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Description
You open your eyes to discover the most horrible truth of a lifetime... It has just come to an end and you are a ghost, floating in the air! Terrified, you look at your own body. A group of strange individuals have gathered around your mortal remains, watching it closely with sparks of fascination in their eyes. They want to communicate with you to discover how your life ended. You need to talk to them and reveal the truth so the culprit can be judged!
Paranormal Detectives is a deduction party game. One player takes the role of a Ghost. All other players work as Paranormal Detectives and need to discover how the victim died. Using paranormal abilities they will communicate with the Ghost, asking open questions about the details of the crime. The Ghost answers in a variety of ghostly ways - by arranging a hangman’s knot, playing chosen tarot cards, creating a word puzzle on a talking board, drawing by holding the hand of a detective and many more!
At the beginning of the game, the Ghost player receives a story card with a full description of the murder. Each card depicts all the details of the case. Each Detective receives asymmetrical, pre-constructed set of interaction cards, player investigation sheet, and a player screen.
On their turn, each Detective asks the Ghost any open question they want and plays a single interaction card. The card implies the way the Ghost may answer the question. There are 9 different interactions total, most of them giving information to all Detectives. Since Detectives may ask any open questions and interaction cards vary, the game allows for lots of creativity for both the Ghost and Paranormal Detectives.
Detectives may try, twice during the game, to guess what has actually happened to the victim stating who was the killer, where did it happen, what was the motive, how was it done and what was the murder weapon. Then the Ghost writes down secretly on this Detective’s investigation sheet how many of their answers are correct.
The game can end in two ways:
If a Detective gives all correct answers. In this case, they win, together with the Ghost player.
If all Detectives run out of interaction cards. In this case, if no one has guessed everything correctly then, whoever guessed correctly the most information is the sole winner of the game!
Note: The rulebook includes a fully cooperate variant.
Year Published
2019
Transcript Analysis
Browse transcript mentions, sentiments, pros/cons, mechanics, topics, quotes, and references.
Total mentions: 8
This page: 8
Sentiment:
pos 7 ·
mix 1 ·
neu 0 ·
neg 0
Showing 1–8 of 8
Video 67M31UhLdJ4
Actual top_10_list at 5:05 sentiment: positive
video_pk 11455 · mention_pk 33684
Click to watch at 5:05
Overall sentiment (raw)
positive
Pros
- Very family-friendly and accessible mystery
- Creative ghost communication mechanisms
- Engaging clue-driven deduction with flexible questioning
Cons
- No predefined suspect/weapon list (can be challenging for some players)
- Clue flow can be nonlinear and may confuse some groups
Thematic elements
- Paranormal investigation and deduction
- A murder mystery where a ghost communicates clues
- Fragmentary storytelling with ghostly hints
Comparison games
- Cluedo
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
- cooperative deduction — Detectives work together to piece together who killed the victim and how
- question-based discovery — Players ask questions to elicit clues that shape the solution
- variable ghost communication — The ghost provides clues through different mediums (Ouija, noises, drawings)
Video topics + discussion points
No key topics recorded for this video.
Quotes (from this video)
- Babylonia pulls you between the competition over cities and ziggurats
- Deep Blue is an incredible game
- Ishtar is a tile laying game in which you're growing gardens in the desert
- Pret-a-Porter is not a game for the light hearted or like-minded
- I am in love with how well Kings dilemma tells its story
- Letter Jam is a cooperative word building game from the makers of Code Names
- City Skyline is based on the popular video game and SimCity
- Valley of the Vikings is my top pick for a kids game at Essen this year
References (from this video)
No references stored for this video.
Video smbV9qB7Y4g
top_10_list at 5:03 sentiment: positive
video_pk 11281 · mention_pk 33142
Click to watch at 5:03
Overall sentiment (raw)
positive
Pros
- creative and silly
- fun for groups
Cons
- murder-mystery flavor may be niche for some
Thematic elements
- whodunit with supernatural communication
- murder mystery with a ghostly mechanic
- silly yet suspenseful
Comparison games
none
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
- ghost communication — the ghost communicates through strings, Ouija-like actions, drawing, or noises
- question-and-card workflow — detectives ask questions and play cards to guide the ghost
- team mystery solving — players collaborate to piece together who, where, and how
Video topics + discussion points
No key topics recorded for this video.
