Customer Reviews

Ravensburger Scotland Yard - Family Game

5 star:		(24)
4 star:		(9)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

We bought this game to play over the holidays with a house full of guests. The game is recommended for 6 players, and it worked best with that number. I think it would be very difficult, if not almost impossible, with less players. It is a neat game because Mr. X is hidden amongst the streets of London, and the other players must work together to find him/her. Mr. X has a really tough job, and the length of the game depends on his/her ability to outwit the rest of the players. It is a unique concept, but it a refreshing change from all the other games that pit player against player, which often ends up in hard feelings.

I found this game years ago when my nephews were young. It was one the whole family could play for hours and still want to come back for more. Like Monopoly, it requires planning and some luck, but unlike Monopoly everyone works together to capture Mister X. When you're Mister X, though, you feel the world against you and closing in fast. Will you cave in, or outsmart them all? Out of all the games we played over the years, this one really makes me smile when I remember the challenge and fun it was.

It's hard to find, and I think the price is outrageous, but if you are used to paying this much for a board game that entertains for hours, this game is well worth it.

We played this game during a visit with our grandchildren, ages 6, 8 and 10. It was the most successful game of the weekend. Since the rules suggest co-operative play by the detectives, it was easy to give the youngest what little help she required and the moves are simple enough that she grasped it quite quickly. By the third time we played, she was able to be Mr. X, working with minimal assistance from an adult. She was quite proud of her success in moving relatively unassisted. It was neither too simple for the adults and oldest child, nor too difficult for the younger two. It's a great family across the ages game.

Love this game!!!! The more times I play it the more I love it. It is a chase game but there is so much strategy. Just play by the rules and it will be a great time had by all.

Here are some tips for when you play it: 1. Wear the/a hat! It covers your eyes.
2. You do need at least 3 detectives. Trust me, it is worth it for someone to play the extra detective.
3. I know the game says 3+ person game but I have played 1 vs. 1, which I think is the best way to play it. The detectives are all played by one person and Mr. X can't hear any of the strategy.

I can't believe that this game is almost 25+ years old and it still is a great time. The given rules are short and easy to understand and new players catch on quick. The fun thing is like any "good" boardgame, you can change the rules to create your own scenario or difficulty and it still retains the essence of what it is. I keep it right next to Catan when deciding what game to play with friends. Perfect group/team game. High replayability. If you are any type of boardgamer and you don't mind thinking a little with other people, this is a must have.

Scotland Yard is a novel concept in board games, well outside the standard formula of roll-the-dice-and-advance-your-marker games which seem to dominate the market. To begin with, it stresses cooperation among players rather than cutthroat competition. The communal goal is to catch an elusive Mr. X whose whereabouts in the grid of London streets are unknown to most players most of the time. The Mr. X role seems perfect for my rebel teenager who delights in dodging the rest of the family. My younger children like the opportunity to collaborate with Dad rather than "fighting" with him as in Snakes and Ladders or Monopoly. For their compulsively intellectualizing father, the game is an exercise in network structure where transportation nodes differ in their movement value according to their degree of connectedness at a variety of scales (i.e. Taxi, Bus, Underground). From an educational perspective, my children (who play much better than I do) are picking up an intuitive feel for a useful branch of mathematics.

The game is also fun at a superficial level and can be played quickly (20-30 minutes is typical for our family) - we ordinarily play 3-4 times at a sitting. The rules are simple (we only referred to the instructions the first time we played) but subtle enough to be interesting. It works best with 4-6 players; you can play with fewer, but catching Mr. X becomes very difficult. In sum, I would say this is a novel and entertaining game with educational potential well beyond the standard American board game.

This is a very well made, enjoyable to play, boardgame. It is a game that requires all players to think and communicate with each other while trying to capture one player, who has been selected to be Mr. X.
Very fun to play again and again.

My siblings and I had this game when we were kids, we played it so much that our house became known as Scotland Yard II. Now as an adult, I have introduced my kids and their friends to this game. It is challenging and fun. It can be played with 2 players, but is really best with 4-6. That makes it even more fun for Mr.X and they players as they form alliances to trap the nefarious character. I am so glad that this game has acheived the underground following that has managed to keep it around this long.

If you have three or four friends that are interested in gaming, then do yourself a favor and get this game. It is hands down one of the best boardgames I have played.

My father brought this game up on our annual Idaho Sun Valley family vacation, needless to say it was a quick learn and became an instant hit with Me (Age 24) and my brothers ages 15-22, and my dad (age 50). The later a hit on a date.

Other games I enjoy that compare in quality: Settlers of Catan w/ Expansions, Chess, and Risk

A fun game that tests your wits and sometimes your daring, gets people communicating, and has potential for lots of fun!

There is one bad guy (Mr. X)an he is invisible, and 5 good guys (detectives) working together to try and pin point Mr. X's location, manipulate and block his ability to move or get away, surround him, then trap him and capture his peice.

Mr X has unlimited moves available to him througout the game and allows him to travel various routes via Bus, Train, Taxi, or River. The detectives moves are more limited in their travel with no river options and a limited number of moves on the others.

The detectives are always visible, Mr. X is invisible will surface every so often (as dictated by the game rules) giving the detectives a chance to theorize where Mr X is headed, and the best way to head him off, and eventually trap him.

A classic battle of wits ensues, as players try to figure out the best methods to capture and trap mr X, all the while Mr X sits grinning from behind the shadow of his Mr. X hat (Used to shield Mr. X's eyes so his posistion is not given away)

While 6 players (1 Mr. X and 5 Detectives) is optimal you can play with as little as 2 players (which makes the game more quiet like chess). the only difference is that one player will have to control the extra detective peices as all 5 detectives are meant to be and really must be used or Mr. X will have an unfair advantage.

Ultimately this is a fun game and I highly reccommend it to anyone who loves strategy games!!