I finally got to play Scotland Yard, a classic hidden movement game. I love the genre and the mind games it allows players to engage in.
My previous experience of the genre was playing Nuns on the Run quite a few times back in university and enjoying No Rolls Barred play Whitehall Mystery. Both of them are hidden movement games and Whitehall Mystery is very similar to Scotland Yard with very similar map but slightly different objectives and mechanics. Enough though that my knowledge of that game helped me play as the criminal Mr. X in this one.
In Scotland Yard, one player is Mr. or Mrs. X and the other players are members of Scotland Yard trying to catch them within a 24-turn gameplay. X’s position is hidden but all the cops are known. Starting from 3rd turn, every 5 turns X will reveal themself on the map and then hide again to run away. The cops win if they land on the same spot on the board as X.
There are four ways to move in the map. Three of these are available to all players: taxis, buses and subway. Taxis move between two adjacent spots, buses have anything from 1 to 5 spaces and subways move long distances. The fourth option is a ferry which is only available to X.
The cops have limited amount of tickets to use for specific transportation while X has unlimited. In addition, X has two powerups in limited amounts: hidden movement and double move. Using a hidden move card, the cops don’t know what they used to move around and the double move allows them to make longer escapes to throw the cops off their scent.
Each turn, X writes the position they move into and tell the others which mode of transportation they chose.
The game is really difficult for both sides. I love playing as the hidden role because it lets me use my bluffing and manipulating skills in a safe space (as I wouldn’t use those in real life out of respect for other people) and the tension and excitement is a lot of fun, especially when it works.
I think aforementioned Whitehall Mystery is bit more interesting as it forces the criminal to move around the spot (as they need to get to 4 specified spots rather than just keep escaping). There are also no different modes of transport, making the movement options bit more balanced. Both games are fun though, played on both sides.
I’m not sure if there’s better joy in life than having your schemes work out.