Mystery at the Abbey is a detective deduction game in the spirit of Cluedo.

A monk was murdered in a medieval abbey french. Players move through the abbey examining clues and interrogating each other to find out who the culprit is.

The monks belong to three orders: fat-skinny, bald-haired, bearded-shaved. One monk card is hidden, and the other cards are dealt. Each turn, players can move up to two squares and then ask a question to any other monk present (e.g., "How many fat monks are there?").

Players can either take a "vow of silence" or answer honestly; They can then ask the accuser a question. The "mass" takes place every four turns: all players return to the shrine, an event card is read, and then they pass an increasing number of cards to their neighbor on the left.

Various rooms are associated with special events or cards. For example, in a cell you can choose a card from a neighbor, in the Cryptorum you can take a card to play an extra turn later.

Unlike Cluedo, you don't automatically win by making a correct accusation: you get 4 points for finding the correct answer, but you also get 2 points for each correct statement of a single trait, and you lose points for incorrect statements and accusations. For example, a person can correctly declare the culprit but lose the game. The Unique Event cards add a random element to each game, and the game invites you to set house rules to limit the questions.