Alibis
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The FroGames Card
You're facing six supervillains. Two are innocent, and only you know which ones. You must tell the others with a single word, without pointing out the wrong one. Five seconds of silence, then someone says 'Laser' and chaos erupts.
WHAT IT'S ABOUT
A criminal lineup, one word to clear the innocents
Designed by Yusuke Sato and illustrated by Albert Monteys, Alibis is an asymmetric cooperative deduction game where everyone knows something others don't. It's part of Allplay's Small Box Big Game series: pocket-sized box, lightning-fast games, sky-high tension.
You're facing a line of supervillains. Only one is guilty. You know two innocents, but the other players know two others. You must associate a clue-word with each of your characters that they have in common, without accidentally pointing to someone else's villain. If everyone guesses correctly, you win. If a single word falls on the culprit, they win.
What they're saying abroad
A deduction party game that works great even with two players. Fast, tense, and every game is different thanks to the character cards.
— FroGames
"A clever cooperative deduction game where your word choice is everything."
A clever cooperative deduction game where your word choice is everything.
— Meeple Mountain
Alibis
FrogScore · FroGames editorial rating · based on rules, international reviews, and game sessionsWhat's in the box
Everything you need to accuse (or clear)
104 Character Cards
Illustrated supervillains, each with different visual and thematic traits. They are your lineup: some are innocent, only one is guilty.
Role Cards
Assigns each player the two characters they know are innocent. Secret information: you cannot show it, only use it to give clues.
Investigation Cards
Indicate how many characters are in play (varies by number of players). Fewer players, fewer suspects, but also fewer clues.
Word Tokens
You use them to associate your clue-word with your two innocent characters. When everyone has placed, it's revealed: who made a mistake?
Recommended Sleeves 118 cards in 3 dimensions ▼
If you play often, we recommend protecting the cards with transparent sleeves to make them last longer.
| Size | Quantity |
|---|---|
| 41 × 63 mm | 104 |
| 90 × 105 mm | 8 |
| 70 × 105 mm | 6 |
| Total cards | 118 |
Come si gioca
Video dimostrativo di gameplay.
🎲How to playThe rules in four steps▼
How to play
The flow of each round
Alibis is a single game: one setup, one round of clues, one final deduction. There are no turns.
Draw a number of Character cards based on the number of players (4 to 6 characters) and place them in a row in the center. Shuffle the Role cards and deal two to each player: these are your secret innocents. The culprit is the one no one received.
Silently, everyone thinks of a word that connects their two innocent characters. The word must be specific enough not to apply to other characters, but clear enough for others to understand. You cannot communicate.
Everyone says their word at the same time and places their tokens on the characters they intended to indicate. Check: if all tokens fall on characters other than the culprit, proceed. If even one falls on the culprit, you lose immediately.
Look at which characters have been indicated and openly discuss who the culprit might be. Eliminate those you know are innocent. When you are sure, vote and accuse. Flip the card: if it's the culprit, you win. Otherwise, you lose.
⏱️Your first gameThe chronicle, moment by moment▼
A game in five moments
What happens at the table
Not the rules. The experience.
The lineup
You draw the characters and line them up. Everyone receives two Role cards: these are your innocents. You look at them, searching for something that connects them. A physical detail, a theme, a color. Others are doing the same with two other characters.
The word you can't say
You think of a word that links your two without touching any others. But you don't know which characters others have. 'Red' might work, but if another player has the red demon, you're screwed. You rethink. You change. You freeze.
The revelation
Everyone says their word and places their tokens. 'Hat'. 'Technology'. 'Flying'. You look at the lineup and try to figure out who said what. Someone laughs, someone pales. One of the tokens is on someone else's character.
The elimination
You remove the characters you have identified with certainty. The suspects remain. Someone says: 'I think the culprit is the one with the mask'. Another shakes their head: 'No, that's mine. Innocent'. The tension rises. You vote.
The truth
Flip the final suspect's card. If it's the culprit, you win. If it's innocent, you all lose. Someone shouts, someone else covers their face. Then you look back at the words: 'How did you say Laser for those two?!'
🐸Good to know beforehandThree honest things, from friends▼
Good to know beforehand
Three honest things
Requires a rich common language
If you play in a multilingual group or with very different vocabularies, the game will falter. Clue words only work if everyone has access to the same semantic field. It's not a rule problem, it's a shared culture problem.
One mistake and you've lost
There's no recovery, no multiple rounds. A wrong word during placement and the game ends. This is the beauty of the game, but also its frustration: distracted or inattentive players kill the experience for everyone.
Imperfect scaling
It works with 2 players but is much easier (fewer variables, less overlap risk). With 6, it's chaotic and the difficulty skyrockets. The sweet spot is 3-4 players: enough clues to deduce, enough risk to sweat.
🏆Victory and defeatWhat the ending rewards▼
How it ends
Cooperative victory or collective defeat
Alibis has one victory condition and two defeat conditions. There are no points, no rankings.
Victory
- All Word tokens fall on innocent characters (no one mistakenly indicated the culprit)
- During the final deduction, you accuse the correct character
- The culprit is identified, and all players win together
Defeat
- At least one Word token is placed on the culprit during the reveal phase
- During the final deduction, you accuse an innocent
- In both cases, the culprit wins, and all players lose
A deduction game played with words, not mechanics. Fast, tense, and every game depends on how well you can think together without speaking.
💬Frequently asked questionsQuick answers before checkout▼
Frequently asked questions
Alibis FAQ
Does it really work with 2 players or do you need a group?
It works, but with 2 players it's much easier: fewer characters in play, fewer possible overlaps. The game is designed for 3-5 players, where the tension is real. With 2, it's a good puzzle, but not the party game it becomes with a group.
How important is the players' vocabulary?
Very important. If someone has a limited vocabulary or thinks very literally, they will struggle to find effective clue words. It's not a game for everyone: it requires linguistic creativity and abstraction skills. If the group doesn't have it, the game gets stuck.
Are all the cards different or do they repeat?
104 Character cards, all different. Every game has a completely new lineup. Replayability is very high, even if the mechanic always remains the same.
What mechanics does Alibis use?
Cooperative deduction, hidden asymmetrical information (each player knows two different innocents), word association. It's a mix between Codenames and Hanabi: you have to give clues without communicating directly, and others have to understand what you meant without confirmation.
Is it available in Italian?
No, this edition is in English. The Character cards are illustrated and have no text, but the rulebook is in English. The game is based on clue words: you can play in Italian even with the English edition, as long as all players speak the same language.
The people behind the game
Who invented it, who designed it, who publishes it — and what else they've done.
Alibis is a cooperative deduction party game designed by Yusuke Sato for 2-6 players, lasting 20 minutes, recommended for ages 10+. Published by Allplay in the Small Box Big Game series, the game uses asymmetrical information and word association: each player knows two innocent characters and must give a clue word that connects them without accidentally indicating the culprit. Simple mechanics, high tension, infinite replayability thanks to 104 Character cards illustrated by Albert Monteys. Available on FroGames.it.
Alibis
Frequently Asked Questions
The answers you're looking for, no beating around the bush.
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