Accuse!

Accuse! is a semi-deduction, semi-luck-pushing game of working out, a lá Cluedo, where the murder took place, with what weapon, and by whom.

The game is comprised of a deck of cards in which there are six suspects (1 card for each), three weapons (two cards for each) and two locations (three cards for each). Before play begins one of each are randomly removed – these will be the murderer, weapon and location for this game.

Players get dealt a cards at the start, plus one Trap card each. On the table in front of are a row of suspects, plus the weapons and locations.

On your turn, you simply play a card from your hand face-down next to suspect/weapon/location, announcing that your card matches. You can be truthful, but you can also lie (or play a Trap card) And other players may challenge you! If they catch you in a lie, you must reveal one of your previously-played cards, giving away information. If they’re wrong, they must hand you a card from their hand.

This drip-drip of possible information, occasionally confirmed by challenges, continues until someone wants to make an accusation. They announce the culprit, weapon and location and then look at the set-aside cards, only revealing them if they were right – in which case they win! If they were wrong the other players simultaneously decide how many cards they will flip over on the table before making an accusation, with the lowest number going first, followed by the higher numbers if their accusation is also wrong. As soon as someone’s prediction is correct, they win the game.