Portal GamesDetective , Blue

I am an avid fan of board games, but I had never played a mystery or detective like board game (e.g.Sherlock Holmes Consulting Detective, Chronicles of Crime). So when I bought this game, I had no expectations. But we pulled this out with a group of friends and we were immediately hooked by the game mechanics and story line. The premise of the game is that there is a case to solve, and you start with a set of leads. You can choose to follow a lead, which might open up another set of leads. Following a lead usually has a cost, whether it is in-game time, skill tokens, or stress tokens. You have a set amount of time to solve the case, after which you get a final score to see how you did.One of the coolest parts of the game is its integration with the game's online database. All the information about suspects or characters you meet in the game, different pieces of evidence, interview transcripts, etc. are all found in this database. This makes it feel like you're actually doing detective work as we are constantly cross checking information we find online with the clues that come from each lead.When we played this game, it took our group 2-3 hours to solve each case (5 cases total). Each time, we had a whiteboard or a tear sheet where we were constantly writing and processing all the clues we were discovering. Would definitely recommend having a dedicated notetaker in your group.I would definitely recommend this if you have a group of friends (3-5 people) who are willing to play regularly. I would not recommend playing with a different group of people for each case since each case builds upon information from the previous cases. Also, since the game premise is about being a detective, be prepared for some intense mental work throughout the game.The game can be played once through (5 cases), and after that, you'll know all the answers to what happened. But all the game components remain intact, so you can pass it on to another friend for them to enjoy once you complete the game.

We purchased this after playing Chronicles of Crime and having so much fun with that series. This game is just as fun, if not more so. The unique mechanics of this game include a database feature that you fill out as you progress through the game which gives you bios, fingerprint/evidence matching, and a few other fun tricks that make it feel more like a real detective process. The game, like Chronicles of Crime, has a time limit element to help build tension. One of my favorite parts of this game is how the stories are based on real life events/history, locations, people, etc. You need to use tools outside of the game such as online maps, Wikipedia, Google, etc. to research aspects of the cases. Highly recommend for those that enjoy a deep dive game.Pros:1. Feels more like a detective experience2. 1-6 players3. Cases have details that are based on real-life events, people, places, etc.4. English is not the first language of the writers, which can make for fun reading5. Cases vary in length and difficulty as you progress through the storyCons:1. Requires internet to play2. Database tool can take some time to get used to using3. Database sucks your laptop's battery due to high processing, recommend having a power supply available when playing

The game is very well made and play tested, you can tell. The story is great! The game play is awesome and they change it up which makes it great to keep playing. The game is hard though so be prepared. My issue is with the final reports, in which you answer questions about the case to get a score. I don't agree with the questions they asked nor do I think they encompass the chapter you play. Ovreally a great game though!

It was a great game and as many of the reviews say...you definitely feel like a true detective. I like the limitation that the game imposes where the goal isn't to perfectly get all the information so that you know 100% of the deduction, but rather need to make compromises and intelligent choices to get the best information you can in the limited time you're given.One thing to note is that you definitely should be in the mindset to play this game. This is not a 'casual' game in the sense that you do need to be pretty focused on the task at hand and pay attention to details. We played as a 2 person campaign, and while I would consider 3, additional players might extend the play too much for me (there's lot of room for discussion and negotiation on what to do next between players).Another note - taking excellent notes (they recommend a mind map style) is imperative to give yourself the best chance at success. Also, keeping a log of open leads (we used excel) is important as the game can branch very quickly and you might lose track of other leads you might want to pursue once you head far down one path.But with the right group of players, there's really no experience quite like this that I've seen. I'm excited to see if any expansions come out, leveraging the basic mechanics.