw)
positive
Pros
  • Combines elements of Dixit and Spyfall
  • Entertaining bluffing mechanism
Cons
  • Challenging for bad liars
Thematic elements
  • Bluffing and hidden information
  • Social deduction game
  • Players try to identify a conspirator
Comparison games
  • Dixit
  • Spyfall
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
  • card selection — Players choose cards to match a secret topic
  • Hidden role — One player doesn't know the topic and must bluff
Video topics + discussion points
No key topics recorded for this video.
Quotes (from this video)
  • vacations are hard because you can't really bring with you your entire library of board games
  • summer and games are all about being carefree and having fun
References (from this video)
No references stored for this video.
Video Wujn-PheAqg Actual Oh top_10_list at 23:43 sentiment: positive
video_pk 5257 · mention_pk 15548
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Overall sentiment (raw)
positive
Pros
  • hidden traitor twist adds tension
  • strong storytelling and accessibility
  • visually appealing cards
Cons
  • can feel long or daunting for some players
Thematic elements
  • interpretation, deception, and narrative construction
  • hidden traitor with storytelling and notepads
  • mystery, improv
Comparison games
  • Spy for Fake Artists
  • Ghosts in New York
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
  • hidden traitor — one player is secretly traitor; others try to deduce through clues
  • Notepad clue cards and explanation — players hand out words and cards and explain connections to the group
Video topics + discussion points
No key topics recorded for this video.
Quotes (from this video)
  • I love the frenetic pace to it
  • it's insane listening to your teammates trying to work out what the hell you mean
  • Detective Club fixes all of those things
  • Detective Club is my favorite party game of 2018
  • it just puts you back in that moment
References (from this video)
No references stored for this video.
Video OdOX4X-Hwos Actual Law - Anjaan Perkis general_discussion at 0:05 sentiment: positive
video_pk 1532 · mention_pk 4393
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Click to watch at 0:05
Overall sentiment (raw)
positive
Pros
  • Fun party game with strong social interaction
  • Accessible art cards and thematic feel
  • Fast, snappy rounds with discussion and interpretation
Cons
  • Performance depends on group dynamics; quieter players may be less engaged
  • Some players may rely on storytelling more than others
Thematic elements
  • artistic interpretation, word association, spy dynamics
  • party/social deduction with art cards
  • descriptive justification by players, bluffing and deduction
Comparison games
  • Mysterion
  • Dixit
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
  • bluffing/deduction — Players try to infer who the spy is and justify their cards
  • role reveal / spy mechanic — One spy is present who does not know the word but must blend in
  • word/description association — Notes/words connect to cards that players must fit to a round word
Video topics + discussion points
No key topics recorded for this video.
Quotes (from this video)
  • it's quick and it's snappy and I love trying to interpret these types of cards
  • I love that this brings these art cards into a different type of game
  • it's like right up there with party games is one of the best of the year
  • I can't wait for this game to be available to a wider audience
  • Harvest Dice is a rolling right game
  • I would recommend Harvest Dice if you like roll and write games
  • this one's a cute one
  • it's a nice one to play in the pub
  • the artwork is wonderful I really like the style they've used
  • I would highly recommend Hollywood Golden Age
  • there's actually no text in the game
References (from this video)
No references stored for this video.
Video BM4FTFpZBzc John Backus general_discussion at 1:09 sentiment: positive
video_pk 1285 · mention_pk 3753
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Overall sentiment (raw)
positive
Pros
  • engaging social interaction and laughter
  • strong vibe for groups that like Mysterium/Dixit-style play
  • easy to explain to new players
Cons
  • relies on player comfort with lying or bluffing
  • depends on card quality to be effective
Thematic elements
  • communication and deception through art cards
  • Art-card communication in a social deduction setting
  • surreal/abstract clues with word-guessing twist
Comparison games
  • Mysterium
  • Dixit
  • Fake Artists
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
  • card-based clue presentation — Players present art cards to communicate a word; others infer the target word, except one player who doesn’t know it.
  • hidden word deduction — One player knows the word while others try to fit their cards to it; later the word is revealed and players explain their choices.
  • Social deduction / bluffing — Players must explain why their cards fit, potentially deceiving others about their intent.
Video topics + discussion points
No key topics recorded for this video.
Quotes (from this video)
  • this is from I games in Ukraine and this is from one of the designers of mysterium
  • we had a lot of laughter with this one
  • surprising amount of skill to hitting that Tower
  • this is a reversed dungeon cruel
  • I had loads of fun with it last night
References (from this video)
No references stored for this video.
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