Portal Games Detective , Blue

I am an avid fan of board games, but I had never played a mystery or detective like board game (e.g. Sherlock Holmes Consulting Detective, Chronicles of Crime). So when I bought this game, I had no expectations. But we pulled this out with a group of friends and we were immediately hooked by the game mechanics and story line. The premise of the game is that there is a case to solve, and you start with a set of leads. You can choose to follow a lead, which might open up another set of leads. Following a lead usually has a cost, whether it is in-game time, skill tokens, or stress tokens. You have a set amount of time to solve the case, after which you get a final score to see how you did. One of the coolest parts of the game is its integration with the game's online database. All the information about suspects or characters you meet in the game, different pieces of evidence, interview transcripts, etc. are all found in this database. This makes it feel like you're actually doing detective work as we are constantly cross checking information we find online with the clues that come from each lead. When we played this game, it took our group 2-3 hours to solve each case (5 cases total). Each time, we had a whiteboard or a tear sheet where we were constantly writing and processing all the clues we were discovering. Would definitely recommend having a dedicated notetaker in your group. I would definitely recommend this if you have a group of friends (3-5 people) who are willing to play regularly. I would not recommend playing with a different group of people for each case since each case builds upon information from the previous cases. Also, since the game premise is about being a detective, be prepared for some intense mental work throughout the game. The game can be played once through (5 cases), and after that, you'll know all the answers to what happened. But all the game components remain intact, so you can pass it on to another friend for them to enjoy once you complete the game.

Best gaming experience ever! I could not stop playi'g! Oct 2025 Update: I’ve owned this game for years, and it’s still one of the best board-gaming experiences I’ve ever had. I own every edition except the Batman one, and I’ve introduced a dozen people to it — every single one of them walked away blown away. Detective isn’t a typical board game. It’s a mental labyrinth. You follow clues, sift through files, search the online database, and slowly piece together a story that unfolds one piece at a time based on your decisions. The writing is razor-sharp, the pacing deliberate, and the integration between the physical components and the online system still feels ahead of its time. It’s immersive in a way few games manage — the kind where you finish a session and realize you’ve been leaning forward for three hours straight. It’s not casual, and it’s not forgiving. You need the same group, focused energy, and snacks within arm’s reach. You’ll argue, theorize, get things wrong, and still feel like a team of exhausted investigators pulling an all-nighter in some windowless office. The components are simple but functional; the real magic is in the narrative design. Every spin-off or edition — LA Crimes, Season One, Vienna Connection — proves that the system holds. Each setting changes the tone, but the tension stays. Verdict: Still unmatched in how it fuses story, logic, and immersion. Detective isn’t just a game you play — it’s one you inhabit.

The game is very well made and play tested, you can tell. The story is great! The game play is awesome and they change it up which makes it great to keep playing. The game is hard though so be prepared. My issue is with the final reports, in which you answer questions about the case to get a score. I don't agree with the questions they asked nor do I think they encompass the chapter you play. Ovreally a great game though!

We purchased this after playing Chronicles of Crime and having so much fun with that series. This game is just as fun, if not more so. The unique mechanics of this game include a database feature that you fill out as you progress through the game which gives you bios, fingerprint/evidence matching, and a few other fun tricks that make it feel more like a real detective process. The game, like Chronicles of Crime, has a time limit element to help build tension. One of my favorite parts of this game is how the stories are based on real life events/history, locations, people, etc. You need to use tools outside of the game such as online maps, Wikipedia, Google, etc. to research aspects of the cases. Highly recommend for those that enjoy a deep dive game. Pros: 1. Feels more like a detective experience 2. 1-6 players 3. Cases have details that are based on real-life events, people, places, etc. 4. English is not the first language of the writers, which can make for fun reading 5. Cases vary in length and difficulty as you progress through the story Cons: 1. Requires internet to play 2. Database tool can take some time to get used to using 3. Database sucks your laptop's battery due to high processing, recommend having a power supply available when playing

I've only played the first case but it's so much fun especially if you like detective movies. This game really makes you feel like your Poirot or Holmes etc etc and yes you can only play it once. If your on the fence because of the one off thing don't be it will be the best 32 bucks you spend on a game. Think of it this way you could play exploding kittens 1000 times over many years and it would be lots of fun but you wouldn't remeber a single game or you could buy this game and have 5 of the most unforgettable and greatest gaming experences of your life. You will find yourself pouring over documents, drawing mindmaps, taking notes and going over it the next day working out a plausible theroy and deciding on what leads to follow. It will become so real you will find yourself checking behind you for deceptivly shadowy figures lurking in the background wondering if you will be next. It will become so immersive that you will feel like a real detective. I'd say that's pretty good for 30 bucks. In short if you love detective work than this game is for you it will give you an unforgettable experence buy it you won't regret it. Also when your done with it you should give it to someone else so they can experence it too it's that good.

We love true crime, the ID channel so I thought this would be blast to play with my daughter. But we found it hard to follow, and before we knew it, we skipped steps and solved it, needless to say, we didn’t really like it.

It was a great game and as many of the reviews say...you definitely feel like a true detective. I like the limitation that the game imposes where the goal isn't to perfectly get all the information so that you know 100% of the deduction, but rather need to make compromises and intelligent choices to get the best information you can in the limited time you're given. One thing to note is that you definitely should be in the mindset to play this game. This is not a 'casual' game in the sense that you do need to be pretty focused on the task at hand and pay attention to details. We played as a 2 person campaign, and while I would consider 3, additional players might extend the play too much for me (there's lot of room for discussion and negotiation on what to do next between players). Another note - taking excellent notes (they recommend a mind map style) is imperative to give yourself the best chance at success. Also, keeping a log of open leads (we used excel) is important as the game can branch very quickly and you might lose track of other leads you might want to pursue once you head far down one path. But with the right group of players, there's really no experience quite like this that I've seen. I'm excited to see if any expansions come out, leveraging the basic mechanics.

First, I'm not sure why Amazon is asking me to rate the game's Thickness and Warmth? Huh? Regardless, I can't recommend this game enough to anybody who has a tight group of family/friends and has several hours to spend at a time. This game is so gripping! The developers have done an AMAZING job making fascinating storylines, with very believable paths following all kinds of leads and evidence trails. It made our group have to often take time to stop and discuss our next steps. In-game time is precious! We also loved the many, many ties the storylines make to the real world. I actually learned a lot of factoids throughout our sessions. I'm also impressed (as a Web Developer) the use of the online database tool. So well designed. Please make sure that you give yourselves several hours for each case. I also recommend that you take very good notes and allow each person to have a voice. You never know what someone might have a seemingly miniscule detail that could put the group on the right path.

No te arrepentiras de comprarlo si te gustan los juegos de mesa. La experiencia es de lo mejor. Si lo puedes comprar por menos de $1000 pesos, apurate a comprarlo!

Bought this as my family love a good detective board game, this one is excellent. You become totally immersed in the game, every finite detail must be recorded so be meticulous and it's so important to review your notes then deduce facts. Also it's great play because there are decisions based on time limits, and stress levels. Wow what an absolute cracker of a board game.

Amazing activity for a group of friends, keeps you captivated for hours.

Really enjoying it so far.

Fue un regalo que tuve que cambiar ya que llegó en inglés. En la descripción no tengo muy claro si lo decía por lo que ten cuidado si lo quieres en castellano