Quotes (from this video)
- Sushi Roll is the best new family board game
- Overbooked is for players who like a puzzle to solve
- the mind is a one-of-a-kind experience
- Cat Lady is an adorable card game
- Blockbuster is a fun party game for movie fans
References (from this video)
No references stored for this video.
Video -lpQra4di8Q
Actual Law top_5_list at 11:12 sentiment: positive
video_pk 11289 · mention_pk 33168
Click to watch at 11:12
Overall sentiment (raw)
positive
Pros
- Strong theme and storytelling appeal
- Engaging deduction with creative communication
Cons
- Can feel less accessible to non-crime-game fans
- Some setups can be elaborate
Thematic elements
- crime solving, paranormal investigation, storytelling through clues
- Crime solving with ghost storytelling; deductive play with paranormal flavor
- story-driven with interactive deduction and creative communication
Comparison games
- Sherlock Holmes Consulting Detective
- Mysterium
- Cluedo
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
- Deductive teamwork — Ghost and detectives collaborate and compete to uncover a killer and method.
- Story-driven clues — Each scenario provides a narrative about the victim and how they died, guiding deduction.
- Varied communication methods — Detectives may receive answers via drawing, cards, or signals shaped by the ghost.
Video topics + discussion points
No key topics recorded for this video.
Quotes (from this video)
- this is best described as a game show for your family or your friends
- it's not the sort of game you would play all the time like Conan's
- it brings the party to life
- it just completely fit a gap in my collection
- a brilliant opportunity for miscommunication
- such a cool idea that I've never really played a game quite like it
- it's got that vibe of Happy Salmon and things like that
- you start to dissect this topic and discuss how it relates to the person giving the clue
References (from this video)
No references stored for this video.
Video HIhAmr2UJvY
Unknown game_review at 13:51 sentiment: positive
video_pk 8507 · mention_pk 25071
Click to watch at 13:51
Overall sentiment (raw)
positive
Pros
- Creative communication mechanics
- Open-ended solving
- Engaging ghost role
Cons
none
Thematic elements
- Supernatural Murder Mystery
- Creative communication
Comparison games
none
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
Mechanics unknown.
Video topics + discussion points
No key topics recorded for this video.
Quotes (from this video)
- Clue is as slow and arduous as trying to kill someone with a Candlestick
- Modern board games get straight to the point
- The best defense is a good offense
References (from this video)
No references stored for this video.
Video Qw3uT_WthFk
No Rolls Bard top_10_list at 11:04 sentiment: positive
video_pk 7872 · mention_pk 23218
Click to watch at 11:04
Overall sentiment (raw)
positive
Pros
- fun, lighthearted deduction with humor
- accessible and entertaining for casual groups
Cons
- humor may not land for all players
Thematic elements
- humorous, light-hearted supernatural investigation
- deduction party game about a murdered ghost
- silly, playful
Comparison games
- Deductions purely thematic games like Cluedo
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
- card-based clue imparting — ghost gives clues via actions like acting, drawing, or speaking
- ghost mini-games for information transfer — detectives ask questions and the ghost performs mini-games to convey data
Video topics + discussion points
No key topics recorded for this video.
Quotes (from this video)
- this is the collection starter and here are the top 10 games like cludo but better
- it's brilliant
- the perfect next step
- production-wise it feels like a million bucks
- it's quiet tense and thinky
- a tense beautiful little puzzle gameplay stuffed with side eye pirate paranoia
- you've got this map in front of you which can be broken up and arranged in many different ways depending on the scenario you're playing
- it's an awesome film about language the nature of communication
References (from this video)
No references stored for this video.
Video M_8BC0Z3ODQ
Foster the Meatball general_discussion at 4:37 sentiment: positive
video_pk 6385 · mention_pk 18844
Click to watch at 4:37
Overall sentiment (raw)
positive
Pros
- Engaging detective mystery with clue-giving dynamics
Cons
none
Thematic elements
Comparison games
- Mysterium
- Clue
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
Mechanics unknown.
