Deception: Murder in Hong Kong

2014

Test your detective skills in Deception: Murder in Hong Kong! A fast-paced, engaging board game where players must decipher clues, expose the killer, and survive the deception.

20
minutes

4 - 12
player(s)

14+

Medium Light

About the game

Deception: Murder in Hong Kong is a thrilling, detective-style board game where players find themselves in a scenario filled with intrigue, deception, and logical deduction. Set within the bustling metropolis of Hong Kong, this game stands as a unique contrast to most detective games with its modern, yet exotic backdrop.

At its core, Deception: Murder in Hong Kong is a game of deception and deduction. Players take on various roles, with one being the murderer, another the forensic scientist, and the remaining players as investigators. The murderer’s goal is to remain undetected while the team of investigators, guided by the forensic scientist, seeks to uncover their identity.

Game setup Lay it out, line it up, let’s go

‘Deception: Murder in Hong Kong’ is a thrilling board game that combines elements of mystery, intrigue, and deduction. Here is a step-by-step guide on how to set up the game:

Step 1: Prepare the Game Components

Unpack the game components, which include the Scene Tiles, Clue Cards, Means Cards, Role Cards, and other tokens.

Step 2: Assign Player Roles

Shuffle the Role Cards face-down and distribute one to each player. There are four possible roles:
Forensic Scientist, Investigator, Murderer, and Accomplice. The number of each type of role depends on the number of players.

Step 3: Distribute the Means and Clue Cards

Each player receives four Means Cards and four Clue Cards, which they place face up in front of them. The players keep their roles secret, but their cards are open for everyone to see.

Step 4: The Murderer Chooses the Evidence

Once all players have their cards, everyone closes their eyes except the Murderer and the Accomplice. The Murderer then selects one Means Card and one Clue Card from their own set. These cards will represent the evidence of the murder.

Step 5: The Forensic Scientist Reveals the Scene Tiles

Everyone opens their eyes, and the Forensic Scientist places six random Scene Tiles in the center of the table. The Forensic Scientist, who knows the identity of the Murderer, will use these tiles to guide the Investigators.

Step 6: Begin the Game

The game begins with the Forensic Scientist giving clues to the Investigators using the Scene Tiles, who must then discuss and deduce who the Murderer is based on the clues given.

Note: The game has a high degree of randomness due to the various card combinations that can occur and the random selection of Scene Tiles.

Enjoy the game of intrigue and deduction!

Game flow Round and round we go

Deception: Murder in Hong Kong is a game of deduction and deception, where players take on the roles of investigators trying to solve a murder case, while the murderer attempts to evade detection. The game is played in rounds, with each round consisting of three main phases: the Equipment Setup phase, the Clue Presentation phase, and the Investigation phase.

1. Equipment Setup Phase

This is the initial phase of the game. The Forensic Scientist, who guides the game, randomly assigns roles to the players. The roles are Investigator, Murderer, and depending on the number of players, an Accomplice and a Witness. The Murderer and Accomplice (if present) are informed of each other’s identities, while the Witness (if present) knows the identity of the Murderer and Accomplice but not vice versa. The Forensic Scientist then deals out a number of means cards and clue cards to each player.

Once everyone has their cards, the Murderer indicates in secret to the Forensic Scientist one ‘Means of Murder’ card and one ‘Key Evidence’ card. These two cards represent the murder method and key evidence the investigators must discover.

2. Clue Presentation Phase

In this phase, the Forensic Scientist helps the investigators by providing clues about the murder. They use the scene tiles to give clues about the murder method and the key evidence. They start with the ‘Cause of Death’ tile and follow it with other tiles like ‘Location of Crime’, ‘Murder’s Personality’, etc. The Forensic Scientist cannot speak or gesture and can only provide clues by placing markers on the scene tiles.

3. Investigation Phase

During the Investigation phase, each player, starting from the player next to the Forensic Scientist and going clockwise, has a chance to present their theories based on the clues provided. Players may discuss, argue, and share ideas. This is also the phase where the Murderer and Accomplice (if present) try to mislead the investigators.

Each player, once per game, can also make an official accusation by stating one Means and one Clue from one player. If they correctly identify the Murderer’s chosen items, the Investigators win. If wrong, they cannot make any further accusations but can still participate in discussions.

The game ends when either an investigator correctly solves the case or the Forensic Scientist has presented all the scene tiles and the investigators have failed to identify the murder method and key evidence.

