deduction

Visual Brain Storms

A trivia/puzzle game akin to MindTrap, but more child-friendly. The questions require mostly critical and mathematical thinking, there are only a few lateral thinking questions. The cards are large and colorful. The questions are always accompanied by a large illustration, and the answers often come with diagrams and examples.

The difficulty of each question is reflected in how many points it is worth: yellow questions are worth 1 point, blue are worth 2 points, red are worth 3 points, and "bonus" questions are worth 1 point. Gameplay and scoring take a back seat to the actual questions. You can play for a certain amount of time, for a certain number of cards, or until a player gets a certain score.

MindTrap

Two teams try to solve logical riddles and moves on a board (which actually is a paper from a block with a "racing track"). Each time team comes up with the right solution they may move one step and demand another question or throw a die (0-3) and let the turn continue to the other team.

A sequel to the game is MindTrap II.

Inkognito

Game description from the publisher:

The goal of each agent in Inkognito is to complete a mission, together with his partner. At the beginning of the game, however, players don't know which mission they must fulfill!

In the standard four-player game, each player guides one of four secret agents. The four characters are allied in pairs: Lord Fiddlebottom and Colonel Bubble are always partnered against Agent X and Madame Zsa Zsa. Each of the four agents is represented by one of four different figures, with different builds: tall, short, fat, thin. Only one of them represents the actual character controlled by a player. The other three figures represent spies which are friendly to him and that are trying to confuse the opposition.

On a turn, a player shakes the Phantom of Prophecy randomizer to determine his three available actions, e.g., moving on a land route or a sea route. The player moves his figures, trying to reach spaces already occupied by the other players' figures or the Ambassador. When figures are in the same space, the current player gets the right to "ask questions" and inspect some of the cards of that player. By deduction and a logical process of elimination, he can draw conclusions as to the identity and intentions of the other players.

The first goal of every agent is to discover which of the other players is his partner. This partner has the other half of the "code" indicating his secret mission. After discovering (or thinking he has discovered) the real identity of the other players, an agent must trade his secret mission card with his ally. This will reveal the final mission and what must be done to complete it. If either agent on a team completes the mission, both he and his partner win the game.

There is another character with an important role in the game: the Ambassador. He can be used to get clearer information about the other characters. Everyone wants to meet him because he is well-informed and can be useful to accomplish your purposes, but he can also help your rivals, so do everything you can to keep him far from them.

The 2013 version of Inkognito from Ares Games raises the maximum player count to five by allowing someone to play the Ambassador and move it during his turn. He can still gather clues when the other players question the Ambassador during their turn, and the other players can still gather clues from him. The goal of the Ambassador's player is to know everything about the other characters, guessing their identities and builds. If the Ambassador achieves "perfect knowledge" before a team accomplishes its secret missions, he wins the game.

Battlestar Galactica: Pegasus Expansion

The first expansion for Battlestar Galactica: The Board Game, Pegasus adds two new supplemental game boards featuring the Battlestar Pegasus and the planet New Caprica, seven new characters, two plastic Basestars, as well as new Destination, Crisis, Loyalty, Quorum, Super Crisis, and Skill cards.

The new Pegasus board can be used by itself or together with the New Caprica board to create the game you desire – the Pegasus alone for the additional firepower she provides, or add the New Caprica board to simulate the rebellion on the new human colony, bringing the game to an epic level.

New rules introduce the ability to play as a new character type – the Cylon Leader, with a new Treachery Skill card type.

From the Box:
"On behalf of the officers and crew of the Pegasus, it's a pleasure to see you all. Welcome back to the Colonial Fleet." - Admiral Helena Cain

The arrival of the Battlestar Pegasus heralds a new era in the lives of the Galactica crew and the Colonial government, bringing badly needed manpower and firepower to humanity's ongoing fight against the Cylons. However, under the command of Admiral Cain there is no place for compassion or mercy. Now brutal necessity and hard choices erode humanity's moral compass. The Cylons, in turn, are changing as well. The more they are exposed to humans, the more their individual agendas begin to guide their actions. In a time of suspicion and desperate need, the line between right and wrong grows less and less distinct.

The Pegasus Expansion for Battlestar Galactica: The Board Game brings players the next chapter in the popular Syfy series. In addition to more Destination, Crisis, Super Crisis, Loyalty, and Skill Cards, this expansion introduces many new card types such as Treachery Skill Cards, representing the underhanded methods used to sabotage humanity's struggles. New characters in the expansion allow players to play as Cylon Leaders, who can win or lose based on their own mysterious motivations. New gameboards allow characters to explore both the Pegasus and New Caprica. Finally, with the New Caprica Objective Card and board, humanity will be subjected to Cylon rule, and must defend themselves from their oppressive overlords until Galactica can return to attempt a daring rescue.

"We fight 'em until we can't." - Kara Thrace

Expands:

Battlestar Galactica

Battlestar Galactica: Exodus Expansion

Fantasy Flight Games is pleased to announce Exodus, the latest expansion for Battlestar Galactica: The Board Game! With three new options to add to your game, Exodus is a great way to expand on the accusations and mistrust that runs rampant in Battlestar Galactica.

You can choose to add any combination of the three new options included in Exodus. Crave more white-knuckle space dog-fighting? Incorporate the Cylon Fleet option. The Conflicted Loyalties option introduces new Loyalty Cards that will test even the most trustworthy allegiances. Finally, relive the emotional turmoil of the hit television series with the Ionian Nebula, which pits players against the various conflicting personalities aboard Galactica.

The Cylon Fleet option keeps the pressure intense by introducing the Cylon Fleet game board. This board makes sure that every Crisis Card drawn will result in some sort of enemy ship activity. Once the Cylon Pursuit Track reaches the end, the Cylon ships will transfer over to the main game board, surrounding Galactica. There’s little time for rest between assaults, so get out there and protect those civvies, fighter jockeys!

Alliances are put to the test in the Conflicted Loyalties option, where the new Final Five Loyalty Cards up the stakes and introduce penalties for revealing your fellow humans’ Loyalty Card. In addition, new Personal Goal Loyalty Cards present players with an incriminating task to undertake. If they don’t fulfill their goal, then they will cause Galactica to lose a resource at the end of the game. Will you raise suspicion by completing the damaging task, or will you lay low and hope your failures won’t condemn the rest of your crew?

Finally, with the Ionian Nebula option, familiar faces populate the fleet as allies, and can be encountered by visiting locations on Galactica. But beware! The Cylons can influence these non-player characters, compelling them to produce negative effects when encountered. Manage humanity’s conflicting personalities carefully... or infighting will leave you vulnerable!