Everyone's a Suspect

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What kind of game is this?

Everyone's a Suspect is a game where each of you steps into your character and acts out the story as you work together to figure out who the culprit is. Each player becomes one of the people who were there on the day of the case, and you track down the culprit by asking and answering each other's questions and checking what everyone says against the evidence. Since the conversation itself is the game, the more you talk with one another, the more clues come to light.

The culprit is one of the players at the table. The culprit tries to talk their way out of being caught, and everyone else has a secret of their own they'd rather keep hidden, so every single person seems a little suspicious. That's why you'll need to protect your own secret and dodge the blame while still tracking down the real culprit.

Before you start

Gather 3 to 6 players in one place, each with their own phone. Handing out a sheet of paper and a pen to each person for notes makes the conversation go much more smoothly. A game usually takes about 30 to 40 minutes, though it can run longer if the discussion gets going.

One person becomes the host and creates a room, then invites everyone else by showing the QR code in the lobby or sending an invite link. The host also acts as the game master, tapping “Next” to move from one step to the next, so it's a good idea to check that everyone has finished reading before moving on. Once everyone has joined, each player picks a character, and the host starts the game.

Reading your character card

When the game begins, your character card appears on your phone and nowhere else. Start by reading your name and age, your relationships with the others, and what you did that night, and then read your secret. The basic rule of this game is to never show your screen to anyone, and to share only as much of your card as you need to, out loud.

If you're the culprit, you'll get a separate culprit card. It tells you what you actually did, which evidence could get you caught, and what to say if someone asks. If you're told you're not the culprit, you're on the side hunting for the culprit, but you still need to keep your own secret safe.

Speaking as your character

When you talk, you speak from your character's point of view in the first person, using “I.” You don't need to be a great actor; it's enough to keep in mind the personality and circumstances on your card and think about how that person would say things. It may feel awkward at first, but after a line or two back and forth, it quickly starts to feel natural.

For example, you might describe your movements by saying, “Around nine, I stopped by the kitchen for a minute and then went straight up to my room,” and then turn the question on others: “I heard someone running down the hallway around then. Does anyone know who that was?” These lines were made up just to explain how it works; what you'll actually say in the case is written on your own card, so build your answers from that.

Investigating

Each round, you choose a room on the map to investigate, and the evidence found there appears as cards. Objects and documents go to whoever takes them first, while traces such as marks are remembered by everyone who sees them. Since the number of investigations is limited, it's best to choose where to look based on who you suspect.

What to do during the discussion

Once the investigation is over, everyone gathers to talk. An easy way to start is to go around the table and have each person say where they were that night, and from there you can freely question anyone you're curious about. The person asking should pin down a specific time and place, and the person answering should reply with only what their character knows.

The questions you'll use most often are things like “Where were you at that time?”, “Who did you see then?”, “Can you show me the evidence you just took?”, and “Why do you have that item?” If someone's answers don't add up or they keep dodging, make a note of it and ask them again in the next round.

In the app, you can show or hand over evidence to just one specific player, or reveal it to everyone. Things you don't hold in your hand, such as a scene you witnessed, can only be shared by word of mouth, so write down what you hear right away. If someone asks to see your hands or feet, press and hold the physical traces section on your card to show it, and it will be hidden again as soon as you let go.

Keeping secrets, and how far to lie

In this game, you're allowed to lie whether you're the culprit or not. However, anything that contradicts the records in the app or what someone else saw with their own eyes will be exposed quickly, so the trick to holding out is to leave the facts as they are and choose what to leave unsaid. Checking “Try this” under the secret on your card makes it easier to decide how much to share.

Even if you're not the culprit, you can hold back or change the subject when your secret is in danger of coming out. That may make you look suspicious to the others, though, so it's safer to prove you're not the culprit with other facts. There's no penalty for hiding evidence you hold, and any evidence that stays unrevealed until the end will all come out during the truth.

Taking notes

Make a column on your paper for each person and jot down the times and places they mention. Marking where their stories overlap or contradict each other gives you clearer reasons when you vote, and it also helps with guessing secrets at the end. The table screen keeps track of who took evidence from which room, so all you need to do is ask what they took and fill it in.

Voting and guessing secrets

After three rounds, everyone accuses the culprit at the same time. The person with the most votes is named the culprit; if there's a tie, you vote once more, and if it's still split, the culprit gets away. After the vote, you move on to guessing a secret for each of the other players.

The truth and the results

At the end, a truth video and text reveal everything that happened that night. Players who weren't the culprit score points for correctly accusing the culprit, and the culprit scores points for never getting caught. Talking it over together and looking back at who lied and where is often the most fun part of the whole game.

Tips for first-time groups

If many of your players are new to the game, it helps for the host to guide the conversation. Have people take turns telling their story of that night, and ask quieter players a question first so everyone gets an equal chance to join in. Setting a time limit for the discussion keeps each round from dragging on, while without one, the conversation continues until everyone has finished talking.

It's fine to get your deductions wrong, and suspecting the wrong person is part of the fun. Listening to each other's stories and enjoying the role-play matters just as much as catching the culprit, so relax and simply speak as your character.

Scoring

If you're not the culprit, you get +2 for correctly accusing the culprit and -1 if you're wrong. You get +1 for each secret you guess. There's no penalty for hiding evidence.

If you're the culprit, you get +3 if you're not caught and 0 if you are. You get +1 more if someone else gets the most votes, and +1 for each secret you guess.

Settings

Tap ⚙️ at the top of the game screen to open this rulebook anytime. The host can also end the game from there. If the game is ended, the truth isn't revealed and everyone returns to the home screen.