
- BGG rank
- BGG #10,796
- BGG rating
- 6.7
Universal Rule
- 3–5 players
- 30–45 min
- Complexity 2.4/5
- 2017

Rules assistance for Smoke & Mirrors: Deduction
Plain-language explanations of turns, card effects and disputed situations, with official source references and saved question history.

What would you like to know?
Answers come from the official rulebook, with the page to check.
Smoke & Mirrors: Deduction is an expansion for Smoke & Mirrors released in 2018 for 2–5 players, 10–20 minutes per game, and ages 7 and up. It was designed by Chip Beauvais and its main mechanics are Betting and Bluffing.
Did you see that? The magician just dropped a card out of their sleeve! Smoke & Mirrors: Deduction adds a fourth set of cards to the main game. These 6 cards include one "mirror" and five cards with value "-1". This set's icon is an attention sign. Released in the July 2018 Board Game of the Month Club $10+ package.
Smoke & Mirrors: Deduction supports 2–5 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 Smoke & Mirrors: Deduction is 10–20 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 Smoke & Mirrors: Deduction for ages 7 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.
Smoke & Mirrors: Deduction belongs to these categories: Card Game, Bluffing, and Expansion for Base-game. Its main mechanics are Betting and Bluffing. 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 Smoke & Mirrors: Deduction are: Chip Beauvais. 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 Smoke & Mirrors: Deduction as an expansion for Smoke & Mirrors. Expansions add new content, rules or scenarios to the base game and usually cannot be played on their own, so you need Smoke & Mirrors to use it. Check that your edition of Smoke & Mirrors is compatible, as some expansions were revised between editions.