It's a little like Tobago in reverse (cubes are negative clues vs possible places.). Plus no moving around, press your luck, erc. Pure deduction! Exactly how I like my deduction :)
Good to hear that there is a mechanic that can fix someones screw up. This problem is one reason I am not a fan of deduction games, but with this having a way to mitigate it is good.
D wasn't me, it was another player. There really isn't a need to have a column for yourself since you know what your own secret clue is. Just put a start next to it.
best CRYPTID review on the tube. Best feedback to Osprey for possible game improvement and last but not least since you are a big a fan of deduction games this give people a better understanding of the reasons why of your opinion. Top!
Can't find the 2 player variant mentioned - also there is apparently an app aid for this, but doesn't seem to be a version for iPad? By the way, there must have been a pretty sharp computer program used for setting up the board options & clues setup? The gameplay is one of the smartest out there IMHO - just a pity it's realisation isn't so good.
So let's say, if one player has memorize one book of hints (sequence and content) and he gave that book(if it happen to appear on the setup card selected) to another player at start of the game, he could have know the hint from that player even before the game beginn and strike off one clue ?
Can the colors of the players be any random color? Or is there something in the book that would need to keep the colors the same as they are. I would be glad to make some 3D files for the structures and the yes and no tokens.
TheGameBoyGeek - Hi Quality Hi Energy Board Game Reviews if I understand this is important when getting the clue from the book, but after that it is just important to note down each player separately, the color isn't relevant any more.
You're correct it's important when selecting the clue from the book to make sure each person gets a different clue. Theoretically if you're playing with less than 5 players, you could leave one of the blues out if you thought they were too close (although you;d still use the clue book from that color. So we typically used the colors stated for the game just to ensure no major errors were made with that person's clue.
Thank you for your comments. I definitely have to try out this game. I always love your reviews. Also, whoa!? You play saxophone? Sax and piano my favorite instruments!
I really love this game but me and my girlfriend would love to play at two players. We can’t seem to find the two player variant listed anywhere. Is there anywhere online that has even a rough estimate of the rules?
I'm aware that there is a different game around the mechanism, but this is so obviously borrowed from Tobago... that my personal gaming experience negates me from being able to fully appreciate this as a creative, original design. I agree the game was good, as someone who enjoys hunt for the ring, 13 clues, and letters from Whitechapel... but, damn, that board artwork is uninspired. Osprey games, of which I have played 7 titles, has a long track record of dropped balls, never fully polishing off any of their packages to that ideal level. The cover art... it's gorgeous, and the theme is pasted-on Blandness. I hope when I play this game one day it is really that good, the way castles of burgundy is so good you don't care about how ugly it is, because the theme could have been anything in Cryptid, and a lot aesthetically needed done here.
Yes! I think most of us would agree that the look of any game REALLY matters. It could have the best mechanics in the world, but if the artwork/theming falls short, it would dissuade people from buying it. When I see the box art of Cryptid, it wows me, but then the inside of the box looks COMPLETELY different. It's completely unidentifiable as the same game!
The issue I have with deduction games is that everyone seems to figure it out at about the same time. And then it just becomes a matter of who’s turn is next. Does this game have that issue?
I haven't personally run into that issue in deduction games in general. But with that being said, in this game, if you are good about giving the least information about your own clue, that gives you the best chance to win. So I would say it's up to your clues.
Fantastic game, but I disagree about the use of a self-made clue tracker. The challenge of the game is to try and keep as many of the possible player clues in your head as possible. As your guess as to one player's clue changes, it might adjust your confidence of the others'. The games last much longer (running the risk of running out of components) and the tension builds and builds. If you're not TOO competitive, it's easy to bring in new players by just remaining quiet once you're pretty certain as to the correct location. I suppose if there's a player that is never doing well, a clue tracker could be used for that player.
The rules encourage note taking and I've found the games move WAY faster with people taking notes then going through permutations in their head every turn.
