Alibis
Alibis Rulebook
Table of Contents
Table of Contents
Overview
Alibis is a cooperative game where players come up with 1-word clues connecting their 2 secret suspects. After hearing all the clues, each player individually tries to work out who has which suspects, and which suspect no one gave a clue for. That's the perpetrator!
The more correct guesses players make each round, the more heat gets removed from the pile, and the better you do as a group. You have 3 rounds to get rid of as much heat as you can!
Components
- 91 Word Cards
- 1 Perpetrator Board
- 48 Heat Tokens
- 13 Suspect Boards
- 13 Suspect Cards
- 6 Alibi Tiles
- 6 Deduction Boards
- 6 Dry Erase Markers
Players: 2-6 Play Time: 20' Age: 10+
Setup
- Each player takes an alibi tile, deduction board, and marker.
- Place the perpetrator board to one side of the play area. Pile the number of heat tokens for your player count next to it (see table).
- Lay out the numbered suspect boards for your player count in the middle (see table). Shuffle the word cards and deal 1 faceup on each suspect board.
- Find the suspect cards matching the numbered boards. Shuffle them and deal 2 facedown to each player. Place the leftover suspect card facedown on the perpetrator board.
- Choose a random first player.
| Players | 2* | 3* | 4 | 5 | 6 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Suspects | 1-9 | 1-13 | 1-9 | 1-11 | 1-13 |
| Heat | 20 | 30 | 32 | 40 | 48 |
See "2-3 Player Rules" below for extra setup and special rules with 2-3 players.
Game Rounds
The game is played over 3 rounds, or until there's no heat left. Each round has 3 phases:
- Create Alibis
- Share and Guess
- Reveal and Score
1. Create Alibis
Each player looks at their cards and finds their 2 suspect words in the middle. Everyone must then come up with a 1-word clue that connects their 2 suspect words together. When you have your clue, secretly write it on your alibi tile. This is your alibi.
Example: Emily's suspect words are "Horse" and "Spring." She writes "Chicken," since it's found on a farm and "spring chicken" is a common phrase.
2. Share and Guess
Once everyone has an alibi, each player takes a turn to reveal their alibi and read it out loud. Start with the first player and go clockwise.
As you hear other players' alibis, try to guess which 2 suspects each of them has. Secretly mark your guesses on your deduction board by drawing players' alibi symbols next to the suspects.
When you've ruled out all suspects who have alibis, write a P next to the suspect you think is the perpetrator.
Figuring It Out
During phase 2, you can erase and rewrite your guesses as many times as you like, but don't show them or discuss them with anyone. You don't have to make a guess for every suspect, but you must choose a perpetrator.
3. Reveal and Score
Once everyone has finished guessing, each player takes a turn to reveal their suspects. When you reveal, ask if anyone else correctly guessed both your suspects. If at least 1 player did, you get to remove 1 heat (total) from the pile.
After all players have revealed their suspects, reveal and confirm the perpetrator. Each player who correctly guessed the perpetrator removes 3 heat from the pile.
Round End
After scoring, clear all word cards and draw a new word for each suspect. Then shuffle and deal suspect cards as you did during setup. The player to the left of the previous first player is the new first player.
Game End
The game ends after 3 rounds or when there is no heat left. Count up the heat left in the pile to learn how your group did:
| Heat Left | Rating |
|---|---|
| 15+ | Unimpressive Underlings |
| 10-14 | Low-level Lackeys |
| 5-9 | Middling Minions |
| 1-4 | Smart Sidekicks |
| 0 | Marvelous Masterminds |
What's in an Alibi?
Your alibi can be any English word, proper noun, abbreviation, or acronym. It may not contain any form of any suspect word, or any hyphens or spaces.
Your alibi must relate to the meaning of your suspect words, not their length, sound, or spelling, or a suspect's artwork or position.
2-3 Player Rules
With 2 or 3 players, give each player 2 alibi tiles and deal each player 2 pairs of suspects (4 cards total).
Each player writes 1 alibi for each pair of suspects.
When you reveal suspects, remove 1 heat for each of your alibis that at least 1 other player guessed (up to 2 total).
Credits
- Design: Yusuke Sato
- Illustration: Albert Monteys
- Graphic Design: Matt Paquette & Co., Anca Gavril & Co.
- Cooperative Design: John Brieger, Michael Dunsmore
- Rules Editing: Eric Slauson, Jeff Fraser
- 3D Artist: Filip Gavril