Detective: A Modern Crime Board Game

2018

Dive into a world of mystery and crime-solving with Detective: A Modern Crime Board Game. Experience immersive gameplay with online elements and challenging cases.

180
minutes

1 - 5
player(s)

16+

Medium

About the game

Detective: A Modern Crime Board Game is an immersive, cooperative board game that puts players in the shoes of seasoned investigators solving intricate crime cases. The game flawlessly blends the traditional board game experience with modern technology, providing an unprecedented level of realism and immersion.

The game takes place in a contemporary setting, with players becoming part of an investigative team known as Antares National Investigation Agency. As members of this elite group, players will have to use every tool at their disposal, both physical and digital, to solve five interconnected cases and uncover a grand conspiracy.

Game components Unboxing the fun!

‘Detective: A Modern Crime Board Game’ is an immersive, investigative board game in which players take on the roles of detectives working together to solve intricate cases. The game includes a variety of components, each playing an integral part in facilitating gameplay and enhancing the overall gaming experience. Here are the main components of the game along with their descriptions:

1. Game Board:

The game board serves as the central area for tracking the progress of investigations. It contains spaces to place cards and markers, and it also provides a visual guide to the flow of the game.

2. Case Books:

These are narrative booklets that provide the background and ongoing storyline for each of the five cases in the game. They include the initial briefing and new information as the case progresses.

3. Double-Sided Character Tiles:

These tiles represent the characters in the game, each with their own unique abilities. One side of the tile shows the character’s standard abilities while the other side shows their stressed abilities when under pressure.

4. Tokens:

Authority Tokens: These tokens are used to question suspects, search locations, or perform other investigative actions.
Stress Tokens: These are placed on characters to indicate stress levels. When a character reaches their stress limit, they can only use their stressed abilities.
Time Tokens: These tokens are used to track the passage of time during the game, affecting the actions that players can perform.
Skill Tokens: Players can spend these tokens to perform special actions or improve their abilities.

5. Decks of Cards:

Evidence Cards: These cards provide further details on the case. They are acquired through investigative actions and can contain clues or additional leads.
Plot Cards: These cards add unexpected twists to the game. They can either assist or hinder the investigation.

6. Online Database Access:

As a unique feature of the game, players are granted access to an online database, which represents their police department’s resources. By using this database, they can access further information about suspects, locations, and other case details. This interactive element adds an extra layer of realism to the game.

7. Rulebook:

The rulebook provides a comprehensive guide to playing the game. It includes instructions on setting up the game, the gameplay sequence, and explanations of all game components and their functions.

Game setup Lay it out, line it up, let’s go

Detective: A Modern Crime Board Game is an immersive, narrative-driven game that requires critical thinking and collaboration. To set up the game, follow the steps outlined below:

Step 1: Set Up the Game Board

Place the game board in the center of the play area where all players can easily reach it. This board acts as your investigation headquarters, tracking your team’s time and progress.

Step 2: Arrange the Cards

Separate the deck of cards into five distinct piles according to their case number. Set aside the tutorial cards for initial play. Shuffle each case deck and place them face down near the game board.

Step 3: Prepare the Authority Tokens

Put the authority tokens within easy reach of all players. These tokens represent your team’s ability to pull strings within the bureaucracy to get things done faster.

Step 4: Prepare the Skill Tokens

Spread out the skill tokens nearby. They represent your investigators’ special skills that help you gather data and make connections more efficiently.

Step 5: Assign Player Roles

Each player chooses an investigator card. Each investigator has a unique ability that can aid the investigation. The abilities include:

Researcher: Able to dig deep into the database and pull out relevant information
Forensic Scientist: Skilled at examining physical evidence
Data Analyst: Excellent at finding patterns and connections
Hacker: Able to break into secure systems to gather data
Field Agent: Good at gathering information from the field

Step 6: Prepare Player Pieces

Each player takes a set of three time markers in their chosen color and places one on the ‘8’ space of the time track on the game board. The other two markers are placed next to their investigator card.

Step 7: Random Elements

The random elements in Detective: A Modern Crime Board Game come from the shuffled case decks. Each game will present players with a unique sequence of events and evidence to examine, ensuring a different experience each time you play.

With setup complete, you’re ready to dive into your case and start solving the mystery!

Game flow Round and round we go

Detective: A Modern Crime Board Game is an immersive board game that requires players to solve various intriguing cases. The game does not follow a traditional round or phase structure, but rather, it is played over a series of in-game days, and each case has a specific number of days for its resolution.

In the game, players collectively represent a team of detectives working together to solve a mystery. The game blends the aspects of board gaming and immersive storytelling, where every detail can make a difference in solving the case. Each case is expected to last around three hours.

