If you enjoy logical deduction and emotional intelligence in your games, the Décorum board game delivers a uniquely cooperative experience that tests your ability to communicate in silence. Released by Floodgate Games, Décorum invites 2–4 players to design a shared home without revealing their secret preferences. This clever, scenario-based puzzle merges visual aesthetics with hidden objectives, offering high replayability and social tension in every session. In exploring how this title compares to the latest trends in board game design, you’ll see how this narrative-driven game stands out. We’ll also touch on the companies behind its success and how it fits into modern DIY board game inspiration, such as today’s top board game publishers and how to make your own board game.
Game Overview
What is Décorum?
Décorum is a cooperative, hidden-information board game released in 2022 by Floodgate Games. Designed by Charlie Mackin, Harry Mackin, and Drew Tenenbaum, the game invites players to work together to decorate a shared home—without directly discussing their objectives. The central challenge lies in balancing individual aesthetic preferences with the collective goal of completing the room layout to everyone's satisfaction.
Set in a modern domestic environment, players take turns modifying a variety of room elements—such as paint color, wall décor, furniture, and lighting—while interpreting cryptic feedback from their housemates. The game focuses on deduction, logic, and empathy, making it stand out in a genre often dominated by competitive mechanics.
Core Gameplay Mechanics
At its core, Décorum is a logic puzzle played collaboratively. Each player is assigned a set of secret conditions that must be met for them to be satisfied with the home’s appearance. These conditions might include preferences like “the bedroom must be painted blue,” “there must be at least two lamps in the house,” or “no room may contain more than one modern item.”
Players take actions on their turn—adding, removing, or swapping items in rooms—and then receive limited feedback from their teammates, such as “I like it,” “I don’t like it,” or “I’m fine with it.” This minimal communication style creates a compelling deduction process as players try to infer each other's hidden objectives.
The game is structured into a series of scenarios, each introducing new rules, items, and complexity. Some scenarios include asymmetric roles, such as roommates, romantic partners, or family members, adding thematic depth and replayability.
Player Count and Game Duration
Décorum is designed for 2 to 4 players. It shines particularly well as a 2-player experience, where the intimate back-and-forth deduction dynamic is most pronounced. However, with 3 or 4 players, the game introduces additional layers of complexity and social interaction.
A typical game session lasts between 30 to 60 minutes, depending on the number of players and the scenario chosen. The pacing is relatively brisk, with players continuously engaged as they attempt to decode and satisfy each other's preferences.
Age Recommendation
The game is recommended for players aged 13 and up. While the rules are straightforward, the logical reasoning and subtle communication strategies required make it more suitable for teens and adults. Décorum is particularly appealing to fans of cooperative games, logic puzzles, and social deduction mechanics.
Unique Appeal
Décorum stands out in the board game landscape due to its innovative blend of cooperative deduction and thematic storytelling. Unlike many logic-based games, it emphasizes emotional intelligence and subtle communication over overt strategy or calculation. The game’s scenario-based structure also allows for a narrative progression, giving players the sense of evolving relationships and growing interpersonal understanding.
The emphasis on aesthetic design and harmony, both in gameplay and visual presentation, further enhances its accessibility and charm, making Décorum a refreshing and thought-provoking addition to any game night.
How to Play
Learning how to play Décorum is straightforward but mastering the game requires careful communication, strategic thinking, and a bit of patience. This cooperative deduction game is all about finding harmony through compromise as players work together—without revealing too much—to decorate their shared home. Here's a breakdown of the gameplay process.
Objective of the Game
In Décorum, players are roommates attempting to decorate a house to meet their individual hidden preferences. The challenge lies in achieving a shared living space that satisfies everyone without explicitly stating what their requirements are. The ultimate goal is for all players to simultaneously meet their personal conditions by the end of the scenario.
Game Setup
- Choose a scenario from the scenario book. The game includes 30 unique scenarios, each with a different setup and set of conditions.
- Each player receives a secret condition card corresponding to the chosen scenario. These conditions might include preferences for color schemes, item types, or room arrangements.
- Set up the house board with the initial configuration as outlined in the scenario.
- Place the room tiles (bathroom, bedroom, kitchen, etc.) and decorative items (paint, wall hangings, lamps, and curios) according to the scenario instructions.
Player Actions
Each player takes turns in clockwise order. On a player's turn, they may perform one of four available actions:
- Add an item to any room (paint color, wall hanging, lamp, or curio).
- Remove an item from any room.
- Swap an item of one type with another (such as exchanging a red lamp with a blue one).
- Pass their turn if they choose not to make a change.
After performing an action, the player must ask, “Does this bother anyone?” Other players may only respond with limited feedback such as “Yes, that bothers me,” or “No, that’s fine.” Players may not elaborate or explain why.
Communication Rules
Décorum enforces strict limitations on communication. Players cannot reveal their personal conditions or directly explain why a particular change is problematic. All feedback must be non-specific and based only on whether the current state of the house satisfies their preferences.
