Door 10

Let's check check behind door 10 of the MechanXmas calendar. Deduction games! 😮 We don't really play social deduction games because those usually need groups of 5-6+ people. Logical deduction games on the other hand.. those are our jam! 😁

I just love how you gather seemingly useless information during the game, but as you combine them with other crumbs of intel they suddenly start to make up the big picture. And the eureka moments you can get in these games are simply awesome. 😍

Two of our favorites in this category are 🌕 The Search For Planet X and 🗡️Awkward Guests

In Planet X you are an astronomer running your own observatory, and you are searching for a hidden planet. The game uses an app but it's just a few taps every now and then. You scour the stars in search of comets, dwarf planets and gas giants, and with their help, trying to deduce the location of Planet X. A clever twist is how you can submit research papers that get reviewed as the game goes on. These are public information, so people could let others in on clues, but get some VP in exchange. You could also just guess your paper to win useful info, but risk losing time. Another fun addition is a time track - things you do cost time. The player at the back of the track gets to take their turn.

Awkward Guests is a typical murder mystery but done really well. You can use an app to randomize a deck of cards. These cards will point to an only possible solution to the mystery. The game involves drawing cards and trading them with other investigators. You mark the information on your paper. Cards could give hints regarding the 6 suspects, murder weapon, or the location. This game is so much more than Clue.

I have to mention Turing Machine, which was released this year and is a must for math fans. The way it works with its punch cards is ingenious, but I feel like the other 2 titles I wrote about are a cut above mainly because of the theme. Turing Machine is basically pure math. 😅