Friends on a couch with their phones, facing a glowing TV

How to play

One of you is the killer. Everyone else has to find them.

Host a game →Join with a code
A TV or laptopOne screen everyone can see.
A phone eachPlayers join in the browser. No app.
4 to 10 peopleShort on people? Add AI players.

The game

The game in 5 steps

1

The host opens a room on the TV.

2

Everyone scans the code and picks a character.

3

Your phone shows your secret role. If you are the killer, keep it quiet.

4

Each round: read the new clue, talk, ask questions, then vote someone out.

5

The final reveal shows who did it, and the clues you missed.

How to win

Who wins?

Innocents win

if they vote out the killer.

The killer wins

by surviving to the end.

Tips

Detective tips

Listen to how they talk. The killer slips.

Check every clue picture for a hidden detail.

Never trust a perfect alibi.

Your game. Your style.

Ways to play

The Motive Discord

Find your next table.

Players looking for a game tonight, community game nights, theories about the cases you played, and the suspects themselves, talking back. Free to join.

  1. 1Tap Join the Discord. It opens in the Discord app or your browser.
  2. 2Pick what brings you: I play, I host game nights, or I stream.
  3. 3Find players for tonight, or join a community game night.
Join the Discord

Free · discord.gg/8mRRYJ5cvr

Friends around a table of case files, arguing over a suspect board

Tags you can earn

  • Detective

    You play. Pick "I play" when you join.

  • Host

    You run game nights. Pick "I host game nights" when you join.

  • Game Night Regular

    Chat in #game-night on 3 different days and the Motive bot gives it to you.

  • Case Closer

    Catch the killer at a community game night. A mod gives it to you that night.

The dinner party awaits.

Gather your friends. Find out who did it.

Host a game →Join with a code