P.I.
- Players
- 2-5
- Best withThe player count this game plays best at.
- 3 players
- Play timeHow long a full game runs once everyone knows the rules.
- 60 min
- AgeThe minimum age printed by the publisher.
- 13+
- ComplexityHow demanding the rules are, from 1 (very light) to 5 (very heavy).
- 2.2 / 5
- Year
- 2012
About the game
A pure deduction game for 2-5 players designed by Martin Wallace, played across three consecutive mini-games in which competing detectives try to solve secret cases. Each round, players hold a secret suspect, crime, and location card representing the case their left-hand neighbor must solve, and use a modular board of connecting locations to gather clues through investigators and evidence cards. Careful deduction lets you narrow down the correct suspect, crime, and location before your rivals do, with early solvers earning bigger point rewards. After three mini-cases, the player with the most points wins.
Hobbli's Notes
P.I. is an elegant pure-deduction game from veteran designer Martin Wallace, and its multiplayer structure, where you're solving someone else's secret case while they investigate someone else's, is a clever twist on the usual single-mystery format. The tile-based clue system (discs vs. cubes) rewards careful logical inference over guesswork. At 60 minutes for three mini-games, it moves at a good clip, though its abstract detective theme is thinner than story-driven mystery games. A strong pick for groups that enjoy pure logic puzzles over narrative mystery.
What we like
- Clever multiplayer deduction structure with each player solving another's case.
- Designed by respected designer Martin Wallace.
- Three mini-games per session add pacing and tension.
- Rewards logical inference over luck.
Keep in mind
- Fairly abstract detective theme without strong narrative flavor.
- Wrong guesses carry a real point penalty, which can feel harsh for newer players.
- Limited component variety may reduce long-term replay excitement for some.
Who it's for
Good for 2-5 players aged 10+ who enjoy pure deduction and logic-puzzle games over story-driven mysteries.