It can seem a bit shallow to talk about its appearance but a game should look like its cover - a bit odd they seem to have employed different artists for each, + a 3rd for the totally different styled code books with different colour schemes than the cubes & discs used (2 different shades of light blue???). Hmmmmm, makes you wonder about putting off getting it until maybe, just maybe, they re-release a better designed version in the not-too-distant future. Such a good original elegant game, though - and cheap!
I feel like deduction is a genre where you buy one or two and then stop, even more than a lot of other genres. I’ve seen a lot of reviews where people have compared a deduction game to Fury of Dracula even when it’s a very different intended style. Personally I’m only really interested in Watson and Holmes and maybe one more in the future, whereas an engine game just needs a distinct theme or new mechanic for me to buy.
Any new game after this and planet x similar To play with? Ive heard of a reprint of mistery of the abbey. Anything else new? Thanks and continue with these super good videos🎉
Board Game Trucker As in most deduction games like this, the lower the player count, the easier it is. So 3 is great for first few games. More players makes it more difficult so once you get better playing with more ups the challenge. But you can always play with the advanced scenarios and mind will smoke with even 3!
We never even got close to running out of cubes in my 20+ games of it. If you can't get the clue of someone with 12 cubes, either they need to check to make sure they've correctly placed all their cubes, or possibly they are playing something wrong. We can typically get the clue after about half the amount of cubes per player out. Knowing your own secret clue helps you deduce certain things. Also once you figure one player's clue out, you can deduce even more from other peoples by looking at the board. If one player has a cube within 3 of a green structure, and the other player has a cube within 3 of a blue structure, and you know you're own clue, that can narrow down where the cryptid is since you know it can;t be 3 spaces within either of those colored structures plus more knowing your clue. I hope that makes sense.
I didn't see that review on boardgamegeek. Where did you see this review you're talking about? Maybe they were placing cubes on hexes where there was already a cube?
@@TheGameBoyGeeks It was in the latest issue of the British print magazine, Tabletop Gaming. They referred to a problem with running out in their 3 player games. Thanks for clarifying - from your review, it was obvious that you'd played it numerous times so wanted to check.
Tom Williamson Do you know if they have an online version of the magazine, or does the person writing the article have a contact info on the article? Is like to contact them privately as I'm convinced they were playing something wrong, and the game shouldn't be penalized for that.
I don't understand how you could use a deduction sheet... You don't really learn hard facts when someone puts out a cube... You just have to guess at their clue... Right?
Everytime a cube goes out, you typically can deduce many aspects their clue can't be (unless they had a great placement that gave you no new info which does happen a few times throughout the game)
How on earth could anyone keep all those details straight without a tracking sheet? I can't believe the creators didn't make a simple template, even for gamers to photocopy on their own. I like the idea of the game, but the abstract nature of its presentation really takes away from the experience. I think I'll wait for the second edition because I really love theme and atmosphere in a game, of which this one has almost none.
Some people prefer to make their own style notes in deduction games. I've seen many players come up with their own sheets and such for Sleuth, clue, etc. So even if they did make a sheet, it doesn't mean everyone would use it. So I made my own and shared it with you :) Once you know all the clues well, it's possible to come to the conclusion without the sheet (last game one player was not within 3 blue or green structures, the other was not within 3 of white structures. Based on my clue (in water or desert) I was able to narrow it down without the sheet. But I strongly prefer the sheet :)
Reminds me a lot of Tobago but appears to have done a nice job setting itself apart.
It's a little like Tobago in reverse (cubes are negative clues vs possible places.). Plus no moving around, press your luck, erc. Pure deduction! Exactly how I like my deduction :)
I really love deduction games and I would never have thought this would be good from the look of it. Thanks for this review. :)
Good to hear that there is a mechanic that can fix someones screw up. This problem is one reason I am not a fan of deduction games, but with this having a way to mitigate it is good.
8:16 What does L D P and R stand for?
Those are the first initials of the other players.
If this plays up to five and D is you, aren't the sheets missing a column for the fifth player?
D wasn't me, it was another player. There really isn't a need to have a column for yourself since you know what your own secret clue is. Just put a start next to it.
best CRYPTID review on the tube. Best feedback to Osprey for possible game improvement and last but not least since you are a big a fan of deduction games this give people a better understanding of the reasons why of your opinion. Top!
