Clues & Culprits › Games like Clues by Sam
Games Like Clues by Sam
Finished today’s Clues by Sam and want more? Here are nine daily deduction games worth your time — what each one does, what it costs, and how it compares. Details checked in October 2026.
Disclosure: Clues & Culprits is our game, so it is listed first, and it is not affiliated with Clues by Sam or any other game on this page. We have tried to describe every other game fairly; if something has changed, tell us and we will update this page.
What makes Clues by Sam special
Clues by Sam, made by Sam at the Finnish studio Ad Artis, popularised a simple, brilliant format: twenty people on a 4×5 grid, everyone tells the truth, and you can only mark someone criminal or innocent when the clues force it. Each person you identify reveals a new clue. It refreshes daily at midnight New York time, with difficulty rising through the week, and has an active community on Reddit. If you haven’t played it, start there — it is the original.
The games below either share that suspect-wall format or scratch the same itch: a daily, finishable puzzle that rewards careful reading over guessing.
Quick comparison
| Game | Format | No-guess check | Past puzzles | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Clues & Culprits | Suspect wall, 4×4 to 5×5, three cases daily | Yes, every move | Last 7 days free to play, no login; every case free to read | 4 corner tags × 6, pencil, contradiction check |
| Clues by Sam | Suspect wall, 4×5, one case daily | Yes, every move | Two weeks free with an account; full archive for members* | 2 corner tags, extended palette |
| Detective Grid | Suspect wall, 20 cards | Yes | No archive | Corner tags |
| Griductive | Suspect grid (Knotwise) | Yes, two kinds of rejection | Last 7 days free* | — |
| Alibi | Rebuild the scene (Knotwise) | No fail state | Last 7 days free* | — |
| Verdict | Logic grid, three cases daily | Yes | Partly* | Grid marks |
| Deduce | Murdle-style logic grid | Solver-checked | Yes, free | Grid marks |
| Suspectle | Floor-plan placement | Solver-checked | Yes | Pencil + check |
| Murdle | Who/how/where/why grid | — | See site | Grid marks |
* Pricing as listed in October 2026: Clues by Sam membership $3/month or $25 lifetime (creator’s announcement, May 2026), puzzle packs €5.00; Knotwise+ $5/month or $42/year; Verdict $2.99/month or $19.99/year.
1. Clues & Culprits — the suspect wall, with proof
Clues & Culprits keeps the format Clues by Sam fans love — a wall of suspects, truthful statements, verdicts that must be proven — and builds around the parts players ask for most:
- Three cases a day (Easy 4×4, Medium 4×5, Hard 4×5) plus an Evil 5×5 on Sundays, unlocking at midnight in your time zone.
- The scenario counter: the board shows how many complete answers still fit the clues, and every rejected verdict tells you why.
- Proper notes: four corner tags per card in six colours, each with its own shape for colour-blind players; pencil marks; and Check notes, which tells you which clue your hunch contradicts. Tags stay put after a verdict unless you switch auto-clear on.
- Hints that show the reasoning: the clue to read, the suspect it settles, then the proof — and a spoiler-free hint page for every case.
- An open archive: every past case has a permanent address you can read, with hints and walkthroughs; the last 7 days are free to play.
2. Clues by Sam — the original
Still the reference: one hand-made-feeling case a day on a 4×5 grid, difficulty from Easy to Evil across the week, a two-step hint (first the clue, then the person), and a share grid that marks hints and mistakes. A free account opens the current and previous week’s puzzles; the full archive is part of its premium membership, and 50-puzzle packs are sold separately. Bonus puzzles go out with its newsletter. Need help with it? See our Clues by Sam help guide.
3. Detective Grid
The closest cousin in format: twenty suspects in a grid, a statement on the back of each card, and cards that only flip once you can prove them. Hints come in two steps, and the result grid marks cards where you used one. There is a single daily case, no archive, and progress lives only in your browser.
4. Griductive (Knotwise Games)
A daily grid-deduction game that enforces the no-guessing rule in its engine and distinguishes two kinds of rejection: “can’t be proven yet” and “the evidence says the opposite”. Difficulty follows the week from easy to evil. The last seven days are free; older puzzles need a Knotwise+ subscription.
