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About Detective Club
Detective Club, designed by Oleksandr Nevskiy, mixes Dixit-style surreal art with a hidden-role twist. Each round one player picks a secret word and everyone learns it except the Conspirator, who has to play picture cards that look like they belong. Everyone then explains their cards and votes on who was bluffing. It suits groups who enjoy talking through their reasoning, and the explanations are where the laughs come from.
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Is Detective Club Right for You?
Best for
Detective Club is for groups who like Dixit but want more bite. It is best with five to six players and still good up to eight, where there are more cards to argue over. It suits friends who enjoy explaining their thinking and teasing each other about it.
Maybe skip it if…
It is a talkative game, so quiet groups or people who dislike being accused may not enjoy the voting. At four players the Conspirator has fewer places to hide.
How to Play Detective Club
Setup
Deal each player a hand of picture cards. Choose the first Active Player.
On Your Turn
- The Active Player chooses a secret word, and everyone except one player, the Conspirator, learns it. The Conspirator's identity is known only to the Active Player.
- Starting with the Active Player, everyone plays one picture card face up linked to the word, then everyone plays a second card the same way.
- Each player explains their two cards, then everyone except the Active Player votes on who the Conspirator is.
- If the Conspirator gets 0 or 1 votes, they score 5 and the Active Player scores 4; otherwise neither scores. Each Detective who voted for the Conspirator scores 3.
How to Win
After every player has been Active Player once (or twice with fewer than six), the highest score wins.
💡 Strategy Tips
As Active Player, pick a word that is clear but not obvious. If the Detectives can play very literal cards, the Conspirator stands out at once.
Common Mistakes to Avoid
- Playing very literal cards as a Detective. It makes you look honest, but it also makes the Conspirator's job easy because their cards look different.
- As Conspirator, playing too safely. A bland card can look as suspicious as a wild one.
- Rushing the explanations. That is where most of the clues about the Conspirator come out, so give each player time.
- Choosing a word that is too obscure as Active Player. If the Detectives struggle, they look like Conspirators and you score nothing.
Advanced Strategy
- As Conspirator, watch the first card each player plays. Your second card should fit the pattern of the table, not your first card.
- As Detective, play your second card to build on your first, so your explanation tells a clear story.
- As Active Player, think about who the Conspirator is when you choose your first card. A card that is open to many readings helps them, which helps you score.
- Pay attention to who explains last. The Conspirator gains from hearing everyone else first.
Variants & House Rules
Detective Club: Noir
An expansion adding 84 new illustrated cards, so the art and links stay fresh.
House rule: ask one question
Before voting, each player may ask one other player a single question about their cards. It adds pressure on the Conspirator but makes rounds longer.
Video Guides
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Our Verdict
Detective Club takes the lovely ambiguity of picture-card games and adds a hidden role that gives every round a purpose. We think it is one of the best games of its type, and its strong BGG rating agrees. Our pick for groups of five to eight who like to talk.
Frequently Asked Questions
How is it different from Dixit?
Both use surreal picture cards, but Detective Club adds a hidden Conspirator who does not know the word. The game is about spotting the bluffer rather than guessing a storyteller's card.
How many players is it best with?
Five or six is the sweet spot. It plays well up to eight; at four, the Conspirator is easier to catch.
How long does a game take?
About 45 minutes. Everyone takes a turn as Active Player once with six to eight players, or twice with fewer.