About the game
Police Lineup is a free deduction game. Each case shows a lineup of four to seven people standing in front of a height chart, and a short witness statement below it. Every sentence in the statement is true about the culprit. Your job is to work out which single person fits all of them.
The people differ in six ways: shirt colour, hat (none, baseball cap, beanie or fedora), eyewear (none, glasses or sunglasses), hair colour, facial hair (none, moustache or beard) and height. Later cases add clues about where the culprit stood in the line.
There are 20 cases in four ranks. Every case was generated and then checked by the game itself: exactly one person matches the statement, and every sentence is needed — remove any one of them and the answer would no longer be certain.
How to play
- Read the statement. Each numbered line is a fact about the culprit.
- Rule people out. Turn on Cross out and tap anyone who breaks a clue. They fade and get a grey cross. Tap again to undo.
- Tick off clues. Tap a line of the statement to strike it through once you have used it.
- Make the accusation. Turn Cross out off and tap the person you think did it.
Reading height
Everyone stands in front of a height chart marked in centimetres, with darker lines at 160 and 180 cm. Height is measured to the top of the person, including any hat.
- Short: below the 160 line.
- Medium height: between the 160 and 180 lines.
- Tall: above the 180 line.
Types of clues
- Features: "They wore a fedora." "They had grey hair." "They were clean-shaven."
- Negative clues (from Officer rank): "They were not wearing sunglasses." These rule people out rather than in, so they usually need combining with another clue.
- Height clues: "They were tall." "They were not short."
- End of the line (from Detective rank): "They stood at one end of the lineup" means position 1 or the last position.
- Neighbours (Chief rank): "They stood right next to someone in a beanie" means directly beside, on either side.
- Left and right (Chief rank): "They stood somewhere to the left of the person with the beard." Left and right are as you see the lineup, so position 1 is the far left. The person referred to is always the only one in the line with that feature.
Stars and ranks
- 3 stars: the right person on your first accusation.
- 2 stars: right on the second accusation.
- 1 star: any other finish. Solving a case unlocks the next.
| Rank | Cases | People | Clue types |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rookie | 1–5 | 4 | Features and height |
| Officer | 6–10 | 5 | Adds negative clues |
| Detective | 11–15 | 6 | Adds "end of the line" |
| Chief | 16–20 | 7 | Adds neighbours and left/right |
Detective tips
- Start with the strongest clue. A clue about a rare feature — the only fedora, the only grey hair — narrows the lineup fastest.
- Cross people out as you go. Don't keep the eliminations in your head; mark them. It prevents mistakes on seven-person lineups.
- Negative clues work best last. "Not wearing glasses" rarely helps first, but it is often exactly what separates the final two suspects.
- For position clues, find the reference first. Locate "the person with the beard" before thinking about who stands to their left.
- Check every line before you accuse. Every clue is needed, so if you have not used one, you may be about to pick the wrong person.
Frequently asked questions
Is Police Lineup free?
Yes. It is completely free to play in any modern browser with no download, account or in-game purchases.
Is there always exactly one answer?
Yes. The game checks every case: only one person matches the whole statement, and removing any clue would leave more than one possible suspect.
Is there a time limit?
No. Take as long as you need; only wrong accusations affect your stars.
Can I play on my phone?
Yes. Tap people and statement lines with your finger. On a small screen, the Cross out button is especially handy.
Is it suitable for children?
Yes. The culprits are only ever accused of harmless mischief like a missing bicycle or stolen ice cream, and the game is a good exercise in careful reading and logical thinking.