Can't find the 2 player variant mentioned - also there is apparently an app aid for this, but doesn't seem to be a version for iPad?
By the way, there must have been a pretty sharp computer program used for setting up the board options & clues setup?
The gameplay is one of the smartest out there IMHO - just a pity it's realisation isn't so good.
So let's say, if one player has memorize one book of hints (sequence and content) and he gave that book(if it happen to appear on the setup card selected) to another player at start of the game, he could have know the hint from that player even before the game beginn and strike off one clue ?
Can the colors of the players be any random color? Or is there something in the book that would need to keep the colors the same as they are. I would be glad to make some 3D files for the structures and the yes and no tokens.
Ron Rich each game the colors of the players are set by the card used in setup. But it will always be one of the 5 player colors In the game.
TheGameBoyGeek - Hi Quality Hi Energy Board Game Reviews if I understand this is important when getting the clue from the book, but after that it is just important to note down each player separately, the color isn't relevant any more.
You're correct it's important when selecting the clue from the book to make sure each person gets a different clue. Theoretically if you're playing with less than 5 players, you could leave one of the blues out if you thought they were too close (although you;d still use the clue book from that color. So we typically used the colors stated for the game just to ensure no major errors were made with that person's clue.
Thank you for your comments. I definitely have to try out this game. I always love your reviews.
Also, whoa!? You play saxophone? Sax and piano my favorite instruments!
Thanks! Yes the sax!
I really love this game but me and my girlfriend would love to play at two players. We can’t seem to find the two player variant listed anywhere. Is there anywhere online that has even a rough estimate of the rules?
The publisher mentioned they will making that public soon. Feel free to reach out to let them know (Osprey Games)you're waiting for it.
The cover art is amazing, but sadly the art inside doesn’t match up.
I'm aware that there is a different game around the mechanism, but this is so obviously borrowed from Tobago... that my personal gaming experience negates me from being able to fully appreciate this as a creative, original design. I agree the game was good, as someone who enjoys hunt for the ring, 13 clues, and letters from Whitechapel... but, damn, that board artwork is uninspired.
Osprey games, of which I have played 7 titles, has a long track record of dropped balls, never fully polishing off any of their packages to that ideal level.
The cover art... it's gorgeous, and the theme is pasted-on Blandness. I hope when I play this game one day it is really that good, the way castles of burgundy is so good you don't care about how ugly it is, because the theme could have been anything in Cryptid, and a lot aesthetically needed done here.
Yes! I think most of us would agree that the look of any game REALLY matters. It could have the best mechanics in the world, but if the artwork/theming falls short, it would dissuade people from buying it. When I see the box art of Cryptid, it wows me, but then the inside of the box looks COMPLETELY different. It's completely unidentifiable as the same game!
The issue I have with deduction games is that everyone seems to figure it out at about the same time. And then it just becomes a matter of who’s turn is next. Does this game have that issue?
I haven't personally run into that issue in deduction games in general. But with that being said, in this game, if you are good about giving the least information about your own clue, that gives you the best chance to win. So I would say it's up to your clues.
Fantastic game, but I disagree about the use of a self-made clue tracker. The challenge of the game is to try and keep as many of the possible player clues in your head as possible. As your guess as to one player's clue changes, it might adjust your confidence of the others'. The games last much longer (running the risk of running out of components) and the tension builds and builds. If you're not TOO competitive, it's easy to bring in new players by just remaining quiet once you're pretty certain as to the correct location. I suppose if there's a player that is never doing well, a clue tracker could be used for that player.
The rules encourage note taking and I've found the games move WAY faster with people taking notes then going through permutations in their head every turn.
It can seem a bit shallow to talk about its appearance but a game should look like its cover - a bit odd they seem to have employed different artists for each, + a 3rd for the totally different styled code books with different colour schemes than the cubes & discs used (2 different shades of light blue???). Hmmmmm, makes you wonder about putting off getting it until maybe, just maybe, they re-release a better designed version in the not-too-distant future.
Such a good original elegant game, though - and cheap!
