The comments seems really negative and are too focused on the theme and the aesthetic. Yes, those aspects are important, but they are just icing for me. Gameplay is the cake and this looks super delicious. I'm excited to try it.
Seth Allison more often than not I scrape most of the icing Off of the cake as it’s way too much pure sugar. The cake inside is by far the most important part for me!
Christopher Reimer, Maybe, but the game & cover are so different. Perhaps the box should simply have been redesigned to look more like the game? Too much 'art' in the board design might have been too distracting, so they came up with a more practical solution. However, 2 shades of light blue for the pieces(?) - seems a very strange choice.
Played two games of this two weeks ago! While the theme didn't really come out for me, the game itself is fun to play when it finally clicks. Definitely bring a notepad to play it, though. It can be hard to track which clues you have guessed for each of the players otherwise, unless you have much better memory than me :-D.
I love this game, but it's essentially a logic puzzle in game form. If you have a couple of casual players against a player who is very systematic about what information they've gained, how to rule clues out, how to mask their clues by selecting just the right space to reveal - that person will win every time. It feels like a game that can take a long time to figure out, but my two teenage boys are very analytical, and we've had games end in about four turns because they've literally been able to rule out possible clues and figure out what your clues ARE. It's fun, but players all need to be kind of on the same level of skill with this type of deduction and analysis.
@Jules E. Abril uhhhh, not at all. Most other games I can think of have decision trees that get more complicated the farther into the game you get. Perhaps there is a certain best path as the end game approaches. There is absolutely no luck or randomness in this game. It's literally a logic puzzle - which the vast majority of games are NOT. Many games have different paths to victory. Will you pursue military or science? (7 Wonders). There is only one way to win this game, and there's only one path to get there - ruling out what your opponents' clues are - and what that means.
@Jules E. Abril I agree that really meaty boardgames are less forgiving for skill gaps, but there are plenty (and I mean plenty) of meaty board games with a fair amount of randomness thrown in to the mix - whether it be what cards I have in my hand at any given time, what information is shared or unknown at any given time, and the strategy of my opponent. There are games where skill matters a ton, and differing play styles or strategies can completely squander my chances - even as a skilled player. Don't get me wrong, I actually like Cryptid a lot. It's on my shelf and actually gets played from time to time. It's just that it's quite one dimensional in terms of the skills needed to play it.
I suggest not playing with alpha gamers and people who prioritise beating their friends instead of having fun with their friends. I can't say it any more clearer but I take pride in my game groups and people I play with, this game has never been at fault for what you're describing, but then again I don't play with the people you're talking about, family or otherwise. If it's the game's fault then your anecdote would have shown itself to be true for others but I have not encountered this in my experiences.
@@hucz I get your sentiment - but there's a fault in it. Do you play with people who have superior logic skills, but they purposely set those aside when they play a game like this just to make it fun for everyone? I'm not talking about taunting. I'm talking about skill. We have quite a robust group of gamers we play with, and one thing I can tell you that almost no one does (no one that I know of): NOT play their best just so everyone has fun. We all love to play games with each other - whether or not we happen to be good at that particular game. My buddy Lou doesn't love social deduction games, but he plays them. I hate worker placement games - but I play them with the group. It's not about how competitive we are vs. having fun. What I said is unequivocally true - unless someone is purposely NOT playing their best when they are a vastly superior player when it comes to logic. I can't imagine most serious board gamers doing that.
The disparity between the cover art and the inside art is so vast I can't get into it. I feel like the cover is such a fake promise to the actual experience that it is misleading. Reminds me of 80's Atari video game covers vs. the actual experience.
Great review! Going straight to the wish list. What are your thoughts of the lack of player sheets to cross out/scribble down information? It seems odd not to include in a game such as this with a lot of information to juggle with.
I think part of the challenge is to have a Good memory, you may use notepads if you like, but I think challenging your memory as well as your mental acuity makes the game even better
In theory, yes, you could. If you have each couple confer, they could work as a single player with a single clue. Though they'd have to be careful not to accidentally reveal info about their clue in their discussions. Maybe a notepad would help
Just played with my kids and we all enjoyed the whole game. I was surprised how fast the kids 10, 13, and 14 understood the clues and how to rule out each others to figure out the location. Just wondering if there is any reason to perform the "search" action most of the time? I know you have to put a disc out saying your clue agrees, but it seems like you can get more info with this action instead of the "question". Anyway, great review. Thanks
I think the issue with Search is that you're giving away more information as well. With Question you can target what you're giving away a bit more and try to mislead people on your own clue at the same time. Search can give you more, but can also give the other players the last bit of info they need. I only just got to play it the other day, but me and my friends really enjoyed the game. That dynamic with all the information you get being public is really interesting.
