- BGG rating
- 7.3
5-Minute Mystery: Mastermind Upgrade Pack
- 1–6 players
- 2024
- BGG rank
- BGG #2,088
- BGG rating
- 7.0
5-Minute Mystery
2020
Rules assistance for 5-Minute Mystery
Plain-language explanations of turns, card effects and disputed situations, with official source references and saved question history.
- 1–6 players
- 5–30 min
- 8+
- Complexity 1.2/5
For 1 player
Rules assistant for 5-Minute Mystery
What would you like to know?
Answers come from the official rulebook, with the page to check.
5-Minute Mystery is a board game released in 2020 for 1–6 players, 5–30 minutes per game, and ages 8 and up. It was designed by Connor Reid and its main mechanics are Deduction, Cooperative Game, and Real-Time.
Expansions
About the 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!
Categories
Mechanics
Designers
Publishers
- Rebel Sp. z o.o.
- Korea Boardgames
- Spin Master Ltd.
- DV Games
- Game Factory
- Wiggles 3D
Questions and answers
5-Minute Mystery supports 1–6 players according to the catalogue. This range comes from the publisher’s listed player count, so the game can be set up for any group size within it. Some setups, rules and scoring details may still vary by player count, so check your edition’s rulebook for the exact configuration.
The listed playing time for 5-Minute Mystery is 5–30 minutes. This is the publisher’s estimate for a full game. The actual duration depends on the group, the player count and familiarity with the rules: first sessions usually run longer, while experienced groups often finish faster. Setup and teaching time are not included in this estimate.
The catalogue lists 5-Minute Mystery for ages 8 and up. This is the publisher’s recommendation and reflects reading demands, rule complexity and small components rather than theme alone. Younger players can often join with help from an adult, so check the age guidance on your edition and consider your group’s experience with board games.
5-Minute Mystery has a complexity rating of 1.2 out of 5 from BoardGameGeek players, which makes it a light game. The rating reflects how much rules knowledge, planning and decision-making a typical game demands. Expect a longer first teach for heavier games, and use a preparation guide before game night.
5-Minute Mystery belongs to these categories: Party Game and Murder / Mystery. Its main mechanics are Deduction, Cooperative Game, and Real-Time. Categories describe the theme and setting of a game, while mechanics describe what players actually do on their turns. Each mechanic links to a catalogue hub with similar games, which helps when you want something comparable.
The credited designers of 5-Minute Mystery are: Connor Reid. These credits come from the published game data and name the people responsible for the game’s design, not its illustrators or publishers. Designer pages on MeepleRules collect other titles by the same designers, which helps when you enjoy a game and want to find similar ones.
The catalogue lists 5-Minute Mystery as a base game. It can be played on its own with the components in the box and does not require any other title. Expansions, if any exist, add new content or rules on top of it and are listed separately in the catalogue with a link back to this base game.