Best Card Games of 2006

Designed by Brian Yu; published by Mattel; 2 players; ages 8 and up; $10 (approximate)

Any game subtitled "The Crime Solving Card Game" will get my attention. As a longtime fan of "Law & Order," and a big fan of shows like "Homicide: Life on the Streets" and "Monk," I'm a sucker for crime-themed games. And good two-player deduction games aren't very common, so that's another plus for Lie Detector. The small box includes a wanted poster, four interrogation room cards, 64 investigation cards, eight witness markers and a six-sided die. The goal is to discover the guilty suspect by collecting melds of cards and using them to interview witnesses in the four interrogation rooms. You may have to search to find Lie Detector – small card games like this from Mattel seem to come and go rather quickly. But if you see a copy, pick it up.

More About Lie Detector:

• Mattel: Official Site