A mixture of Poirot, PinkPanther, and JamesBond, Scotland Yard is a suspenseful thrill ride.
Written: Dec 17 '05 (Updated Dec 17 '05)
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Pros: One-of-a-kind gameplay, intriguing cat and mouse between Mister X and the Detectives.
Cons: Game board never changes, some people just won't like the style if play.
The Bottom Line: Scotland Yard is an original and strategic game for teens-to-adults. Ravensburger did a great job with the look of the game, dark and sinister yet still engaging.
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| openroad's Full Review: Scotland Yard |
Scotland Yard
Manufacturer: Ravensburger USA
Players: 3 to 6, but best with 4
Ages: Teens on up, kids will lose interest
Time: 90 to 150 minutes on average
----- Whatcha gonna do when they come for you? -----
Games in the United States tend to fall under pretty typical genres. Either they are a slightly new formula applied to a familiar theme, a new spin off on a popular TV show or movie, or a "completely new" style of game like the Scene It DVD games. Since I've been introduced to the whole import gaming scene a few years ago I now look mostly at newly imported or old best-sellers in the worldwide community. In the realm of board games there aren't many contenders for serious detective games that adults can dig into. If you're looking for a new game to play with your friends and family then keep reading, this might be the game for you.
The Story and Goal
It's in all the newspapers, on the telly (TV), and on BBC radio, this most recent (of many) daring heists by the criminal scoundrel known only as "Mister X". This dastardly Mister X has evaded all dragnets and traps set for him thus far, and there's only this one chance to catch him before he vanishes yet again.
Scotland Yard has put 5 of their best detectives on the tail of Mister X, their job is to take every possible measure to capture him before 24 turns have passed. To capture him they must end their movement turn on the same space as Mister X, not an easy feat since he's completely invisible! He'll only show himself on 4 separate occasions which leaves the detectives scrambling to close the net before he goes back underground.
As Mister X, can you escape London with your loot and make it to safety? All the detectives must work together and formulate plans to limit Mister X's movement options. Remember, time is limited... can you capture this scourge of society before he vanishes for good? Scotland Yard is on the case!
----- Game Play -----
Each game of Scotland Yard begins by unfolding the large map of London. While not drawn to scale by any means, this map shows accurately the Thames river, Parliament, Big Ben, Waterloo Bridge, London Bridge, Westminster Abbey, and various other landmarks of the city. The one thing you'll notice right away are the markers at every street intersection which look decidedly like stop signs. Each marker is labeled with a number from 1 to 199 and is either all white, white on the upper half and blue on the bottom, or white, blue, and red in the center. These markers are actually stations for mass transit, the colors signify whether you can take a Taxi (white, moves very short distances), Bus (blue, moves 2-3 times further than taxis), or Underground Subway (red, very fast, can cross London in 3 moves).
Tickets
All five detectives play during every game, if there are less than 6 players someone takes two (or more) detectives. Mister X receives 4 Taxi, 3 Bus, and 3 Underground tickets. He also gets two double move (2X) tickets and five 'Black' tickets. The 2X ticket allows him to move twice before the detectives are allowed to move. Black tickets can be used to ride the river transports (only Mister X can do this) or to disguise the type of vehicle he used for his last move.
Each detective begins with:
* 10 Taxi Tickets
* 8 Bus Tickets
* 4 Underground Tickets
The tricky part of the whole ticket idea is that every time a detective moves, his spent ticket goes into Mister X's ticket pile. In other words 'X' will never run out of tickets where as the detectives often run dry of Underground tickets somewhere around mid-game.
The Travel Log
Before you become too discouraged let's talk about the travel log. Since Mister X is invisible 20 turns of the game, he must record his location in the secret travel log window corresponding to the turn number. On top of the destination number Mister X places the ticket he used to travel there. For example, say we know 'X' is on station #128 which has access to Taxi, Bus, and Undergound routes. Mister X writes down his new destination secretly and places a Bus ticket on the log window. Out of 5 destinations serviced by station 128 only three accept buses, obviously this narrows down the route of escape by 40%.
On turn number 3, 8, 13, and 18 Mister X must reveal himself and place his token on the board for that turn. This allows the detectives to coordinate a plan and cut off all Underground and Bus routes of escape. This usually leaves 'X' stuck taking taxis and not covering ground very quickly at all. This usually means the end is near for Mister X unless he can jump a river ferry or use his 2X tickets to escape. If Mister X eludes capture for 24 turns, he surfaces at the end of his the last turn and wins the game.
----- Bottom Line -----
I'll admit right away, Scotland Yard isn't everyone's cup of tea. I've initiated new players that even post-game thought it was a boring and stupid idea that "felt more like work than play". This is NOT a game of luck and chance, whether Mister X or the detectives, you need to plan far ahead and think carefully before moving and spending your tickets. Most games take about 2 hours with 4 players, sometimes less if Mister X gets sloppy.
In my opinion this game is best played among close friends that know each other well, 2 couples would be about perfect. Knowing a lot about your fellow gamers helps in Scotland Yard since the way Mister X is played depends on that players personality. It's really quite amusing to watch spouses play opposite sides of the criminal world. After all, when you're married who knows you better than your husband/wife? I must give kudos to all you ladies out there, when a husband is Mister X and his wife is a detective... he goes down EVERY TIME, no joke. It doesn't work out the same when the situation is reversed however, my friends wives manage to escape about 50% of the time. I'm not making a point here, I'm just saying what happens in my gaming circle.
In closing, if you can find this game (usually at a specialty shop or on Ebay) it might be a welcome addition to your library. The idea is unique and the action isn't fast-paced, but a certain level of tension and suspense exists here that most board games don't deliver. If this sounds like something you might like I urge you to give it a try. After all, who's going to stop Mister X if you don't?
---( Other game reviews that might interest you: )---
Evo: The Last Gasp of the Dinosaurs
Axis & Allies Pacific
Axis & Allies Europe
Axis & Allies Classic
Axis & Allies Revised Edition
History of the World
The American Civil War Board Game
Settlers of Catan
Cities and Knights of Catan
Thanks for reading and feel free to comment!
Openroad
Recommended:
Yes
Amount Paid (US$): 30
Type of Toy: Board Game
Age Range of Child: Whole Family
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