P.I.
P.I. is a pure deduction game, with players competing in three consecutive mini-games in order to see who's got the best chops in terms of solving their cases.
Each mini-game plays out the same way. To start, you receive in secret one suspect card (out of 12), one crime card (out of 10), and one location card (out of 14); this set of information represents the case that the player to your left must solve. The game board shows fourteen locations arranged so that each location touches a few others; each location has space for a suspect and crime tile. Shuffle the suspect tiles (12, plus two "no suspect") and the crime tiles (10, plus four "no crime"), then place one face up in each location. Each suspect, crime and location is included in a deck of evidence cards, and nine evidence cards are revealed.
On a turn, a player either places an investigator, chooses an evidence card, or attempts to solve her case. When you place an investigator in a location, the player to your right looks at his case cards, then places a disc on this space for each case card he holds that matches the suspect, crime or location in this space. Additionally, he places a cube on this space for each suspect, crime or location that's adjacent to this space.
When you choose an evidence card, the player to your right places a disc on the matching tile if the card matches one of the case cards he holds, places a cube on the matching tile if this tile is adjacent to a tile matching one of the case cards he holds, or places nothing if you've made a wild-eyed guess and the tile isn't adjacent to anything.
To attempt to solve the case, you place a black token on your guesses. If wrong, you're penalized two points and continue play next turn. If right, you receive 7, 5, 3 or 1 points depending on how many others have solved their cases in earlier rounds.
The mini-game ends once everyone has solved their case or only one case remains unsolved. All used investigators are removed from play, then the board and cards are reset for the next mini-case. Each player has only five investigators total, so use them wisely!
Whoever has the most points after three mini-cases wins.
Number of players: 2 - 5
Game duration: 26 mn
Complexity: 2 / 5
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Play P.I. and 1313 other games online.
No download necessary - play directly from your web browser.
With your friends and thousands of players from the whole world.
Free.
Rules summary
Overview
- P.I. (Private Investigator) is a simple deductive game consisting of 3 mini-games.
Objective
- Each player has three cases that they need to solve.
- You win by getting the most points for solving the three cases.
- To solve a case you need to show the following elements: the criminal, the location of the crime and the type of crime.
- Each player solves their own unique case each in round.
- The player on your right has your Case Cards, which show the elements of the case you are solving.
Actions
Each turn you choose only one of the following actions:
- 1) Use an investigator on a location (you only have 5 for the entire game)
- 2) Pick an evidence card
- 3) Attempt to solve the case
Using an Investigator
- Each Location Card consists of a criminal tile, a location tile, and a crime tile.
- Using an Investigator on a Location Card tells you the number of tiles matching your Case Cards elements (the criminal and/or the location and/or the crime) in or near that location, as well as the number of elements.
- Discs and cubes are placed by the Investigator as follows:
- •Disc: An element is in this Investigator's location.
- •Cube: An element is in a location that is adjacent to this Investigator's location. It does not tell you what that element is.
- Note: You only have 5 Investigators and they are 'one use' only for all three rounds of the entire game.
| # Case cards matching in the Investigator's location | The result represented in
Discs & cubes |
# Case cards matching in a location adjacent to the Investigator | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 3 | 3 discs | 0 cubes | 0 |
| 2 | 2 discs | 1 cube | 1 |
| 1 | 1 disc | 2 cubes | 2 |
| 0 | 0 discs | 3 cubes | 3 |
| 2 | 2 discs | 0 cubes | 0 |
| 1 | 1 disc | 1 cube | 1 |
| 1 | 1 disc | 0 cubes | 0 |
| 0 | 0 discs | 0 cubes | 0 |
Using Evidence Cards
- Using an Evidence Card allows you to investigate one particular element of your case.
- It will only tell you the matching tiles that are the same type as the selected Evidence Card.
- •Disc: If the Evidence Card matches one of your Case Cards, a disc is placed on the matching tile.
- •Cube: If the Case Card's tile is in an adjacent location to the Evidence Card's tile, then a cube will be placed on the tile.
Additional Rules With Using Evidence Cards
- If you already have a disc/cube on one of your Investigator Counters and it corresponds with the selected Evidence Card then the disc/cube is moved from the Investigator Counter to the tile matching the selected Evidence Card.
- If a disc/cube is placed then it must be placed on the tile.
- If no disc/cube is placed then you place the Evidence Card in front of your position to remind you that no information was gained.
- If you do place a disc/cube then you discard the Evidence Card.
Attempt to Solve the Case
- Finally you can attempt to solve the case, click on a criminal, a location and a crime type.
- If you're right, then you get points according to how many players solve their cases before you. (7 for first, 5 for second, 3 for third and 1 for fourth.)
- If you're wrong, then you lose 2 points. Next turn you can try again, but you accrue the VP penalties (and lose time).
- If everyone has solved but you, you get 0 points (and penalties you have accrued).
Phases
- The game consists of 3 rounds, players are attempting to solve one case in every round.
- Each round is composed of phases where each player takes a turn playing one action.
- Beginning with the starting player.
Solving a case
- Once a player solves a case for the first time in that round, (in phase 6 of the current round for example,) they get 7 points, and each subsequent player who solves their case in the same phase (phase 6 in our example) also gets 7 points.
- Once the phase ends, if there are at least two players who didn't solve the case yet, then the game continues, but on the phase the next player solves the case, they get 2 fewer points--and that goes for all players who solve the case in that same phase.
- This continues on and on, until only 1 (or 0) player remains.
- If one player remains at the end of a phase, that player won't gain any points for the round, and the next round starts.
Tiebreakers
- In the case of a tie, the winner is the tied player who has the:
- Most Investigator pieces.
- Fewest penalty points.