Gameplay structure:

At the beginning of each case, players read a short introduction and then they start their investigation. Each in-game day, the team of detectives decides what they want to do, which can include several actions:

Following Leads: Players can spend their time resources to follow leads. Each lead is represented by a card in the game deck. By deciding to follow a lead, the players can read the front side of the card, which can provide further clues and leads to follow.
Searching the Database: The game comes with an online database that represents the police resources. Players can search the database for further information about suspects, events, or other clues.
Discussing the Case: Players can spend time discussing the case, sharing theories, and working together to make sure they understand all aspects of the case.

When the team decides to end the day, they read the backside of the current lead card and follow the instructions there, usually moving on to the next day. This continues until the case is solved or the allotted number of days runs out.

At the end of the case, the players answer a series of questions on the game’s website to find out how well they have done. Correct answers and efficiency in solving the case contribute to the final score.

The game requires careful management of resources, critical thinking, and collaboration. Every decision and strategy can directly affect the outcome of the case.

Players'turn One turn to rule them all

Detective: A Modern Crime Board Game is a fully cooperative, deeply immersive, detective experience for 1 to 5 players. During a player’s turn, they can perform various actions such as gathering information, connecting clues, and solving a case. The actions taken by a player can significantly influence the game’s progression and outcome.

A turn in the game can be broken down as follows:

Day Start: The player’s day starts with a briefing at the Antares National Investigation Agency. The player gets an overview of their tasks for the day. This phase sets the tone for the day’s investigation.
Action Phase: The player can perform several actions during their turn. These actions are:

Gather Information: The player can choose to gather information by visiting different locations on the game board. This can include interviewing witnesses, checking archives, and searching the internet. Information gathered is crucial for solving the case.
Connect Clues: After collecting information, the player can attempt to connect the clues. This can be done by analysing the gathered evidence and looking for patterns or links between different pieces of information.
Solve a Case: If the player thinks they have enough evidence, they can attempt to solve the case. This is a risky move as a wrong solution can lead to penalties. However, correctly solving the case can bring significant rewards.

End of Day: The player’s turn ends with a debriefing at Antares. This is where they summarize their findings and plan for the next day. The information shared during this phase can help other players during their turns.

The strategic choices a player makes during their turn can greatly affect the game. Choosing to gather more information can provide more clues but also uses up valuable time. Attempting to solve a case early can lead to a quick victory or a costly mistake. Sharing information with others can help the team but also gives the player less control over the investigation.

In conclusion, a player’s turn in ‘Detective: A Modern Crime Board Game’ is a complex mix of information gathering, clue analysis, and strategic decision-making. Every choice made can potentially bring the player closer to solving the case or push them further away from the truth.

End of the game All good games must come to an end

In Detective: A Modern Crime Board Game, the game ends after players have completed all cases in the campaign. This game is driven by a narrative and is a unique blend of board game mechanics and crime drama storytelling. It is essential to understand that the game doesn’t function on a simple win/lose basis, but rather on how efficiently players solve each case.

The victory conditions in Detective are based on the accumulation of Victory Points (VP). Here’s how you can get these points:

Correctly answering the final questions at the end of each case.
Solving side plots or secondary objectives within the case.
Efficient use of your team’s time – if you finish the case ahead of time, bonus points are awarded.

Before the final scoring, players need to ensure they have completed the following actions:

Finish the investigation of their current case, ensuring they have followed as many leads and gathered as much evidence as possible.
Discuss and decide on the answers to the final questions of the case. This needs to be a team decision.
Enter their answers into the online Antares database (via the game’s website). The game will automatically calculate and display the score based on the answers provided and the time used.
Complete any pending side plots or secondary objectives and enter their solutions into the Antares database.

After this, the game will present the team’s final score for the case. This score will be added to the scores from previous cases to give an ongoing campaign total. The team’s performance grade (ranging from A+ to F) will also be revealed, offering players a benchmark for their detective skills.

Remember, the goal of Detective is not just to win, but to develop a narrative and solve intriguing mysteries. Enjoy the journey!

Scoring Did you outsmart your rivals?

In Detective: A Modern Crime Board Game, players work together as a team of detectives to solve various cases. The scoring system is based on the detectives’ ability to solve each case, gather information, and make correct deductions.

Points are awarded in the following ways:

Case Questions: At the end of each case, the team will be asked a series of questions about the case to test their understanding. Each correct answer awards points to the team.
Evidence Collection: During the game, the team can gather evidence by visiting different locations and interrogating suspects. Each piece of evidence collected grants additional points.
Final Report: At the end of the game, the team’s final report is evaluated. Points are awarded based on the completeness and accuracy of the report.
Efficiency: The team also earns points for solving the case efficiently. This includes using the least amount of time and resources.

