Playtime: 20 min
Complexity: 4/10
Jekyll & Hyde vs Scotland Yard, in addition to being a mouthful, is a co-operative trick-taking game that unfolds over 10 brief chapters: you can either link those together to form a campaign, or tackle them individually, in any order you wish.
Each round sees the play of eight tricks, with each trick comprising three cards: one from each player and one from the City deck. You know the drill: follow suit if you can, otherwise anything goes. The first color to hit the table becomes the most powerful suit for that round, while the second color to make an appearance becomes the second most powerful suit—leaving third place for the game’s remaining color.
Each trick is won by whoever (including the City) plays the highest card in the most powerful suit, and those cards remains in full view for future reference. Clever use of potion cards allows players to manipulate the relative strengths of all three suits, exchange a card with the City deck, or even steal a trick previously won by the City.
When eight tricks have been played (and won), the round is scored: the Jekyll/Hyde pawn moves forward one step on the board for each trick taken by the player who won the fewest tricks, plus one step for each 8-card found in the tricks of each player. But be careful: every 1, 2, or 3 also found in those tricks will move the Scotland Yard pawn forward one step.
Play a second round, and then you and your buddy succeed if Jekyll/Hyde made it home before the police caught up with him.
But it’s not enough to avoid losing. Each chapter presents different ways for players to earn points: win a trick by playing an 8, win the final trick, etc. Tally your score for the whole campaign, and then try to do better.
The game is simple, fast, devilishly clever and addictive.
You should be playing it right now, instead of reading this!
Most easily forgotten rule: Turn order is indicated on the Character token, and moves either clockwise or counterclockwise.
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