Deduction sheets: 404 error file not founf
Try here boardgamegeek.com/filepage/168030/cryptid-deduction-sheets
Ive been hearing that there is not enough components and some people run out during the game. Have you noticed this?
I have not had this happen yet and have played over 20 times. BUt it seems others have.
I feel like deduction is a genre where you buy one or two and then stop, even more than a lot of other genres. I’ve seen a lot of reviews where people have compared a deduction game to Fury of Dracula even when it’s a very different intended style. Personally I’m only really interested in Watson and Holmes and maybe one more in the future, whereas an engine game just needs a distinct theme or new mechanic for me to buy.
there's something that puzzles me...
where does it say it's setting is north america?
Gabriel Kudric In the beginning of the rule book.
Any new game after this and planet x similar
To play with?
Ive heard of a reprint of mistery of the abbey.
Anything else new?
Thanks and continue with these super good videos🎉
The Lost Code
What is your Preferred Player count for this game?
Board Game Trucker As in most deduction games like this, the lower the player count, the easier it is. So 3 is great for first few games. More players makes it more difficult so once you get better playing with more ups the challenge. But you can always play with the advanced scenarios and mind will smoke with even 3!
wheres the 2 player variant?
Ee Rr on board Game geek page under files for that game and I think on publishers website
What is your top 10 deduction?
A while back I made this....th-cam.com/video/wyGmCFZl1g8/w-d-xo.html
I read a review that said that they ran out of cubes and that this spoiled the game for them. Did you ever experience this problem?
We never even got close to running out of cubes in my 20+ games of it. If you can't get the clue of someone with 12 cubes, either they need to check to make sure they've correctly placed all their cubes, or possibly they are playing something wrong. We can typically get the clue after about half the amount of cubes per player out. Knowing your own secret clue helps you deduce certain things. Also once you figure one player's clue out, you can deduce even more from other peoples by looking at the board. If one player has a cube within 3 of a green structure, and the other player has a cube within 3 of a blue structure, and you know you're own clue, that can narrow down where the cryptid is since you know it can;t be 3 spaces within either of those colored structures plus more knowing your clue. I hope that makes sense.
I didn't see that review on boardgamegeek. Where did you see this review you're talking about? Maybe they were placing cubes on hexes where there was already a cube?
@@TheGameBoyGeeks It was in the latest issue of the British print magazine, Tabletop Gaming. They referred to a problem with running out in their 3 player games. Thanks for clarifying - from your review, it was obvious that you'd played it numerous times so wanted to check.
Tom Williamson Do you know if they have an online version of the magazine, or does the person writing the article have a contact info on the article? Is like to contact them privately as I'm convinced they were playing something wrong, and the game shouldn't be penalized for that.
With the lackluster art and the lack of tracking sheets, this is making me want to wait for a second edition.
Box art looks amazing. Unfortunately everything inside looks like a train wreck. Game definitely needs a visual redesign, from the ground up.
I don't understand how you could use a deduction sheet... You don't really learn hard facts when someone puts out a cube... You just have to guess at their clue... Right?
Everytime a cube goes out, you typically can deduce many aspects their clue can't be (unless they had a great placement that gave you no new info which does happen a few times throughout the game)
@@TheGameBoyGeeks Interesting! Thanks for answering a question so quickly on a 2 year old video, lol!
How on earth could anyone keep all those details straight without a tracking sheet? I can't believe the creators didn't make a simple template, even for gamers to photocopy on their own. I like the idea of the game, but the abstract nature of its presentation really takes away from the experience. I think I'll wait for the second edition because I really love theme and atmosphere in a game, of which this one has almost none.
Some people prefer to make their own style notes in deduction games. I've seen many players come up with their own sheets and such for Sleuth, clue, etc. So even if they did make a sheet, it doesn't mean everyone would use it. So I made my own and shared it with you :) Once you know all the clues well, it's possible to come to the conclusion without the sheet (last game one player was not within 3 blue or green structures, the other was not within 3 of white structures. Based on my clue (in water or desert) I was able to narrow it down without the sheet. But I strongly prefer the sheet :)
Sorry, this isn't 1992, these components kill the game. Could be good, I don't know.