Points are deducted in the following ways:

Incorrect Answers: If the team answers a case question incorrectly, points are deducted from their score.
Unnecessary Actions: The team loses points for any unnecessary actions they took during the investigation, such as visiting irrelevant locations or interrogating innocent suspects.
Overuse of Resources: If the team uses too many resources (like time, manpower, or tools), points are deducted from their score.

In the event of a tie, the tie-breaker is determined by the following rules:

The team that used the least amount of resources wins.
If there is still a tie, the team that solved the case in the least amount of time wins.
If there is still a tie, the team that collected the most evidence wins.

Remember, while scoring and winning are important, the main goal of Detective: A Modern Crime Board Game is for players to immerse themselves in the narrative and enjoy the process of solving the case.

Particular Cases and Exceptions Wait… is that legal?

The game Detective: A Modern Crime Board Game is an immersive, cooperative game where players take on the role of investigators solving a series of interconnected cases. While the game generally follows a set of standard rules, there are some unique rules, exceptions, and clarifications that players need to be aware of.

1. Time Units:

Each action in the game uses a specific amount of Time Units (TUs). Depending on the complexity of the action, it can take more or fewer TUs. It’s important to monitor these units, as they represent your working hours. If your team runs out of TUs, your investigation ends for the day and any remaining actions are lost.

2. Stress and Authority:

The game has a special rule regarding Stress and Authority. If a player’s Stress level reaches the maximum, they can no longer perform any actions until they reduce their stress level. Authority can be gained or lost during the game, and if a player’s Authority drops to zero, they lose the game.

3. Sharing Information:

While the game is cooperative, there is a unique rule about sharing information. Players can freely discuss and share information, but they cannot show their notes or any physical evidence to other players. To share this information, they must verbally describe it.

4. Digital Component:

The game includes a digital component, via a dedicated website. Some evidence or clues may only be accessible through this website. It’s important to note that while the website is a part of the game, it does not provide any hints or solutions to the cases. It only provides additional information and resources to aid in the investigation.

5. Final Report:

At the end of the game, players must present a Final Report to their Chief. This report must answer specific questions about the case. While players can agree on most of the answers collectively, some questions may require individual answers. These individual answers can affect the final score and outcome of the game.

6. Game Progression:

Unlike many other games, Detective does not have a fixed number of rounds or turns. The game progresses based on the team’s actions and the TUs spent, not on a pre-defined game structure. This means the game’s length and progression can vary greatly between playthroughs.

By understanding these special rules and exceptions, players can effectively navigate the game and enhance their chances of solving the cases.

Tips and tricks Play smarter, not harder!

In ‘Detective: A Modern Crime Board Game‘, players take on the role of investigators solving complex cases. This game requires critical thinking, collaboration, and strategic planning. Below are some advanced strategies, beginner tips, common mistakes to avoid, and ways to optimize your gameplay.

Advanced Strategies:

Plan Ahead: Unlike other board games, Detective implores you to think ahead. Try to plan out your actions for the day and even preempt what you might do on the following days. This would help you save time and increase your efficiency.
Use the Internet: The game encourages you to use the internet for additional research. This can be a game-changer if used correctly. The more information you can gather, the better prepared you’ll be to solve the case.
Play to Your Strengths: Each character in the game has unique abilities. Make sure to use these abilities to your advantage. Align your team’s actions with their strengths for maximum effect.

Beginner Tips:

Read the Rules Thoroughly: This game has many intricate details. Make sure you understand the rules completely before you start playing. This will help you avoid confusion during the game.
Don’t Rush: Take your time to analyze the data you’ve gathered. It’s better to move slowly and methodically than to rush and miss important clues.
Communicate Effectively: This game requires a good deal of teamwork. Make sure you’re communicating effectively with your teammates to share information and formulate plans.

Common Mistakes to Avoid:

Skipping Clues: Every piece of information is important. Avoid the temptation to skip seemingly insignificant details. They might be crucial to solving the case.
Ignoring the Clock: Time management is crucial in this game. Every action takes time and you need to use it wisely. Ignoring the clock can lead to rushed decisions and missed opportunities.
Not Using Skills: Forgetting to use your character’s skills is a common mistake. These skills can greatly enhance your investigation, so be sure to utilize them.

Ways to Optimize Gameplay:

Stay Organized: Keep your clues and notes organized. This will help you track your progress and make more informed decisions.
Utilize All Resources: Use all the resources at your disposal, including the internet, the game’s database, and your character’s skills.
Work Together: Collaboration is key to solving the cases in this game. Work together, share information, and discuss your theories with your team.

Remember, every case in ‘Detective: A Modern Crime Board Game‘ is a puzzle waiting to be solved. With these strategies and tips, you’ll be well on your way to becoming a top detective.