Also reminds me a little of Tobago-- without the fun. Oversimplified. In Tobago, there's four treasure hunts going on simultaneously, and when they're found, new ones pop up. In Tobago, the fact the locations aren't predetermined gives players some interesting choices in the matter, giving each player a different stake in each outcome. And Tobago has better graphics, components and theme. And Tobago has TIKIS! This one is really weak in comparison.
I have Tobago, but that is certainly not a puzzle, or as clean a design (just look at the FAQ if you don't believe me), that being said these are different enough to sit on the same shelf. I think this game has more direct interaction in that there's a bit of bluff going on between players, a party game vibe and a darn sight shorter to boot. Hence it might not be for everyone. Tobago is a fun one though for sure.
See it exactly like you and was wondering why no one points it out. It is Tobago distilled to the deduction aspect with less choices, less interaction and less attractive artwork/pieces. I don´t see why this would come out on top for anyone except you really love deduction.
So many people complaining about aesthetics. This is an abstract game that really needs no theme at all to be engaging and fun. People cannot just have fun in their games anymore?
Love the mechanics. Hate the theme. How is this not based on Jack the Ripper or Cthulhu. I know those themes are overused, but they continue to sell for a reason. And I'm pretty sure that trying to catch a murderer or trying to shutdown a portal would have been more relatable than finding a monster and not knowing what you are supposed to do with it.
it's really not.. its more of a social deduction game where you are not allowed to lie... you're just allowed to be as economical as possible with the truth, and throw people off by checking places where you know it cant be etc etc..
Yes like a slightly more complex version of clue. To play clue well you need to be economical as to which of the three cards to show. If you can you keep showing the same ones over and over and give out as little information as possible. Basically because they are both deduction games..
Box-art is beautiful but that board is horrible. Colors too bright, illustrations to clustered and that white outline is just bad. Tokens "oki" but I can imagine the board becoming way to clustered and trashy with all those pastel colored tokens on that ugly board. Love the modular board idea though. Cool Cluedo style came but too ugly to buy.
Zee, I am super surprised you liked it so much due to how much you emphasize theme. That is one of the ugliest game boards I have ever seen. It’s uglier than Brass (old version) IMO. The game cover seems very misleading and it does not make me excited to play at all.
This review gets a seal of excellence from me.
The comments seems really negative and are too focused on the theme and the aesthetic. Yes, those aspects are important, but they are just icing for me. Gameplay is the cake and this looks super delicious. I'm excited to try it.
Your analogue seems flawed because icing is the best part of the cake, in games and in cake. I do agree this game looks dess. I do wish more theme.
@Ben I agree, nobody wants a polished turd. First things first, is the game good...
Seth Allison more often than not I scrape most of the icing Off of the cake as it’s way too much pure sugar. The cake inside is by far the most important part for me!
@@FranzBazar Facts
This game is awesome!
Played it several times now. 5 mins to teach, 15mins to play, just a really good game
I couldn't disagree more with those who found this game ugly - I had the chance to play it today and it looks absolutely handsome on the table.
Christopher Reimer, Maybe, but the game & cover are so different. Perhaps the box should simply have been redesigned to look more like the game? Too much 'art' in the board design might have been too distracting, so they came up with a more practical solution. However, 2 shades of light blue for the pieces(?) - seems a very strange choice.
Great review, just ordered.
Zee Garcia: Correctly uses the word evocative, but calls the orange pieces yellow. We love you Zee!
I'm a little bummed that with such cool monster designs that they aren't used in the actual game but other than that looks great
what are the pillars and abandon cabins for?
I would imagine it is for added landmarks for clues but, i am unsure.
They are for extra clues such as 3 or less from a white structure, or 3 or less away from a abandoned shack.
Love the transitions especially in the intros. And the overlays on the video is nice!!!
what are the pillars and the tents for? I assume they are just parts of the Clues, maybe? something like "not within 2 spaces of a pillar"
Yes, there are clues like "within 2 spaces of a structure" or "Not within 3 spaces of an abandoned campsite."
