5-Minute Mystery (2020)

About this game

5-Minute Mystery is a high-intensity, deductive, mystery game in which players work together to find a culprit hidden in a line-up of suspects. Just moments before the Museum of Everything was set to unveil its newest exhibit, the priceless MacGuffin, some criminal snuck in and stole it! Now it's up to you, a team of detectives, to crack the case, find the culprit, and recover the missing MacGuffin. Start by searching for hidden symbols in each room of the museum and find the matching symbols on the codex. Once you've found all of the symbols in the room, you’ll unlock a clue about the culprit. Match the barcode of the clue tile against the culprit tile to discover valuable information about the crook. Does the miscreant have an umbrella? No? Well, that eliminates the shifty Mr. Braxton, doesn’t it? Quickly sort through the suspect cards in your hand to narrow down who the criminal can be. You’ll have to make it through as many rooms as it takes to figure out exactly who is responsible for stealing the MacGuffin, but remember, time is not on your side! Case files change the rules to each time you play, making every game a new challenge. Do you have what it takes to be the detective to crack the case and solve this five-minute mystery? Only time will tell!

Does it fit your group?

• Group size. Works with 1 to 6. It has a designed solo mode.
• Rules load. At 1.2/5 this is a light game — explain it in a few minutes, good for a table that has not played much.
• Age. The publisher suggests 8 and up. That rates the rules rather than the artwork, so judge the box yourself for younger players.