FAQ
10 answered questions6 official
Rules questions from the BoardGameGeek forum. Answers marked Official were confirmed by Hurrican or the designers.
Common mistakes
- Taking hourglasses away from Mr. Jack when the Investigator draws an Alibi card — he only misses that card’s hourglasses. Ruling · Rule
- Playing on, or calling a draw, after turn 8 with no winner — Mr. Jack wins. Ruling · Rule
- Leaving a detective in place after taking his token — only Mr. Jack’s Joker may move nobody. Ruling · Rule
Showing 10 of 10
When I take a detective's Action token, may I leave that detective where it is? Official
No. The chosen detective must move 1 or 2 spaces. Only Mr. Jack may use the Joker to move nobody; the Investigator using the Joker must move one detective one space.
Source: BGG thread
Can two detectives stand on the same space? Official
Yes, several detectives may share a space beside the district.
Source: BGG thread · BGG thread
When Mr. Jack takes the Joker, do the detectives go back to their starting places?
No. He may move one detective one space, or leave all three where they are now. A translation that says “starting positions” is wrong.
Source: BGG thread
Do suspects block a detective's line of sight?
No. Only walls (and the barricade) block it; the rulebook's example has Watson seeing two suspects in a row.
Source: BGG thread
When the Investigator draws an Alibi card, does Mr. Jack lose its hourglasses? Official
No. Hourglasses never come off Mr. Jack's total: he simply does not get the ones on that card. The Investigator reveals it and, if that suspect is still on the board, turns the tile to its empty side.
Source: BGG thread · BGG thread
Do the hourglasses on Mr. Jack's own identity card count?
No. Only the Turn tokens he wins and the Alibi cards he draws with the Alibi action count.
Source: BGG thread
Can Mr. Jack reach his sixth hourglass by drawing an Alibi card in the last turn? Official
Yes. An Alibi card's hourglasses count as soon as he draws it; he still needs the turn to end.
Source: BGG thread · BGG thread
Who wins if neither player has met their goal after turn 8? Official
Mr. Jack. The sentence is missing from the English rulebook but is in every other language.
Source: BGG thread · BGG thread
Both goals are met in the same turn before turn 8. What happens? Official
The chase starts, whether Mr. Jack was seen that turn or not. From then on the Investigator wins at the end of the first turn in which Mr. Jack is seen; Mr. Jack wins if he stays unseen to the end of turn 8.
Source: BGG thread · BGG thread
Three suspects are left and the detectives can see all three. Is the game over?
No. Mr. Jack only says that he is seen; no tile turns over that turn, the Investigator takes the Turn token and play goes on.
Source: BGG thread