Played two games of this two weeks ago! While the theme didn't really come out for me, the game itself is fun to play when it finally clicks. Definitely bring a notepad to play it, though. It can be hard to track which clues you have guessed for each of the players otherwise, unless you have much better memory than me :-D.
I love this game, but it's essentially a logic puzzle in game form. If you have a couple of casual players against a player who is very systematic about what information they've gained, how to rule clues out, how to mask their clues by selecting just the right space to reveal - that person will win every time. It feels like a game that can take a long time to figure out, but my two teenage boys are very analytical, and we've had games end in about four turns because they've literally been able to rule out possible clues and figure out what your clues ARE. It's fun, but players all need to be kind of on the same level of skill with this type of deduction and analysis.
@Jules E. Abril uhhhh, not at all. Most other games I can think of have decision trees that get more complicated the farther into the game you get. Perhaps there is a certain best path as the end game approaches. There is absolutely no luck or randomness in this game. It's literally a logic puzzle - which the vast majority of games are NOT. Many games have different paths to victory. Will you pursue military or science? (7 Wonders). There is only one way to win this game, and there's only one path to get there - ruling out what your opponents' clues are - and what that means.
@Jules E. Abril I agree that really meaty boardgames are less forgiving for skill gaps, but there are plenty (and I mean plenty) of meaty board games with a fair amount of randomness thrown in to the mix - whether it be what cards I have in my hand at any given time, what information is shared or unknown at any given time, and the strategy of my opponent. There are games where skill matters a ton, and differing play styles or strategies can completely squander my chances - even as a skilled player. Don't get me wrong, I actually like Cryptid a lot. It's on my shelf and actually gets played from time to time. It's just that it's quite one dimensional in terms of the skills needed to play it.
I suggest not playing with alpha gamers and people who prioritise beating their friends instead of having fun with their friends. I can't say it any more clearer but I take pride in my game groups and people I play with, this game has never been at fault for what you're describing, but then again I don't play with the people you're talking about, family or otherwise. If it's the game's fault then your anecdote would have shown itself to be true for others but I have not encountered this in my experiences.
@@hucz I get your sentiment - but there's a fault in it. Do you play with people who have superior logic skills, but they purposely set those aside when they play a game like this just to make it fun for everyone? I'm not talking about taunting. I'm talking about skill. We have quite a robust group of gamers we play with, and one thing I can tell you that almost no one does (no one that I know of): NOT play their best just so everyone has fun. We all love to play games with each other - whether or not we happen to be good at that particular game. My buddy Lou doesn't love social deduction games, but he plays them. I hate worker placement games - but I play them with the group. It's not about how competitive we are vs. having fun. What I said is unequivocally true - unless someone is purposely NOT playing their best when they are a vastly superior player when it comes to logic. I can't imagine most serious board gamers doing that.
Zendo meets Tobago
and some Clue in there
I think a treasure hunting theme would've worked better.
Schade Maghan try Tobago treasure hunting version
Whats the name of the app?
Out of all the reviewers in DT, Zee ties with Tom as my favorites.
The disparity between the cover art and the inside art is so vast I can't get into it. I feel like the cover is such a fake promise to the actual experience that it is misleading. Reminds me of 80's Atari video game covers vs. the actual experience.
I felt the same way
I totally agree
Yep, that’s exactly why I didn’t get it.
Yellow player?
Lets say orange, eh?
I just bought it, I'm excited to play it
Great review! Going straight to the wish list.
What are your thoughts of the lack of player sheets to cross out/scribble down information? It seems odd not to include in a game such as this with a lot of information to juggle with.
Game Boy Geek made his own and uploaded them to Board Game Geek.
I think part of the challenge is to have a Good memory, you may use notepads if you like, but I think challenging your memory as well as your mental acuity makes the game even better
Hm. I'm quite disappointed by how the game looks when the board is out, I would've much preferred the actual game to have a similar look to the cover.