Players'turn One turn to rule them all

In ‘Deception: Murder in Hong Kong’, players take on the roles of investigators attempting to solve a murder case. The game is played in turns, each of which is broken down into a series of actions. The Forensic Scientist guides the game, but all other players will have turns to make their guesses and arguments.

The Forensic Scientist’s Turn:

The Forensic Scientist starts the game by handing out role cards and evidence tiles to the players.
After the Murderer selects their murder weapon and clue, the Forensic Scientist begins providing hints to the investigators. These hints are given in the form of Scene tiles, which are selected and placed one at a time.
The Forensic Scientist cannot speak or gesture during the game, their only form of communication is through these Scene tiles. They cannot affirm or deny players’ guesses.

The Investigators’ Turn:

Once the Forensic Scientist has placed all Scene tiles, it’s the investigators’ turn to discuss among themselves. They try to interpret the clues given by the Forensic Scientist to identify the murder weapon and clue card.
During their discussion, investigators can point out which clues they think are relevant, and also challenge or support other players’ theories.
Each investigator has one chance to make an official guess. If they guess correctly, they reveal the Murderer and win the game. If they guess incorrectly, they can still participate in discussions but cannot make another official guess.

The Murderer’s Turn:

The Murderer’s role during their turn is to misguide the investigators. They can do this by suggesting incorrect interpretations of the clues, casting doubt on other players’ theories, or pointing the attention towards irrelevant clues.
The Murderer should be careful not to be too obvious, as this might draw suspicion towards themselves. They should blend in with the investigators and pretend to help them solve the case.

Strategic choices in ‘Deception: Murder in Hong Kong’ greatly affect the gameplay. The investigators must deduce the clues correctly and make a correct guess to win, while the Murderer must deceive the investigators effectively to avoid being caught. The Forensic Scientist must give clues that are just enough to guide the investigators, but not so obvious that the Murderer can guess what they are and misguide the investigators.

End of the game All good games must come to an end

Deception: Murder in Hong Kong is a thrilling game of deduction and hidden identities. The game ends under specific conditions, leading to different victory scenarios for the various roles. Here’s a detailed explanation of the game’s end conditions and actions required by the players.

Investigators’ Victory: The game ends immediately in favor of the Investigators if the Forensic Scientist’s tile is correctly identified by one of them. This means investigators must:

Accuse a player of being the murderer.
Correctly identify both the ‘Means of Murder’ and ‘Key Evidence’ in the murderer’s possession.

If these conditions are met during the ‘Presentation’ phase, the Investigators win the game.

Murderer’s Victory: On the other hand, the Murderer wins the game if the following conditions are met:

Three rounds have been completed without the Investigators successfully identifying the murderer’s tile.
No other player correctly identifies both the ‘Means of Murder’ and ‘Key Evidence’ in the murderer’s possession.

In such a scenario, the game ends with the Murderer successfully deceiving the Investigators and winning the game.

Accomplice and Witness Victory: The Accomplice and the Witness share the victory with the Murderer or Investigators based on the game’s outcome. The Accomplice shares the Murderer’s victory, while the Witness shares the victory with the Investigators.

Finally, before the final score is tallied, all players must reveal their roles. The Forensic Scientist reveals the ‘Means of Murder’ and ‘Key Evidence’ cards. Then, the Investigator who correctly identified the Murderer’s tile (if any) is declared the ‘Best Investigator’.

Scoring Did you outsmart your rivals?

Deception: Murder in Hong Kong is a board game where players take on the roles of investigators attempting to solve a murder case. They must use their deductive skills and clues provided by a forensic scientist to identify the murder weapon and piece of evidence left behind by the murderer. The scoring system in ‘Deception: Murder in Hong Kong’ is based on the game’s outcome, and it varies depending on the roles and actions of the players.

The scoring system is as follows:

Investigators & Forensic Scientist: If an investigator correctly identifies both the murder weapon and the key piece of evidence before the end of the game’s set rounds, all investigators and the forensic scientist gain one point each.
Murderer & Accomplice: If the investigators fail to identify both the murder weapon and the key piece of evidence within the game’s set rounds, the murderer and accomplice each earn one point.
Witness: If the witness correctly identifies the murderer and the accomplice without being correctly identified by the murderer, they earn a bonus point. However, if the murderer correctly identifies the witness, the murderer earns a bonus point.

In the event of a tie, the following tie-breaker rules apply:

The player who is the murderer in the most rounds wins.
If there is still a tie, the player who is the accomplice in the most rounds wins.
If there is still a tie, the player who is the witness in the most rounds wins.
If there is still a tie, the tied players share the victory.

