Carnimal (ML)

PRE-ORDER ITEM

Shipping: If your cart contains a pre-order item, please note that your order will be shipped once ALL the items in your cart are available.

Expected Date: This item is expected around late September 2026. Occasionally, unforeseen circumstances may delay a product’s release. This date is not guaranteed.

Welcome to the grand Carnimal, a carnival where masks hide far more than a face. In this deduction game, your opponent has a secret identity made up of three elements. Your mission is easy to understand but much harder to accomplish: identify their character, mask, and secret before they manage to uncover yours.

Every game becomes a head-to-head battle of observation. A grid of tiles is arranged on the table, and on your turn, you move the Interrogation token before choosing its side and orientation. Its position determines which elements you can question your opponent about. Their answer tells you how many of those elements belong to their identity. From there, you must connect that information with the clues you have already collected and gradually eliminate the wrong possibilities.

This clever system gives Carnimal its distinctive rhythm. An answer of zero can provide extremely valuable information, but it also gives your opponent an advantage by allowing them to gain an additional clue. Every interrogation therefore requires you to consider not only what you might learn, but also what your choice could give away. Once you believe you have identified all three elements, you can make an accusation. Get it right and you win. Get it wrong and your investigation ends immediately.

Carnimal is for you if you want a quick 2-player game where logical thinking matters more than complicated rules. If you enjoy analyzing answers, eliminating possibilities, and watching the solution gradually come into focus, this duel should feel right at home on your table. Its direct head-to-head format also makes it a great choice for couples, gaming partners, and fans of logic games who enjoy an immediate rematch.

The setting of the Venetian carnival is an ideal match for a game about hidden identities. Masks are among the most recognizable symbols of Venice's carnival tradition, and Carnimal turns that idea into a playful mystery: behind every costumed character lies a combination that only careful deduction can reveal. The changing arrangement of the elements also creates different questioning opportunities, encouraging both opponents to adjust their reasoning from one game to the next.

Carnimal was designed by Bruno Cathala and Ludovic Maublanc, two acclaimed French designers who also collaborated on Mr. Jack and Mr. Jack Pocket, games known for their head-to-head deduction. Christine Alcouffe's illustrations give this board game of deduction a colourful, theatrical personality perfectly suited to its animal carnival setting.

BOX CONTENTS
24 tiles
8 characters
8 masks
8 secrets
24 Clue cards
5 doors
1 double-sided Interrogation token, Arrow and Cross
Note sheets
1 rulebook

Number of players: 2
Playing time: 25 minutes
Age: 8+