presentation

Don’t Mess with Cthulhu Deluxe

Investigators versus cultists

Deduction for secret identities; as an Investigator you try to avoid Cthulhu’s awakening; as a Cultist you want Cthulhu to achieve world domination. Players can say anything they want during the game; you need never tell the truth. Depending on the number of players you use different numbers of Investigator and Cultist characters that are randomly assigned to players. Each player is dealt five investigation cards, secretly looks at them and names - truthfully or not - the number of Elder Signs and Cthulhu cards they were dealt; then each player shuffles his cards and lays them out face-down.

Each round has as many action as there are players, but not necessarily one action for each player; the active player selects an investigation in the display of another player; all players can give opinions and advice on his selection, but the decision lays with the active player; the card - Elder Sign, Futile Investigation or Cthulhu - is turned up and checked for end of game; otherwise, the player whose card was revealed becomes active player and the card remains on display.

In maximum four rounds, the investigators must turn up all Elder Signs to win; the Cultists win, if either Cthulhu is revealed or the game ends before all Elder Signs are revealed. Necronomicon introduces a second objects for Investigators to reveal; Objects of Power provides six special investigation cards, five of them are randomly selected for a game.

A fascinating game mechanism that has been used in many versions of the game; in all versions, discussion, clever formulating of opinions and intensive immersion into the game provide intense fun to play.

Players: 4-8

Age: 14+

Time: 20+

Designer: Yusuke Sato, Travis Worthington, Pete Vasiliauskas

Artist: Brandt Peters, Luis Francisco, Stephanie Gustafsson

Price: ca. 20 Euro

Publisher: Indie Boards & Cards 2018

Web: www.indieboardsandcards.com

Genre: Deduction, secret identities

Users: With friends

Special: Many players

Version: en

Rules: en

In-game text: yes

Comments:

Deluxe version, first edition 2016

Differently themed version of TimeBomb

Highly interesting game mechanism

Compares to:

TimeBomb and other games on secret identities

Other editions:

Currently none, earlier versions at Indie Boards & Cards (2016), New Board Game Party, Schmidt Spiele (2016)

Chance (pink): 1

Tactic (turquoise): 0

Strategy (blue): 1

Creativity (dark blue): 0

Knowledge (yellow): 1

Memory (orange): 1

Communication (red): 2

Interaction (brown): 2

Dexterity (green): 0

Action (dark green): 0