It’s important to note that ‘Deception: Murder in Hong Kong’ is more about the immersive experience and less about the scoring system. The objective is to have fun solving murder mysteries!

Particular Cases and Exceptions Wait… is that legal?

Deception: Murder in Hong Kong is a thrilling board game that involves a murder mystery and requires strategic deduction. It is full of intricate rules and special conditions. Here are some important clarifications and exceptions:

Forensic Scientist Role:

The Forensic Scientist does not reveal their role until the end of the game, but they cannot lie about their role if directly asked.
Though primarily a guide, the Forensic Scientist can also help nudge the Investigators in the right direction using Scene Tiles, but they must not communicate through any other means.

Investigator Role:

Investigators may discuss their thoughts freely. However, they must be careful not to give away too much information to the Murderer.
Each Investigator gets an opportunity to make a formal accusation once per game. They must state the exact evidence and means of murder.

Murderer Role:

In the beginning, the Murderer chooses one Clue card and one Means card, which they put face up. These cards become the key evidence and means of murder.
The Murderer should try to mislead the Investigators by making them doubt each other and focus on the wrong clues.

Witness Role:

The Witness knows who the Murderer is, but not the exact evidence or means of murder.
If the Witness reveals themselves too early, they risk becoming a target for the Murderer’s accomplice.
At the end of the game, if the Investigators have successfully identified the Murderer but the Murderer can correctly identify the Witness, the Murderer and Accomplice win.

Accomplice Role:

The Accomplice knows who the Murderer is and what the key evidence and means of murder are. They should work covertly with the Murderer to misdirect others.
The Accomplice does not share the Murderer’s fate. If the Murderer is caught, the Accomplice can still continue the game.

Special Rule Exceptions:

While making the final presentation, if a player points to the correct key evidence and means of murder but incorrectly identifies the Murderer, it does not count as a correct guess.
If the Forensic Scientist gives incorrect or misleading information, the game continues. However, players can request a rules clarification from the game owner or consult the rulebook.

Tips and tricks Play smarter, not harder!

Advanced Strategies:
Deception: Murder in Hong Kong is a game of deduction and deception. Here are some advanced strategies to consider.

Use of Misdirection: If you’re the murderer, try to misdirect the investigators by choosing weapons or clues that could apply to multiple people. This will make it harder for them to pinpoint you as the culprit.
Think Ahead: As an investigator, try to think ahead and anticipate what the forensic scientist might indicate next. This will help you narrow down the suspects more quickly.
Bluffing: Bluffing is an important aspect of the game. As the murderer, you might want to act as an investigator and suggest theories that steer away from you.
Read the Room: Paying attention to the reactions and suggestions of others can provide valuable information. This is especially important for the forensic scientist who cannot speak and must communicate only through the clues.

Beginner Tips:
If you’re new to the game, here are some tips to get you started.

Make sure you understand the role each player has and the powers they possess. This will help you know what to expect from each player.
As an investigator, don’t rush to make an accusation. Gather as much information as you can before making a decision.
If you’re the murderer, remember to be subtle. Don’t draw attention to yourself by being overly defensive or aggressive.
Communication is key. Make sure to discuss and share your theories with other players.

Common Mistakes to Avoid:
Here are some common mistakes players often make in Deception: Murder in Hong Kong.

Overlooking Clues: Players often overlook or misinterpret the clues given by the forensic scientist. Always remember that every clue given has a purpose.
Ignoring Player Behaviour: Players often get so caught up in the evidence that they overlook the behavior of other players. Paying attention to how players react can often provide more insight than the evidence itself.
Not Utilizing Roles: Each role has unique abilities that can greatly influence the outcome of the game. Not utilizing these abilities is a common mistake.

Optimizing Gameplay:
To optimize your gameplay in Deception: Murder in Hong Kong, consider the following.

Active Participation: The game becomes more interesting and challenging when everyone actively participates in the discussions and shares their theories.
Strategic Clue Selection: If you’re the murderer, be strategic about the clue and weapon you choose. Selecting commonly used items can make it difficult for the investigators to pinpoint you.
Deductive Reasoning: Use deductive reasoning to interpret the clues given by the forensic scientist. This can help you eliminate unlikely suspects and narrow down your choices.
Adaptability: Be adaptable to change your theories based on new information. Being stuck on one theory can lead you down the wrong path.