MicroMacro : Crime City

Game overview

Johannes Sich

Daniel Goll, Tobias Jochinke, Johannes Sich

Edition Spielwiese

≃ $ 25

15 - 45 min

1 - 4 players - 10+

Download the rules

The game in video

Welcome to Crime City dear investigator.

Is this your first day in the city of crime? Let me explain how we operate here.

You will gather as a team to try to solve the 16 cases I’m going to assign to you and try to understand the unfolding of each crime.

You get the idea? Good, then it’s time to get started.

What's in the box?

Huge map of the city (29.5 x 43.3 inches).

Magnifying glass.

Rulebook.

Small envelopes that will allow you to sort the case cards.

And what about the rules?

4 pages is the size of the rule booklet.

1 page is enough to really explain how to play the game.

No need for examples, the rules are clear, concise and detailed.

Instead, the game tells you that it’s best to start with the introductory case so that you assimilate the rules properly.

All right, and how does it play?

You will find 16 cases to resolve in the box. They are of increasing difficulty, which is indicated by the number of stars on the cards. It is recommended that you play them in the order listed, but it is up to you to choose in the end.

The setting up

Ready to investigate, Sherlock? Then unfold the huge map of the city: put it on your biggest table, on the floor, or even hang it on a wall.

You choose who will play the Lead Investigator. He will be in charge of reading the text on the case cards and will lead the investigation. And off you go!

Playing the game

Read the first card, it will give you an overview of the crime to be solved and will show a picture of the main character: the victim.

Each card will ask you to answer a question related to the crime in order to trace the origin of the murder. For example: where did the victim live, where was he going, why was he killed, …

Nothing could be simpler! Arm yourself with your magnifying glass and your eagle eye to look for clues in the lively city that is Crime City !

As soon as you think you’ve found the right answer to the question thanks to the clues found, the Lead Investigator will turn the card over and see if the scene found on the map is the solution.

From there, there are two possibilities:

You have found the right answer, the Lead Investigator reads the next card aloud.

You made a mistake, it happens! The leader announces the bad news, and can no longer help the others (because he now knows the answer) but can guide the group with clues in case of major difficulty.

What about the game's mechanics ?

As you will have understood, the investigations are performed in a succession of card draws. Each mini scenario is of increasing difficulty and duration.

The game also offers an advanced version, which consists of reading only the first card and then trying to trace the crime from beginning to end without looking at the other cards of the investigation.

Once the 16 investigations are completed, the game invites you to extend a little bit the life of the game with 4 questions of the kind :

How many corpses are there in the city?

As I write these lines, the publisher provides for free 4 additional investigations available on the official website of the game: https://www.micromacro-game.com/en/extracontent.html

What I liked... or not

The city map

It is huge, full of all kinds of details. I feel like everything is designed so that each character on the map has a story to tell.

The game's box

It allows you to play even before you buy the game to convince you. It's well thought out and original!

The digital version

A case is fully available on the publisher's website, which will give you a good idea of what to expect once you purchase the game.

The basic rules

They fit on one page ! Then we just let ourselves be guided by the cards, it's great!

Quality of the material

The city map is very fragile, you have to be careful not to tear it up when unfolding it. I would have gladly spent more to have a thicker and more resistant city map.

The magnifying glass

It's rather nice to have a magnifying glass, but the one provided in the game is of little use. It is quickly put aside.

The black and white illustrations

So, I know that it's probably a choice made by the publisher and that the graphic design of the game was made that way for more clarity.
But I wouldn't have said no to a little color to have an even more vivid universe.

Conclusion

Score

7.5

Micro Macro crime city has an air of déjà vu. Who hasn’t played to Where’s Wally ? It does not reinvent the wheel, but it improves it with a card-based investigative mechanic, coupled with the lively story of the characters you can follow.

You get caught up in the game, you get lost in this vast city to find out what happened to this or that character.

In the end, we had a very good time around the table. It is a game that we can take out at any time and play with anyone, young or old. I can’t wait for more investigations!