5. Alibi (Knotwise Games)
A different take on deduction: instead of naming culprits, you put every suspect and clue back in the right room, and the guilty party reveals itself. There is no fail state — a wrong placement simply doesn’t lock. Same seven-day free window as Griductive.
6. Verdict
A daily logic grid with three cases a day (Easy, Medium, Hard), clear published pricing, and hints that name the technique you need. A good choice if you also enjoy classic grid puzzles.
7. Deduce
A free Murdle-style logic grid — victim, suspect, room, weapon — with ranks that unlock new clue types as you solve more. It has a large free archive and free printable PDF packs.
8. Suspectle
Place suspects on a floor plan so that each row and column has one person; whoever shares a room with the victim did it. Its pencil mode, “check” and “hint” tools are among the best assistance features in the genre.
9. Murdle
G. T. Karber’s hugely popular series of who/how/where/why mysteries, best known for its books. The daily web puzzle is the classic logic-grid format rather than a suspect wall, but if you like murder-mystery deduction it is essential.
What to look for in a game like Clues by Sam
Five things decide whether a Clues by Sam alternative will feel right, and they are worth checking before you settle into a new daily habit:
- Is every move provable? The defining feature of Clues by Sam is that the game refuses a guess. Clues & Culprits, Detective Grid and Griductive keep that rule; most logic-grid games let you mark anything and only tell you at the end.
- How many puzzles a day? One case is a ritual; three is a session. Clues & Culprits and Verdict publish three daily, with an extra hard case at the weekend in Clues & Culprits’ case.
- Can you go back? Archives are where the long-term value is. Some games keep every past puzzle free (Clues & Culprits, Deduce), others open the last week and charge for the rest.
- How good are the notes? Mid-game you are juggling hunches. Look for colour tags, pencil marks and — rarest of all — a way to test whether your notes contradict the clues.
- Does the help teach? A hint that names the answer ends the puzzle; a hint that points at the clues to combine makes you better at the next one.
Best for…
| If you want… | Try | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Exactly the Clues by Sam feel, more often | Clues & Culprits | Three suspect-wall cases a day, same proof-only rule |
| A free archive | Deduce (free to play); Clues & Culprits (free to read) | Every past case at its own address, no login |
| Classic logic grids | Verdict, Deduce, Murdle | Cross-out tables with rooms, weapons and motives |
| Spatial reasoning | Suspectle, Alibi | Place suspects on a floor plan |
| The hardest daily challenge | Clues & Culprits Evil, Griductive (late week) | Long chains of combined clues |
How we compared
We played each game for at least a week in October 2026, on desktop and on a phone, and noted the format, the daily schedule, what happens when you make an unproven move, how the archive and pricing work, and what tools you get for notes and hints. Prices are as listed on each game’s own site at that time. We have no commercial relationship with any of the games listed; Clues & Culprits is ours, which is why it appears first.
How to choose
- You want exactly the Clues by Sam feeling, more often: Clues & Culprits or Detective Grid.
- You want the archive free: Deduce to play, or Clues & Culprits to read (the last 7 days are free to play) — see Clues & Culprits as a Clues by Sam alternative.
- You prefer classic logic grids: Verdict, Deduce or Murdle.
- You want spatial puzzles: Suspectle or Alibi.
Questions
What is the closest game to Clues by Sam?
Clues & Culprits and Detective Grid use the same core idea: a grid of suspects, one statement per person, and verdicts that are only accepted when proven. Griductive from Knotwise Games uses the same no-guessing rule.
Is there a free Clues by Sam archive alternative?
Every past Clues & Culprits case is free to read at its own address, and the last 7 days are free to play with no account. Deduce also has a large free archive, though it is a classic logic grid rather than a suspect wall.
Is Clues & Culprits affiliated with Clues by Sam?
No. Clues & Culprits is an independent game by a different team. It uses the same family of rules — truthful suspects on a grid, verdicts only when proven — which is why it is listed first for players who want more of that format.
Which game has the best notes?
Clues & Culprits offers four corner tags per card in six colour-and-shape combinations, pencil marks, and a check that tells you whether your notes contradict the clues. Suspectle’s pencil-and-check tools are also excellent.