Mystery Express is a lot like Clue. It’s an extremely challenging deduction game that will challenge you, even if you are an experienced gamer.

That said, you can enjoy it too, even if you’re a “casual” gamer.

Setup for Mystery Express
Setup for Mystery Express

How Do You Play Mystery Express?

In Mystery Express, you are a detective aboard the famed Orient Express where – surprise, surprise – there has been a murder. Now it’s up to you to discover who, how, why, where, and when the murder was committed more accurately than the other detectives and by the time the train reaches its final destination.

As in Clue, you will deduce these elements of the crime by passing cards around the table. The twist is, unlike Clue, there are identical two copies of each card. You have to find out which card has only one of its copies floating around.

There are primarily two ways in which you do this.

First, when you arrive at a city, you can use that location’s special action to help you discover more cards.

Second, as you travel between cities, you have 4 or 5 hours to spend. You can use that time to take various actions in the different train cars. You take these actions to see and pass cards in different ways.

When you get to the end of the line, you (and everyone else) announce your deductions (or guesses) for each element of the crime. The detective with the most correct elements is the winner.

If there is a tie, the player with the most correct guesses made earlier in the game is the winner.

How Challenging Is Mystery Express?

This is a very difficult game. It’s difficult to play, but it is tough to be sure of all your conclusions, which is why I referred to some of them as guesses.It is often not

It is often not even possible to deduce all 5 elements of the crime. This could lead to a lucky guesser winning a game, but this would be rare. This is one feature that makes the game more appealing to casual gamers.

The game can take a long time to play, and there can be too much luck for some people.

The player tokens, even though nicely sculpted, do have a tendency to chip, making them less attractive.

For those who enjoy deduction games, Mystery Express presents a fresh new take on a classic that will keep you coming back for more.

Find your copy of Mystery Express at Amazon today.

Mystery Express – the Game that Can Take You for a Ride