Review: Sherlock 13
By Flawless Cowboy
*Surveillance footage from a seedy saloon on the south side of Saturn*
Flawless: “I’d like to make an accusation!”
Saloon Patron: “oh boy, here we go again”
Flawless: “I Believe it to be James Moriarty!”
*takes a peak at the face down criminal card*
Flawless: “Whelp, looks like I was wrong, I fold again fellas”
Saloon Patron: “You do this every game! You need to ask questions to figure out who it is before you blurt out an accusation!”
Flawless: “I hear ya partner, but won't it be stellar when I get it right off the bat?”
Overview:
In Sherlock 13 up to four players will be asking each other investigative questions to deduce which one of them is the master criminal! Each player receives a notepad, three to five suspect cards, and a shield to keep your notes secret. Players will take turns asking each other questions, attempting to rule out specific cards and locate the identity of the card in the middle of the table.
Each game lasts around 10 to 20 minutes and ends when a player correctly guesses the criminal’s identity!
Everything you get in the box!
Component quality:
Everything packs away into the box very nicely. I know I go on about every review I do, but it does matter to me. If you bring a game over to a friend's place and everything in the box gets messed up upon arrival, it’s a real pain. To be fair, the game does not require a whole lot of things to play, the minimalism is nice. That said, be warned that if you buy this at a con or a store and want to play right away, you will need to provide your own writing utensils. Small pencils would have been a nice addition to the box.
The game does not require a lot of reading. Being able to hold cards, remember short term information and being able to legibly write do matter here. Younger players may struggle with some of that, so the suggested age of 10+ feels about right.
The cards are glossy, so I’d recommend sleeves, as they will get shuffled a lot and could easily get scratched..
It all packs up very nicely!
Gameplay:
Set up for the game is very simple. Every player sets up their privacy screen, takes a note sheet, and between three to five suspect cards, depending on the player count. Lately, one criminal card is placed face down in the middle of the table. This will be the card whose identity players are trying to guess.
On each players turn, they can do one out of the following three actions:
Investigate: Pick one of the eight symbols and ask the other players if they have any matching symbols. Each player raises their hand if one of the suspect cards they have has the matching symbol, they do not tell you how many they have. The player asking does not raise their hand if they have the requested symbol.
Interrogate: Choose another player and ask them how many symbols they have of a specific type. Players must answer truthfully how many of that specific symbol they have across the suspects they have in hand.
Accuse: Declare who you think the criminal is and secretly look at the face down card in the middle of the table. If you are correct, you win! If you are wrong, you leave the criminal card face down and can take no further turns until the round is over. You will still need to answer any questions that other players ask you about the suspect cards in your hand.
During each turn, the players will be writing down information they collect on their suspect sheet, marking off suspects who can be ruled out and taking note of how others answer questions. Once one player makes an accurate accusation and the true criminal is revealed, the game ends.
A four player game set up!
Fun Factor:
This is a great showcase of what minimalist game design can do. Just 13 cards, a notepad, and some screens provide a surprisingly fun little deduction game. This can be taught very easily and falls into the “games for people who don’t play games” category of games.
Is it incredibly deep? No, but I don’t think that’s what they were going for. This is a great filler game to play before a bigger game during game night or between rounds when you are at a CON. Will this replace Sleuth, Incognito, or Decrypto? No, but they are much heavier and longer games. This has its own place as a fun game that is easy to get into.
Sherlock 13 plays best at 3-4 players. The rounds are quick enough that even if you are eliminated early, you are never sitting out for too long before another game begins. While appreciative of the fact that it supplies a two player mode, it felt tacked on, and with so many deduction games released each year, there are just better options for that specific player count.
As examples to highlight both the speed and fun factor of the game, we had a game where all guessed wrong, and another where one of the players correctly guessed the criminal card on the very first turn. Both scenarios would be frustrating in longer, heavier games, but the small time commitment just meant that a good laugh and quick shuffle later we were playing again..
A minor gripe with the game is its theme. While the art (by the legendary Vincent Dutrait) is evocative, the Sherlock Holmes theme itself feels strange. It feels like the players should be helping Sherlock and Watson solve crimes. But in Sherlock 13, they could potentially be the criminal. There is no crime to solve here either, no motive to uncover or clues to find. Partly, this is acceptable due to the small, filler nature of the game, but perhaps the game could have felt more thematic as a “who killed the captain on the ship” sort of scenario. It’s a minor issue, but one that players looking for a thematic Sherlock caper should be aware before purchasing.
Did I mention the art is great? Well, it is!
Does the cowboy recommend this game:
I do! For the askin’ price (from $7.99 - $17.99 as of posting this) I think there is a fun little game that anyone can enjoy in here. Not too long to drive some off, not too complicated to make keepin’ up with the rest of the players hard. It’s good to the point where I’m gunna keep it around my ship in case I get some down time and a few crew mates.
Clem: “Well cowboy, what did you think?”
Flawless:”it’s a good time, may see it hit the saloon table again soon.”
Clem:”I uh.. Noticed you never take notes when you play on your sheet”
Flawless:”Mind like a steel trap Clementine”
Clem:” Uh huh, that’s why you never win?”
Flawless:”As long as everyone around the table is smilin’ Clem, winnin’ or losin’ don’t much matter to me”
Almost forgot! YeeHaw!
Final Verdict
✅ Easy to learn
✅ Fast to play
✅ Low cost
✅ Easy step into deduction games
❌ Sleeves Recommended
❌ Not very deep
❌ Light theming.
Rating: 7/10
A review copy was provided by Arcane Wonders.
