If you enjoy a good mystery and love the idea of solving a crime with your friends, but with that challenging twist on communication, "Sherlock: 13 Hostages" is a fantastic choice! It's a cooperative deduction game that puts you in the role of an investigator, where every clue counts and how you share (or don't share) information is crucial. The experience is immersive and makes you feel like part of a tactical team, ideal for a more cerebral game night full of "aha!" moments.
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Highlights
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Engaging cooperative deduction
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Mystery with limited communication
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Quick to learn
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Great for groups
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Narrative-driven focus
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Keep in mind
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Limited replayability
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Can be frustrating with communication failures
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About the game
What you do in a play session
In "Sherlock: 13 Hostages," you and your team of investigators face an intriguing scenario: a hostage robbery gone wrong, with the robbers vanishing into thin air. Your mission is to unravel what really happened, following the clues to discover the whereabouts of the stolen jewels and understand the dynamics of the crime. This is another case in the Q series, where collaboration is key to success. The game unfolds with 32 clue cards, which are revealed one by one, or discarded, until all cards have been processed. On your turn, each player must make a crucial decision: reveal a card from their hand, placing it on the table for everyone to see and read aloud the important information (bolded or framed text), or discard it. But be careful! Revealing irrelevant clues can cost points at the end, while discarding something vital can prevent the case from being solved. Communication is limited during the game: you can discuss theories and talk about the cards in your hand, but without openly showing them. Only highlighted information can be read aloud. In the end, with all clues revealed (or discarded), the team gathers to piece together the complete theory of the crime and, only then, open the questionnaire to answer the questions. Each correct answer is worth two points, and in this phase, communication is unrestricted, allowing you to freely discuss discarded cards and what you remember about them. Will you be able to solve the mystery of the 13 hostages?
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Gallery
Box and component photos
11 photos · from the community
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Best player count
BGG community vote
1–8 players
1
REC
2
BEST
3
REC
4
BEST
5
BEST
6
OK
7
OK
8
OK
BestRecommendedWorks
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Soundtrack
Ambience suggested by Melodice
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Where to Buy
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editDesignerJosep Izquierdo Sánchez, Martí Lucas Feliu
paletteArtistAlba Aragon
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Community
Data from BoardGameGeek
1,217owners
59wishlist
7want to play
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Frequently Asked Questions
Quick answers before you buy
6 questions
How many players can participate in "Sherlock: 13 Hostages"? expand_more
The game is super flexible and can be played by 1 to 8 players, making it perfect for both a solo session and a larger group!
What is the average duration of a game? expand_more
A game usually lasts about 60 minutes. It's an ideal time to solve a mystery without the session dragging on too long.
Is the game too complex for beginners? expand_more
No! With a complexity weight of 1.6364/5 on BGG, it's quite accessible. The rules are easy to pick up, and the focus is more on deduction and interaction than on complicated mechanics.
What is the main challenge of the game? expand_more
The biggest challenge is limited communication! You can't show your cards or read everything on them, which requires a lot of cleverness to give the right clues without giving everything away.
Can I play "Sherlock: 13 Hostages" more than once? expand_more
Like most games in the Q series, replayability is limited. Once you solve the mystery, the surprise factor significantly decreases. But the experience of the first play is unforgettable!
What comes in the game box? expand_more
The game primarily consists of clue cards and a final questionnaire. It's a compact card game that's easy to take anywhere.