Are you a modern mastermind detective? The Sherlock Files includes three confounding cases designed to be solved by one to eight players over the course of an hour. Each volume of Sherlock Files are standalone and can be played without having played any of the other titles.
Utilising the Q System, players will be introduced to a mystery that needs to be solved ... Beginning with a short introduction and the first card, players will be detectives investigating a case. Following a few simple rules, you need to analyse the clues, discuss your theories and use your power of deduction in order to solve the mystery.
Each case in the series has its own deck of around 32 clues. To play, players each get a hand of 3 cards (depending on the player count), which they replenish back to three at the end of each turn. On your turn you either "reveal information" by playing a card face-up, or "discard information" by playing a card face-down. The trick is that you want face-up cards to be ones that have information relevant to the case, because those that aren't will lose you a point at the game end. An extra incentive to discard cards is that you'll need at least six discarded by the end of the game to qualify for a win.
You can't show cards in your hand to other players, but you can share partial information from them by reading selected text (e.g. marked with underlining) on these cards out loud. After all cards have been revealed or discarded, as a group you discuss whatever open information remains face-up, and what you remember about discarded cards, and together try to solve the mystery. When you're ready, together you attempt to answer the questions provided for that case, earning points for correct answers, and losing 1 point for each card that was revealed but proved irrelevant to the case solution.
Elementary Entries includes three cases. First, you will need to discover the cause of a fatal heart attack aboard Flight TJ1309.
Next, you will dig up a cold case from 1923 – The violent and unexpected death of a famous explorer and archaeologist. Last, unravel the story behind the mysterious body that put a damper on one family’s 4th of July party. Decipher clues to determine which are relevant to the case and which are not. Share the clues you deem relevant with your detective partners.
Which theories will you chase? How will you fare compared to the world’s greatest detective?
Work together to solve each case to find out!
No. of Players: 1 to 8
Min. Age: 14
