Crime Master
Crime Master Rulebook
Table of Contents
Table of Contents
Components
- 25 "Case" cards (Fall)
- 25 large "Solving the Case" cards (Aufklärung des Falls)
- 1 pad of investigation files (Ermittlungsakten). Further investigation files can be printed from www.gmeiner-verlag.de.
Gameplay
Diese 25 Kriminalfälle aus dem Großstadtdschungel haben es in sich! ("These 25 criminal cases from the big-city jungle are no joke!")
Mysterious crimes, which must be fully solved by at least two, or better still several, fearless investigators working together. One of the group is named the investigation leader; he is the all-knowing CRIME MASTER. The other players agree on one of the following game variants.
1. Who Is the Best Investigator? (3 or more players)
Each player receives an investigation file and arms themselves with a pencil. Then the first case can be solved: an investigator draws any card from the stack of "Case" cards. This player is the starting player. He first names the case number printed on the "Case" card, the responsible police authority and the title of the case. He then reads aloud the information on the card about the case, clearly, so that all the other investigators, and the CRIME MASTER, know the type of crime, the scene of the crime, the secured traces (tip: the back of every "Case" card shows a sketch of the crime scene with the traces marked on it!) and any witnesses.
Finally he tells the investigators how many details must be found out about the culprit (note: more than one culprit may be possible!), the motive, the means used and the course of the crime. In total there are always 12 crime details (example: culprit [3], motive [2], means [2], course of the crime [5]).
The CRIME MASTER then looks through the stack of large cards and picks out the "Solving the Case" card that belongs to the case, and reads it thoroughly. The card describes the exact course of the crime, and therefore the solution of the case. In the text, the 12 sought crime details are marked in colour.
(Example: culprit [3], motive [2], means [2], course of the crime [5].)
The investigators must now, one after another, reconstruct the course of the crime step by step and find out the crime details, using questions that the CRIME MASTER can answer only with "yes" or "no".
The starting player begins the questioning. As long as his questions are answered "yes" by the CRIME MASTER, he may keep asking. For each crime detail he names correctly, he may write it into his investigation file, and he receives 1 point for it. It is up to the CRIME MASTER alone to decide whether the detail must be named exactly as written on the "Solving the Case" card, or whether a detail stated in substance is enough. A sensible CRIME MASTER will surely find the right middle course.
When the first "no" is answered, the starting player must pass the "Case" card to his left-hand neighbour, who continues the questioning on the same principle. In this way the round of questions goes around the table.
The printed sheet of Variant 1 ends at this point. The end of the round and the winner for this variant are given in the Crime Master 2 supplement below.
Crime Master 2 Supplement
The following sections are taken from the official German rulebook of Crime Master 2 (Gmeiner-Verlag, 2017), not from the printed sheet of the original Crime Master. Crime Master 2 uses the same system and the same wording for Variant 1.
Variant 1: Ending the Round and the Winner (from Crime Master 2)
Hinweis (note): If a player asks a question that rests on totally wrong assumptions, or that has no relevance to solving the case and therefore cannot be answered by the CRIME MASTER, the CRIME MASTER must point this out and insist that the question be reformulated. Likewise, the CRIME MASTER may give hints when the players are completely in the dark.
The round ends when the investigators have found all the crime details and therefore 12 points have been awarded, or when the investigators can no longer ask any questions that contribute to solving the case. The CRIME MASTER now reads the "Solving the Case" card out in full, so that the investigators can follow the exact course of the crime.
The player with the most points wins the round and is crowned the new CRIME MASTER. The next round of investigation, with a new case, can begin.
Variant 2: Team Investigation (2 or more players)
In this variant the investigators try to solve the case together as a team. (Note: with 2 players, one investigator forms a one-person team!) For this they need only one investigation file.
After one of the players has read aloud the drawn "Case" card, and the CRIME MASTER has then read the corresponding "Solving the Case" card, the investigators begin their questioning.
Unlike Variant 1, every player may ask questions at any time. The players may also discuss the case with one another. Each correct statement earns the investigators 1 point. If they manage to solve the case completely, they receive the maximum of 12 points. This will not always be the case. When the investigators believe they cannot uncover any further crime details, they end the round of questions. The CRIME MASTER then reads the "Solving the Case" card aloud.
Finally the team is rated according to the total points it has scored:
- 0 to 3 points: That was probably nothing; every police trainee would do better!
- 4 to 6 points: A nice start, but you still have potential!
- 7 to 9 points: Solid police work; you would be welcome in any police station!
- 10 to 11 points: Very good; the agents of CSI & Co. could take you as an example!
- 12 points: Congratulations, you are the true CRIME MASTERS!