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B
2016 · 2-4 players · 30min · weight 2.17 · 2,301 ratings
port: no portdifficulty: Medium
BGGv4 widev4v4 deep5Sources3Rules cardCandidate0.573Deep dive
Bayes
6.14
Users rated
2,301
Owned
4,193
Wishing
1,008
At a glance — v4 wide
Controlled-vocabulary primitives + 8-axis MDA aesthetic vector. Vocab v1.
Core loop (micro)
On your turn take one action — assist, investigate, confirm, eliminate, or pursue — using clues only others can see.
MDA aesthetic vector (0–3)
Sensation
0
Fantasy
1
Narrative
1
Challenge
3
Fellowship
3
Discovery
2
Expression
0
Submission
1
Mechanic-interaction primitives (5)
- [3]info_asymmetry_stable— “each player holds a set of clues, but they won't be able to see their own clues — only those of their counterparts”
- [3]communication_constraint— “roles with asymmetric information; communication limits mechanic listed”
- [2]partial_observability— “players work together to eliminate dead leads and find clues to prove who, how, and why”
- [2]attrition_clock— “players win together if they can gather enough evidence before Holmes does”
- [2]variable_player_powers— “players select one of the crimes; suspects, motives, and opportunities available to convict”
discovery_score: 0.153
Archetype fits — v4 deep
How well this game shape maps to mobile archetype templates. Composite is a weighted sum of the 10 fit dimensions.
| Archetype | Composite | LTF | Session | Combo | Arc | Share | 5in | Onboard |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Coop Hanabi-shape: communication_constraint + info_asymmetry_stable + each-player-sees-others' cards is exactly the coop archetype's load-bearing shape — bluff_info_asymmetry is the strongest single signal of coop fit and scores 9. 15-min session matches coop window cleanly. Five action types add depth Hanabi lacks. | 6.50 | 7.0 | 8 | 6 | 8 | 3 | 8 | 6 |
| Balatro Self-blind hand creates info-management-against-the-deck flavor (Balatro's variant of bluff_info_asymmetry) but is inter-player not solo-vs-deck. No engine_growth — five-action budget per turn is fixed. Wrong shape for solo run. | 4.60 | 5.0 | 6 | 3 | 7 | 3 | 6 | 5 |
| Wordle Could conceivably yield a 'daily case' deduction puzzle (single-player Hanabi-shape); short rounds and pass/fail arc fit Wordle's clear-resolution shape. But base loop requires 2+ players and lacks compact share output. | 4.40 | 6.0 | 5 | 2 | 7 | 4 | 6 | 4 |
| Snap Cooperative mystery has no PvP shape. Hidden-hand info layer is real but for cooperative communication, not adversarial bluff. Wrong category. | 4.00 | 5.0 | 4 | 3 | 6 | 3 | 5 | 4 |
| Cozy Cooperative Game tag triggers Coop-or-Solo tier (no loss cap); shared loss feels collaborative, not punishing. But the deduction-against-clock tension and Holmes-as-rival is more challenge-puzzle than warm-aesthetic — moderate cozy fit, no Tonal-cozy primitives. | 4.00 | 6.0 | 5 | 2 | 5 | 3 | 6 | 4 |
Translation candidate
Composite fit_score = bayes×0.30 + wish×0.18 + compress×0.17 + difficulty×0.20 + headroom×0.15.
bayes_norm×0.300.007
wish_norm×0.180.727
compress_norm×0.171.000
diff_norm×0.200.600
port_headroom×0.151.000
fit_score (total)0.573= 0.573
Difficulty reasoning
Hanabi-like hidden-hand deduction is feasible digitally with a chat layer, but the physical constraint of not looking at your own cards creates a UI awkwardness that mobile would need to solve.
Closest loop translation
none yet
Sources (3)
Inputs to rules-card synthesis. Click any pill with ↗ to open the original source.
BGG tags
Mechanisms (7)
Categories (5)
DeductionMurder / MysteryNovel-basedPost-NapoleonicPrint & Play