This game is like splendor. What I mean is that like how splendour distilled engine builder to its most basic essence, Whitehall mystery also distilled the chase of hidden movement to the most barebones of mechanics. The tension in Whitehall mystery is incredible because of how the rules never gets in the way.
This is a great game, the pure fun of hidden movement without any faff and the tension ramps up perfectly until you reach the end. One small thing themewise, unlike Whitechapel it's not Jack the Ripper murdering sex workers. If I remember correctly its based on an unsolved crime where body parts from a single murder were dumped in London. The murderer player is dropping body parts in the 4 locations. I got some of the wooden pieces from a copy of Whitechapel and use those instead of the slightly naff plastic ones.
I love this game! First time we played it we ended up playing it 5 or 6 times in a row until 2am. And then another 3 times the next night. I have found that the game doesn’t work well with anyone who is not 100% invested. Yes that could be any game, but if someone occasionally looks at their phone in a game of Scythe or Dune: Imperium it’s no big deal. With Whitehall Mystery, if an investigator player loses interest for even a second the experience is derailed. To be fair that’s probably most hidden movement games; they require unwavering focus.
Letters from Whitechapel is still the better game. Yes, it is longer, but Whitechapel feels and plays like an investigation, because investigators are narrowing down Jacks hideout night after night until they can catch him. Whitehall mystery feels more like a chase, the investigators are running behind him all them time. Both games are great, but Whitechapel is more epic and is the hidden movement game that requires more deduction reasoning. Whitehall is fine if you want to play a similar game but slightly quicker and lighter.
This game is like splendor. What I mean is that like how splendour distilled engine builder to its most basic essence, Whitehall mystery also distilled the chase of hidden movement to the most barebones of mechanics. The tension in Whitehall mystery is incredible because of how the rules never gets in the way.
Excellent review. Perfect lenght with concise clear explanation. Subb'ed.
This is a great game, the pure fun of hidden movement without any faff and the tension ramps up perfectly until you reach the end. One small thing themewise, unlike Whitechapel it's not Jack the Ripper murdering sex workers. If I remember correctly its based on an unsolved crime where body parts from a single murder were dumped in London. The murderer player is dropping body parts in the 4 locations.
I got some of the wooden pieces from a copy of Whitechapel and use those instead of the slightly naff plastic ones.
I love this game! First time we played it we ended up playing it 5 or 6 times in a row until 2am. And then another 3 times the next night.
I have found that the game doesn’t work well with anyone who is not 100% invested. Yes that could be any game, but if someone occasionally looks at their phone in a game of Scythe or Dune: Imperium it’s no big deal. With Whitehall Mystery, if an investigator player loses interest for even a second the experience is derailed. To be fair that’s probably most hidden movement games; they require unwavering focus.
Letters from Whitechapel is still the better game. Yes, it is longer, but Whitechapel feels and plays like an investigation, because investigators are narrowing down Jacks hideout night after night until they can catch him.
Whitehall mystery feels more like a chase, the investigators are running behind him all them time.
Both games are great, but Whitechapel is more epic and is the hidden movement game that requires more deduction reasoning. Whitehall is fine if you want to play a similar game but slightly quicker and lighter.