We love the unique game play of deducing a pair of cards from vague clues given by the Forensic Scientist. Also, considering how easy it can be for these games to go wrong thanks to someone accidentally giving something away, it adds an extra layer of risk. TL;DR Inside Man, please open your eyes and point to any 1 player to have their Badge token removed". The Forensic Scientist should make a mental note of the player selected then say, "Inside Man, close your eyes", and verify that they have done so.

They continue to participate as normal and may still present during all Presentation phases but may not make another attempt to solve the crime. The Forensic Scientist then discards their Means and Clue cards, and instead takes out the Scene tiles, along with the six bullet markers. They place the Cause of Death and one Location Scene tile in front of them, then do the same with four other random Scene tiles.In the game, players take on the roles of investigators attempting to solve a murder case – but there’s a twist. The killer is one of the investigators! Each player’s role and team are randomly assigned at the start of play and include the unique roles of Forensic Scientist, Witness, Investigator, Murderer, and Accomplice. While the Investigators attempt to deduce the truth, the murderer’s team must deceive and mislead. This is a battle of wits! The Forensic Scientist should then say, "Lab Technician, close your eyes", and verify that they have done so. The game ends after the third round of the investigation phase whether the murderer has been caught. The following are the options of what will happen at the end of the game. Closing the File

A gruesome murder in Hong Kong has been committed, with the murderer being a member of the investigation. While the Forensic Scientist gives investigators clues about what to look for, the Murderer tries to make investigators believe they are not at all involved by presenting them with an ambiguous and seemingly contradictory set of clues. It is critical that the investigators vigorously defend themselves against false accusations. If a witness has seen the culprit flee the scene, the Witness is responsible for identifying them. He or she can identify the killer and come up with a solution to the crime. A Witness who is unable to identify a suspect is considered dead. Forensic scientists reveal their true identities while also acting as the game’s master.

A tremor of fear ripples through the population in the streets of Hong Kong. Word is out that a recent string of murders may have been committed by one of the very investigators charged with solving them. The new Event tile - called "The Perfect Crime" - can allow for a huge shift in the game. When the Forensic Scientist draws this tile they should read it aloud then follow the instructions. To start the game, the dastardly crime must first be committed. To do so, every player except the Forensic Scientist closes their eyes. Then, when everyone has DEFINITELY closed their eyes, the Murderer opens their eyes and points at one of each of their Clue and Means cards, making sure the Forensic Scientist can see them. What matters when it comes to the game is how it facilitates and regulates this, and Deception: Murder in Hong Kong gets this down to a tee. The forensic scientist will reveal themselves immediately. Then, players will close their eyes and the murderer will reveal themselves to the forensic scientist and indicate their means of murder and key evidence using the cards in front of them. Throughout the game, the forensic scientist will use the clue tiles to try to help the investigators guess these two things. Each investigator only gets one guess (handing in their badge in the process) and the murderer wins if nobody can guess both their means of murder and key evidence. Each round, the forensic scientist can use one more clue card, and each player gets 30 seconds to put forward their arguments.

In Deception: Murder in Hong Kong, players find themselves in a scenario of intrigue and murder, deduction and deception. One player is the Murderer, secretly choosing their weapon and the evidence they leave behind. Another is the Forensic Scientist who holds the key to convicting the criminal but is only able to express their knowledge through analysis of the scene. The rest are investigators, interpreting the clues to solve the crime - and the killer is among them. Throughout the game, players will pitch theories of the murder as a they suss out the criminal in their midst. For example, if the crime took place in the forest, an ax might make sense as a murder weapon (because they were chopping trees right beforehand, obviously). If they’re really confident, they can give up their their badge and make a dramatic accusation, winning the game if they get it right. But if they get it wrong, they are relegated to the status of the grizzled old private detective: sure, you can pitch your wild theories all you want, but you no longer have the ability to arrest the criminal yourself. But the formula itself is solid and Deception is genuinely fun. This review seems harsh because Deception so easily draws comparisons to three of the best games ever made. But trying to decipher vague clues with a group of people is enjoyable. Seeing what choices the forensic scientist could have made with each clue card adds another layer of thought to the guesswork. If you group loves this style of game Deception is going to be a solid addition to your collection. Exploring some of the optional rules and variants in the rulebook might be necessary to make the game work best for you, but I’m glad the options are there. It’s not a Resistance killer or even a Mysterium killer, but I can’t deny it’s a good time. One of the remaining players will be selected as the murderer. The forensic scientist must ask for all players to close their eyes while the killer selects their M.O. and key evidence. When the forensic scientist receives that information, players can be told to open their eyes again.Deception: Murder in Hong Kong might sound like a hard-boiled detective mystery movie, because that’s exactly the mood this board game hopes to set. Although if it’s being played by the likes of our Overboard crew, Polygon’s card and board game show, the tone ends up a lot closer to Who Framed Roger Rabbit than Infernal Affairs. Either way, it’s still a whole lot of fun to slam your badge down on the table and accuse your friend ... of murder! Other than that, Deception has made a permanent home in our game closet. What could these clues possibly mean? When an Investigator does that successfully, the crime is solved and the Forensic Scientist and the Investigators win the game. Finally, give each player (except the Forensic Scientist) a badge token. This token indicates a player has not yet attempted to solve the crime and should be clearly displayed in front of the player. Return excess tokens to the box. Investigators must collaborate and use their wits, their hunches, and their keen deductive insight to correctly identify the means of murder and the key evidence to convict the killer. The murderer must mislead and confuse the investigators to save themselves. Do you have what it takes to see through the lies and catch the criminal in your ranks or will they muddy the waters long enough to get away with murder?