How are your powers of deduction? Do you think in sync with your partner? Would you be able to guess who is your partner in crime from a quick doodle? Partners in Crime is not a game of criminal acts (unless you consider not getting the answer a crime in itself). But it is a mysterious drawing game that puts your powers of deduction to the test! Would you be able to deduce who is paired up with who?
Partners in Crime, from Lucky Egg Games, is a Pictionary-type party game, a drawing and guessing game with a twist. It is suitable for 3 to 8 players, aged 14+ and has a playing time of around 30-45 minutes. A game of cunning deduction, thinking in sync with your partner (you must try and guess who they are). It is easy to learn and play and can be hilarious fun. And it doesn’t even matter if you can draw or not!
In the box:
- 128 Word Cards
- Scoring Boards (x8)
- Drawing Boards (x8)
- Washable Marker Pens (x8)
- Timer
- Instructions
Partners in Crime is not a game of committing crimes or even solving crimes. It is a drawing and guessing game for teenagers and adults, and is a bit like the old favourite, Pictionary. In this game, you need to think in sync with other players. Put your powers of deduction to the test to work out who is your possible partner in crime by drawing or writing clues. It is a game of words and drawing. Word cards are in pairs, so two players could end up with matching word cards. The aim of the game is for you to deduce who is partnered up or working alone.
Before playing, each player is given a drawing board, a scoring board and washable marker pen. Each player must write their name on their drawing board.
How to set up the cards to play depends on the number of players. If you are playing with an equal number of players, you take cards equal to the number of players and add two more cards on top and place them face down on the table. When playing with an odd number of players, just add 1 extra card to the pile. For example, if you play with four players you have a pile of 6 cards. Shuffle the cards and deal a card to each player. Players might end up with the same word card as another player, so don’t let anyone else see what is on your card. Get rid of the remaining cards. Now you are ready to play.
To play, players secretly look at their word card. Then they start to draw or write a clue on their drawing board, making sure not to let other players see it yet. The first player to finish drawing or writing their clue flips over the timer. But now the pressure begins, as the other players now have 30 seconds to finish drawing/writing their own clues.
Players must draw an obscure picture to illustrate the word on their word card or write a subtle hint if you are no good are drawing. This is to create a clue to try and identify your partner in crime (the person that has the same word card as you) if you have one. You must also try to figure out who else might be partners or if they are working alone. The drawings and hints must be obscure enough that it means nothing to other players, except to any player that might have a matching word card. Once the tension timer has reached its conclusion, all players look at each other’s drawing board and must try and deduce who has been working alone and who has a partner. Players write down their conclusions on their scoring boards (without other players seeing what you are writing).
There are two ways to score: guess you partner or guess who else are partners.
Guessing your partner or if you are alone:
- If you guess your partner and your partner guesses you, without any other player guessing that you two are partners, you and your partner you get 3 points each. If you and your partner correctly guess each other but so does another player, you and your partner get two points each. Although, if all players guess who you and you partner are, then you and your partner get zero points. If you guess who your partner is but they don’t guess you, you and your partner get zero points each. If neither of you guess each other, you get zero points each.
- Alternatively, if you are working alone and you correctly guess that you are working alone, you get three points. If you guess that you are working alone and another player also guesses that you are working alone, you get two points. If everybody guesses that you are working alone, you get zero points.
Guessing other partners or if they are alone:
- If you correctly guess if two other players are working together, you get 1 point. If you correctly guess a player is working alone, you get 1 point.
The first player to reach 17 points is the winner of the game, a deduction specialist!
Overall, Partners in Crime is an addictive game that is hilarious fun, at least in my opinion anyway. I have really enjoyed playing it and it is a really quick game to learn and play – you don’t even need to be able to draw, you can put your vocabulary skills to the test and write a describing word. It might take a few plays to completely grasp the scoring system, it isn’t complicated but can be confusing for the first few plays so keep the instructions handy.
With a playing time of around 30-45 minutes, it is reasonably quick to play, and the time just flies past. This is a game where your competitive streak will take over and you will want to play more than once.
If you have played Pictionary and enjoyed it, you will love Partners in Crime as it has a bit more going on. You are not trying to guess what has been drawn but trying to deduce from the drawings and word hints what players are working together, or not! An excellent concept of trying to deduce if players are working together or alone is fun, especially when trying to draw or hint at the answer without giving it away so that only any possible partner will get it is brilliant.
The game is supplied with erasable whiteboards and pens to draw on rather than using up lots of paper, which saves on waste and is fantastic.
Partners in Crime is a simple to play. It is lots of fun and it has plenty of playability. I like that you don’t have to be able to draw, so it doesn’t matter how good or terribly bad your artistry is as you can write down word hints if that suits you better, so it is perfect for all abilities.
It is a perfect party game for fun-loving teenagers and adults.
A criminally funny party game. Can you deduce yours and other partners in crime?
Rating: 5/5
RRP: £24.99
For more information, visit luckyegg.co. Available to buy from Amazon here.