Scenario Progression
Each scenario has a fixed number of days (turns) to complete the objective. After each round of player turns, the group advances one day. If all players’ conditions are met before the end of the final day, the group wins the scenario.
If the group reaches the last day and not all conditions are fulfilled, they fail the scenario. However, they can try again or move on to another scenario.
Special Scenario Features
As players progress through the scenarios, new mechanics and twists are introduced, such as:
- Additional roommates (3–4 player mode): With more players, coordinating becomes more difficult, and additional condition sets make deduction more complex.
- New item types: Some scenarios introduce unique decorative elements or restrictions.
- Dialogue prompts: Occasionally, the game will provide scripted mini-events that allow limited sharing of information to help players progress.
Winning the Game
To win a scenario, every player must have all their conditions met simultaneously. Success requires interpreting the minimal feedback provided by other players and adjusting the house accordingly through careful observation and deduction.
Replayability and Campaign Progression
Décorum includes a campaign mode where players can progress through increasingly difficult scenarios. Each completed scenario unlocks new story content and sometimes new decorative elements or house layouts. While the conditions for each scenario are fixed, the game remains highly replayable due to the variety of scenarios and the challenge of solving each one with different player combinations.
Solo and Digital Play
While Décorum is designed primarily as a cooperative multiplayer game, players can attempt scenarios solo by managing multiple condition cards and trying to balance conflicting preferences. As of now, no official digital implementation exists, but the game’s structured format makes it suitable for digital adaptation in the future.
Game Components
Décorum is a game that thrives on its clean aesthetic and well-considered physical components. Each element of the game is designed to support the cooperative deduction gameplay in an intuitive and visually appealing way.
Component List
The game box includes the following components:
- 1 Double-sided House Board (used to display the shared living space)
- 20 Room Tiles (representing different types of rooms like bathrooms, bedrooms, kitchens, etc.)
- 30 Object Tokens (including lamps, paintings, and curios, in different colors and shapes)
- 20 Scenario Envelopes (each containing a unique setup and secret objectives for players)
- 3 Object Type Tokens (for tracking object categories during setup and resolution)
- 1 Rulebook
- Player Tokens (used to track who is playing which role in each scenario)
The quality of the components is generally praised, with thick cardboard for tiles and tokens and well-designed artwork that contributes to the retro-modern interior design theme of the game.
Card Sleeve Requirements
Décorum does not include traditional playing cards, so there are no card sleeve requirements. The scenario envelopes contain paper sheets with private objectives, which do not require sleeving. This makes setup and teardown relatively simple compared to games that include a large number of cards.
Storage Solutions
The base game includes a well-organized insert that holds the tiles, tokens, and scenario envelopes securely. However, players who prefer custom storage options may consider third-party inserts or small component organizers to streamline gameplay setup.
Some fans recommend using ziplock bags to separate components by type and color, making it easier to locate specific objects during scenario setup. Others have used labeled dividers for the scenario envelopes to facilitate faster access and storage.
Players who enjoy upgrading their games may also look into storage trays or 3D-printed inserts available through community platforms like Thingiverse or Etsy. These upgrades can enhance the overall experience by speeding up game prep and maintaining the pristine condition of the components.
Player Experience
Cooperative Gameplay Dynamics
Décorum is a fully cooperative board game that thrives on silent collaboration and intuitive deduction. Designed for 2 to 4 players, the game challenges participants to decorate a shared home according to hidden preferences. Each player has their own secret goals, which must be met without violating the other housemates' needs. The catch: players can't explicitly state what their preferences are. This creates a unique, tension-filled environment where communication is limited to vague responses like "I love it," "I hate it," or "It's fine."
This limitation encourages players to read between the lines, analyze repeated behaviors, and make educated guesses about their housemates' hidden objectives. The result is a highly engaging experience that tests players' patience, empathy, and deduction skills rather than strategic optimization or high-stakes risk-taking.
Replayability and Scenario Design
One of Décorum’s strongest features is its robust scenario-based gameplay. The game includes 30+ scenarios, each with its own narrative context and rule constraints. These scenarios are divided into multiple campaigns, each progressively introducing new gameplay elements and increasing in complexity. This modular design provides a fresh experience during each session and encourages replayability, even with the same group of players.
Each scenario typically takes about 30 to 45 minutes, making it quick enough for back-to-back plays but deep enough to feel satisfying. The escalating difficulty and evolving narrative arcs also help maintain player interest over time.
Player Count and Interaction
While Décorum supports 2 to 4 players, the game feels markedly different depending on the player count. In a 2-player game, the experience is more intimate and puzzle-like, often resembling a head-to-head logic duel with cooperative undertones. With 3 or 4 players, the dynamic becomes more chaotic and layered, as players must manage multiple sets of conflicting preferences while navigating a more complex social web.