Video topics + discussion points
No key topics recorded for this video.
Quotes (from this video)
- it's so much fun
- the art is just beautiful
- I would love to buy it
- this is a fantastic drawing party game
- it's adorable
References (from this video)
No references stored for this video.
Video yssKz_iFXlg
No Rolls Bard playthrough at 0:41 sentiment: mixed
video_pk 5236 · mention_pk 15502
Click to watch at 0:41
Overall sentiment (raw)
mixed
Pros
- Strong cooperative puzzle-solving dynamic that is party-friendly and social
- Inventive and modular ghost-answer mechanics keep sessions lively and varied
- Themely, humorous, and thematic albeit with a darkly comic edge
- Multiple expressive tools (performative drawing, pantomime, tarot) encourage creativity
- Close-enough rules for synonyms provide flexible interpretation and accessibility
Cons
- The deduction can feel pedantic about exact word choices, which may frustrate players
- Some solutions require narrow phrasing or very specific clues, potentially slowing progress
- Past backstories and card-heavy play can lead to longer sessions and steeper learning curve
- Content can drift into adult humor in casual playthroughs, which may not suit all groups
- Component complexity and setup can be intimidating for new players
Thematic elements
- Paranormal investigation and murder-mystery deduction with ghostly communication
- Various mystery settings where investigators pursue a spectral culprit and must interpret unconventional clues
- Case-driven storytelling with backstories for the ghost and interpretive clue resolution
Comparison games
- Mysterium
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
- Backstory-driven clues — Each game/session uses a backstory card for the ghost to frame the manner of death and initial hints.
- cooperative deduction — A team-based deduction game where players collaboratively solve who, why, where, how, and weapon of a death through open-ended questions to a non-sentient ghost.
- Ghost Meter sliders — A physical meter with adjustable sliders to convey properties (size, weight, speed, temperature, etc.) that shape the answers.
- Hangman knots / drawing tools — Tactile components (rope, quill pen, or drawing surfaces) to convey information non-verbally, fostering interpretive discussion.
- Keyword-based final guess — Players produce five-keyword guesses (Who, Why, Where, How, Weapon) to solve the case; close-enough naming and synonyms are allowed.
- Open-ended questioning — Investigators ask non yes/no questions to elicit interpretive responses from the ghost, guiding the deduction process.
- Tarot/cards for guidance — Tarot or card draw mechanics provide additional contextual clues and aid interpretation of the ghost's intent.
- Unconventional answer modes — Ghost responses come via cards and props (screen, pantomime, drawing on a back, tarot, etc.), not simple verbal replies.
Video topics + discussion points
No key topics recorded for this video.
Quotes (from this video)
- this is Mysterium but impossible to solve
- I cracked this case day one
- we solved it in 25 minutes
- you get two guesses to get this right
- the ghost is pedantic about the exact words we use
References (from this video)
No references stored for this video.
Video qJ1a0VDYB-E
actual lol general_discussion at 27:13 sentiment: positive
video_pk 4296 · mention_pk 12506
Click to watch at 27:13
Overall sentiment (raw)
positive
Pros
- family-friendly
- engaging storytelling
- replacement for Cluedo with a fresh twist
Cons
- can become chaotic with noisy groups
- setup/learning curve may be non-trivial for first-time players
Thematic elements
- paranormal investigation and whodunit
- mystery investigation with a ghost hub and living investigators
- stories told through cards and clues; decoupled from a fixed story each play
Comparison games
- Cluedo
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
- cooperative deduction — one player acts as the ghost and communicates death details through clues; others deduce the whodunit
- storytelling/clue-sharing — use of imagery, tarot-like cards, and strings to convey information
Video topics + discussion points
No key topics recorded for this video.
Quotes (from this video)
- we're doing a fundraiser to raise money for Black Lives Matter
- we support the protesters that are fighting for racial equality and justice
- we've put together this fundraiser so tonight all the donations will go to Black Lives Matter
- we'd appreciate you to donate
- look out Eric Lang on Twitter; he talks about his experiences suffering racism
References (from this video)
No references stored for this video.
Transcript Navigation
Showing 1–8 of 8