My game group has 3 couples could it be played as 3 teams of 2? I wanted to know if this works before purchasing
In theory, yes, you could. If you have each couple confer, they could work as a single player with a single clue. Though they'd have to be careful not to accidentally reveal info about their clue in their discussions. Maybe a notepad would help
Just played with my kids and we all enjoyed the whole game. I was surprised how fast the kids 10, 13, and 14 understood the clues and how to rule out each others to figure out the location. Just wondering if there is any reason to perform the "search" action most of the time? I know you have to put a disc out saying your clue agrees, but it seems like you can get more info with this action instead of the "question". Anyway, great review. Thanks
I think the issue with Search is that you're giving away more information as well. With Question you can target what you're giving away a bit more and try to mislead people on your own clue at the same time. Search can give you more, but can also give the other players the last bit of info they need.
I only just got to play it the other day, but me and my friends really enjoyed the game. That dynamic with all the information you get being public is really interesting.
It indeed looks awesome
the “yellow player” looks orange, right?
I looked for the app on Google Play but couldn't find it, can someone tell me the name or give me a link?
Me too please
Found it. www.playcryptid.com/ not an app only website
Awesome, thanks!
Why will anyone question, they will always search
While searching you give information to others
Horrible theme to aesthetics connection. However I really liked it. Zero regrets about trying it! If you like deduction games, go for it!
Also reminds me a little of Tobago-- without the fun. Oversimplified. In Tobago, there's four treasure hunts going on simultaneously, and when they're found, new ones pop up. In Tobago, the fact the locations aren't predetermined gives players some interesting choices in the matter, giving each player a different stake in each outcome. And Tobago has better graphics, components and theme. And Tobago has TIKIS! This one is really weak in comparison.
Totally different games, Cryptid is a DEDUCTION game, in Tobago you do not have to deduct nothing
*deduce
Yeah, because you are collecitvely deciding, which is even better. Tobago trumps this any day for me. Neat design nonetheless.
I have Tobago, but that is certainly not a puzzle, or as clean a design (just look at the FAQ if you don't believe me), that being said these are different enough to sit on the same shelf. I think this game has more direct interaction in that there's a bit of bluff going on between players, a party game vibe and a darn sight shorter to boot. Hence it might not be for everyone.
Tobago is a fun one though for sure.
See it exactly like you and was wondering why no one points it out. It is Tobago distilled to the deduction aspect with less choices, less interaction and less attractive artwork/pieces. I don´t see why this would come out on top for anyone except you really love deduction.
Yellow??
Wow that's a very elegant and clever mechanism.
IMO it would be more tematici with detective/thriller theme
Zee, you the man!
This is Tobago, remodeled.
So many people complaining about aesthetics. This is an abstract game that really needs no theme at all to be engaging and fun. People cannot just have fun in their games anymore?
Thank you.
Minesweeper?
Love the mechanics. Hate the theme. How is this not based on Jack the Ripper or Cthulhu. I know those themes are overused, but they continue to sell for a reason.
And I'm pretty sure that trying to catch a murderer or trying to shutdown a portal would have been more relatable than finding a monster and not knowing what you are supposed to do with it.
this is likely because of the underlaying scientific interests of the two designers.
I would have not ordered if this games was based on those licenses. Call me out.
If the contents looked like the cover I'd buy in a heartbeat. This looks like a prototype or print n' play. I'll pass...
it doesnt really look all that different to somethin glike kingdom builder or Catan to me..
I thought of Kingdom Builder too while watching. Good catch!
Seems like very interesting game (reminded me bit of Tobago) - but the art is just plain ugly.
Based on intro description, it's Clue, without the die rolling
it's really not.. its more of a social deduction game where you are not allowed to lie... you're just allowed to be as economical as possible with the truth, and throw people off by checking places where you know it cant be etc etc..
Yes like a slightly more complex version of clue. To play clue well you need to be economical as to which of the three cards to show. If you can you keep showing the same ones over and over and give out as little information as possible. Basically because they are both deduction games..
Box-art is beautiful but that board is horrible. Colors too bright, illustrations to clustered and that white outline is just bad. Tokens "oki" but I can imagine the board becoming way to clustered and trashy with all those pastel colored tokens on that ugly board. Love the modular board idea though. Cool Cluedo style came but too ugly to buy.
Zee, I am super surprised you liked it so much due to how much you emphasize theme. That is one of the ugliest game boards I have ever seen. It’s uglier than Brass (old version) IMO. The game cover seems very misleading and it does not make me excited to play at all.
That cover is really misleading. I am not interested in this game
what an incredibly ugly game