Regardless of player count, the limited communication mechanics ensure that all participants remain equally engaged. No player can dominate the conversation or take control of the game, making Décorum an excellent option for groups seeking a balanced cooperative experience.
Emotional and Social Elements
Décorum stands out for its emphasis on emotional intelligence and social sensitivity. Unlike games that reward aggressive tactics or resource hoarding, Décorum encourages players to consider how their actions affect others. The simple act of adding a lamp or changing a wall color can spark frustration or satisfaction among fellow players—emotions that must be interpreted correctly to succeed.
This emotional layer adds a unique depth to the game, making it especially appealing for players who enjoy relationship-driven or narrative-heavy experiences. It also makes Décorum a great choice for couples, families, or close-knit gaming groups who appreciate subtle social interactions.
Learning Curve and Accessibility
Though the core mechanics are easy to grasp, mastering Décorum requires practice, observation, and strong interpersonal skills. New players may initially struggle with the restrictions on communication, but the game includes a well-written rulebook and a tutorial-style introduction to ease them in.
The visual design and iconography are clean and intuitive, further aiding accessibility. Players don’t need prior experience with logic puzzles or deduction games to enjoy Décorum, though veterans of games like The Crew or Mysterium may find familiar elements here.
Solo Play and Digital Adaptations
As of now, Décorum does not offer a solo mode, emphasizing its focus on interpersonal dynamics. However, there is growing community interest in unofficial variants or digital tools that could support solo exploration or remote play. While no official app exists, the game’s publisher, Floodgate Games, has hinted at potential digital implementations in the future, which could expand access and offer new ways to engage with the content.
Market Information
Availability and Distribution
Since its release in 2022, Décorum has seen wide distribution across North America and select regions in Europe and Asia. The game is published by Floodgate Games, a company known for titles like Sagrada and Vivid Memories. Décorum is available through most major board game retailers, both online and in physical stores, as well as directly from the publisher’s website.
Online platforms such as Amazon, Miniature Market, CoolStuffInc, and Game Nerdz regularly stock the game, with availability often influenced by print runs and popularity spikes following media coverage or convention appearances. Local game stores have also embraced Décorum, especially due to its cooperative gameplay and strong replay value, making it a popular demo title during board game nights.
Pricing Trends
Décorum typically retails between $39.95 and $44.95 USD at launch, depending on the retailer and any available promotions or discounts. Over time, pricing has remained relatively stable due to consistent demand and the game's premium component quality. Secondhand copies can occasionally be found for slightly less on marketplaces like eBay or BoardGameGeek's Marketplace, though prices may fluctuate based on condition and completeness.
Sales events, such as Black Friday or publisher anniversary promotions, may offer temporary discounts. However, due to the game's critical acclaim and steady popularity, deep discounts are relatively rare.
Print Runs and Regional Editions
The first print run of Décorum sold out quickly in several regions, prompting additional printings in 2023. As of now, there is only one core edition of the game, with no deluxe or collector’s editions officially released. However, the publisher has hinted at potential expansions or promotional content in the future, depending on ongoing support from the community.
Regional language editions are limited but growing. The original release was in English, but there have been localized editions for French and German markets. Publishers have not yet confirmed broader localization efforts, though demand from international audiences remains high.
Market Reception and Popularity
Décorum has maintained a strong presence on board game sales charts, particularly during its release year. It has been featured on BoardGameGeek’s Hotness list multiple times, often due to its unique narrative puzzle gameplay and strong word-of-mouth recommendations.
The game appeals to both casual and experienced gamers, particularly those who enjoy cooperative experiences with a twist. Its replayable scenarios and hidden objective mechanics encourage repeat playthroughs, which has helped sustain its market momentum beyond the typical post-launch period.
Retailers have noted that Décorum often sees increased interest after being featured in board game media channels or during award seasons. While it has not yet received major mainstream awards, it has been nominated for several niche honors, including the Golden Geek Awards in the Cooperative Game category.
Future Market Outlook
Given the game's continued popularity and the trend toward narrative-driven, cooperative games, Décorum's market presence is expected to remain strong. Floodgate Games has expressed interest in expanding the title with additional scenario packs or digital integrations, which could further boost its longevity and marketability.
As more players discover the game through social media or word of mouth, and as the publisher potentially explores expansions or spin-offs, Décorum is well-positioned to remain a staple in cooperative board gaming for years to come.
The Décorum board game is a thoughtful, charming experience that blends deduction, cooperation, and emotional intelligence into one harmonious package. Its minimalist communication rules and scenario-based puzzles reward intuition and group synergy, making it a standout choice for players seeking something different. Whether you're already a fan or just discovering the title, Décorum offers a compelling look at what modern, narrative-forward board gaming can be. Ready to decorate in silence? Grab a copy and see if you and your housemates can find aesthetic harmony without saying a word.