Scotland Yard board game

by Christian

(Pennsuaken)

Game:
Scotland Yard
Board game manufacturer:
Milton Bradley / Ravensburger
Number of players:
3-6

Quick verdict

In a game that so closely resembles to concept of Where in the World is Carmen San Diego?, Scotland Yard comes across as very basic and childish.

The game and gameplay

The game is set in London. One players controls a criminal mastermind named Mr. X. The other players all play members of Scotland Yard, all searching for the same player who moves around the game board.

All players start with a certain number of tokens which permit them to move around the board using a number of various methods, from taxis and buses to the London Underground itself. Players will always know the method of transportation of Mr. X, but never his exact location.

However, Mr. X gets one additional travel method not available to the players. Mr. X can travel along the Thames. This makes him either easier to apprehend, for it narrows down his location, or makes him virtually unfindable for a time.

When a player spends a travel token, it is then handed over to Mr. X. This virtually gives the criminal an unlimited number of movements on the board.

The Scotland Yard board game is won when either a player lands on the same square as Mr. X, or when the players can no longer move and have run out of tokens. Pretty simple.

The game is composed of one board which is nicely detailed like a map of London. There are also travel tokens of various colors, each color denotes a specific movement method. Even the character tokens are basic flat pieces.

Pros and cons

For starters, the map is a nice detailed replica of any traveler’s map of London. Gameplay has been known to help with remembering specific sites and travel ways in the big city.

The game is so simple and quick that it can only be fun.

However, the Cons are rather steep. It’s too simple. Although this game doesn’t get lost in game pieces and relies heavily on the gameplay itself, the play is rather lacking for anyone over the age of five.

A limit of just about 24 turns is the maximum before the game is over.

The verdict

The Scotland Yard board game will not become a classic in your house. Games like this with a time limit, for whatever reason, are always one-shot wonders. Sure, you play once, but you never go back.