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- BGG #26,265
- BGG rating
- 5.6
Ellery Queen's Mystery Magazine Game
- 1–6 players
- 120 min
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- 1986
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- BGG #28,570
- BGG rating
- 5.5
Alibi
1993
Rules assistance for Alibi
Plain-language explanations of turns, card effects and disputed situations, with official source references and saved question history.
- 3–10 players
- 30–45 min
- 10+
- Complexity 1.8/5
Rules assistant for Alibi
What would you like to know?
Answers come from the official rulebook, with the page to check.
Alibi is a board game released in 1993 for 3–10 players, 30–45 minutes per game, and ages 10 and up. It was designed by Darwin Bromley and Jim Musser and its main mechanics are Set Collection and Trading.
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About the game
The Whodunit Card Game: "Murder in the big city, and you must solve the crime. Brenda's dead, and foul play is suspected. To win, find out who did it, where, when, how, and why." This is a card game that shares some similarities with Clue, but adds some other questions to the mix, like what time of day did it happen, and what was the killer's motive? To the usual process of elimination and deduction found in most Clue-type games, they've added scoring elements. You can collect sets of clues and reveal them to score points. Obviously, though, this aids the other players as well by eliminating some categories. You start with a number of cards, each of which contains a specific clue. As play progresses, you can attempt to accumulate all the clues in a category, which will earn you points based on what turn you choose to reveal your set. Each turn, you are allowed to direct a question to a specific player. The question must be answerable with a number. For example, you may ask "How many Cookie Carpenter cards do you have?" or "How many Jealousy cards have you seen?" Doing this will help you eliminate some of the icons (clues) on your score sheet. Your other option during your turn is to make an accusation. You need to be careful though, since this also will end the game! On the other hand, you do get some bonus points for being the First Accuser. Cards are passed after each player's turn. For the first round it is only one, but it increases by 1 for every round the game lasts. Once someone decides to accuse, all players can make any guesses they want to, filling in the answers they've come up with for each category (Suspect, Place, Weapon, Emotion). You can also fill in the specific answer within a category for more points. The problem with guessing, though, is that wrong answers result in negative points, and the First Accuser loses double!
Categories
Mechanics
Designers
Publishers
- Mayfair Games
Questions and answers
Alibi supports 3–10 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 Alibi is 30–45 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 Alibi for ages 10 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.
Alibi has a complexity rating of 1.8 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.
Alibi belongs to these categories: Card Game, Deduction, and Murder / Mystery. Its main mechanics are Set Collection and Trading. 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 Alibi are: Darwin Bromley and Jim Musser. 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 Alibi 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.