The Bottom Line
Mystery of the Abbey challenges players to uncover the identity of Brother Adelmo's murderer, mixing some laugh-out-loud fun with one of the best deduction games I've ever played.
Pros
- Fantastic game for fans of Clue.
- The mystery theme is perfectly executed.
- Components are absolutely top-notch.
Cons
- May be too chaotic for pure deduction game fans.
Description
- For 3 to 6 players, ages 8 and up.
- 60 to 90 minutes.
- Designed by Bruno Faidutti and Serge Laget; published by Days of Wonder.
- Previously published as Murder in the Abbey and in French as Meurtre a l'Abbaye.
- Includes a pad of full-color suspect sheets to help players track their investigations.
- The board, which represents an island-based monastery, is gorgeous.
- Faidutti also designed Dragon's Gold, Queen's Necklace, Citadels, and more.
- Laget also designed Mare Nostrum, Castle, and more.
Guide Review - Mystery of the Abbey
Who killed Brother Adelmo? That's the question players try to solve in this deduction game, which encourages players to make revelations ("the killer is thin") along the path to making a straight-up accusation ("the killer is Father William"). There are 24 suspects; each has five distinguishing characteristics (e.g. order, title, and girth).
Players roam the monastery, with each room giving certain benefits. For example, you can inspect other monk's cells, visit the information-rich Sciptorium, or learn from the secular world in the parlor. By running into other monks, you may question them directly.
A terrific game, Mystery of the Abbey should be in the collection of anyone who enjoys deduction games such as Clue and Inkognito.
