Posted by Liberty  March 31, 2016 9:15 am | #1 |
I haven't been able to find this on the forum, and wondered if anybody else had played it? It's an old board game from 1981 that is now very difficult to get hold of. I believe a French company remade it a couple of years ago, and it has been released in other languages.
It consists of ten cases, a map, rule book, newspapers and London directory. You are given a case, and can follow up various leads, trying to solve it in fewer steps than Holmes. You can play competitively or co-operatively, or even solo if you want.
I love this game! It's not a simple elimination game like Cluedo, but involves paying attention to the text and making deductions. There are lots of red herrings which will reduce your score, but there are also sub-plots which are fun to explore and can add to your score. There are plenty of familiar characters to talk to (Mycroft, etc.) and lots of references to canon.
I would highly recommend this game, if you like co-operative board games, and the reading and deduction elements. One of the best things is the discussion it provokes, trying to do your own deductions and work out who did it and why!
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Posted by Russell March 31, 2016 11:37 pm | #2 |
You know, I could have sworn having talked to you guys about this! But don't know the thread, either. It sounded really neat… not just a "plain" board game, but using all the materials for deductions and winning or losing by wits and strategy. So you've actually gotten to play it? When I get the rare chance to pull out a game (or sometimes join a friend's game night), the strategy or world-building type are the coolest. Tried to find it on Amazon again…. this one? http://www.amazon.com/Sherlock-Holmes-Consulting-Detective-Game/dp/2914849893/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1459464885&sr=8-1&keywords=sherlock+holmes+board+game
There's also this (and of course the other usual spin-offs or 'clue' type games: http://www.amazon.com/Baker-Street-Master-Detective-Gibsons/dp/B00067U6R4/ref=sr_1_4?ie=UTF8&qid=1459464885&sr=8-4&keywords=sherlock+holmes+board+game
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We solve crimes, I blog about it, and he forgets his pants. I wouldn't hold out too much hope!
Just this morning you were all tiny and small and made of clay!
I'm working my way up the greasy pole. It's… very greasy. And… pole-shaped.
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Posted by Liberty April 1, 2016 9:54 am | #3 |
Yes, that's the one! I was sure I remembered talking about it here too, or at least reading about it, but I looked all through the thread and couldn't find it. I should have explained as well: the original version is hard to find, but the new version isn't (the one you linked to). However, the original expansions seem to be impossible to get hold of, which is a real shame.
Yes, I'm playing and apart from some typos, I think it's a fantastic game - one of my favourites - certainly one of the ones I'm most drawn toward playing. (I'm a fan of board games and have a very nice little collection of excellent modern board games, so it's high praise!). I'm finding it more fun to explore than to get a good score.
The only drawback (apart from all the reading, I suppose - I like it, and one person can read it out), is that once you've played the ten cases, you can't really play them again because you know whodunnit.
I've heard of 221b but haven't played it.
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Posted by Russell April 1, 2016 8:10 pm | #4 |
Cool. Yeah, as I mentioned, enjoy games when can, but not many to play with, so very lucky to know a group that meets for them every month! And a lot of the ones brought out tend to be the world-building/strategy type, or cooperative play. It reminded me of one I got to watch some of them do once, called Mysterium (http://www.amazon.com/Asmodee-MYST01ASM-Mysterium/dp/B013TJ5P80/ref=sr_1_1?s=toys-and-games&ie=UTF8&qid=1459540876&sr=1-1&keywords=mysterium) It sounds a little tricky, depending on the kind of group you have playing, or someone who is good at 'running' it, but was fascinating to watch. It might be up your alley, as well.
Basically, it's Clue plus Dixit (a beautiful artwork storytelling cards guessing game, if haven't heard of), one player is a ghost, trying to use their cards of pictures to lead the other players (psychics) to deduce the clues the silent ghost is trying to give them, of who was killed in the mansion, where, and what with, and they only have so many rounds to figure it out. The kind of game with a lot of cards, pieces, set-up, and beautifully elaborate story-play, trying to get the players to work together to solve the mystery.
Will have to think about the other games, though! Intriguing, but pricey.
_________________________________________________________________________
We solve crimes, I blog about it, and he forgets his pants. I wouldn't hold out too much hope!
Just this morning you were all tiny and small and made of clay!
I'm working my way up the greasy pole. It's… very greasy. And… pole-shaped.
