Game Review: ‘Prime Suspect’ from Fun Squared Games

Prime Suspect from Fun Squared Games challenges players to solve logic problems that range from straightforward to intricately complex. With orientation rules such as “to the left of” or “not in the same row as,” the logic problems are similar to ones people have been solving for fun for decades. Prime Suspect takes the challenge further, specifying details of each of the “suspects” – eye color, facial hair, accessories. Players will need to carefully study the images, which also have the key data points printed on the back for anyone with vision impairment or those who want “hust the facts, ma’am,” as Joe Friday might request.

Reviewing Clues

A game of Prime Suspect begins with choosing the Case card. The game comes with 45 Cases, ranging in difficulty from beginner to expert, denoted by darkened circles in the lower right. The cards give seven rules unique to each case that ensures there is a single correct build, which is marked on the back of the card for players who are ready to test their answer for who is the suspect, the character in the center of the square.

For beginner Cases, some of the clues give specific locations, such as “Sandra is in the top right corner” or “Anthony is in the top left corner.” As Cases move toward the intermediate level, the clues become harder, like “Lisa is between suspects with brown eyes,” requiring players to study details about potential placement. In the expert Cases, clues can become very complicated, such as “A suspect wearing glasses is between a suspect with brown eyes and a suspect with blue eyes.” Players will need to study these clues carefully to ensure they can determine exactly who is the prime suspect.

Reasoning It Out

Prime Suspect is a logic puzzle game for one or more players aged eight and up. It makes a satisfying challenge for a single player as they map out who should be where in the three-by-three square. Additional players up the gameplay by contributing outside thinking and double-checking each other’s work. The length of each game will depend on those solving it, since someone with razor-sharp wits might arrange a beginner Case in just a few minutes while even they could take upwards of an hour to solve an expert Case.

With 45 cases in the pack, 15 of each difficulty level, players will have plenty of opportunities to challenge themselves. The mental workout makes Prime Suspect perfect for classrooms, hangouts, and personal time keeping minds keen.