Sherlock Holmes Consulting Detective: Jack the Ripper & West End Adventures Game

Our family has long enjoyed playing co-operative games from Family Pastimes. We play competitive ones, too, but enjoy fostering team spirit as we all work toward achieving a goal. If you haven't tried this alternative to playing together, here's an assortment of some of our favorites from this company.

Put your thinking cap on, because these definitely are your great-great-grandparents' Sherlock mysteries! Played solo or in a group, each box consists of 10 hard-as-nails cases for you, the Baker Street Irregulars, to solve. The game is "played" by following leads across a map of London. Each visited location corresponds to a booklet entry (representing events, conversations, newspaper articles, etc.). These entries reveal clues, leads, and even red herrings – but it's up to you to put it all together and separate the smoking gun from the smoke and mirrors. Gradually, facts are gathered, motives are uncovered, a timeline is established, and the mystery unravels! Once you feel you've solved the case, you can answer the list of questions at the end of the case book to determine your score. But beware – the cases are not nearly as straightforward as they first appear. Each case plays in about 60-120 minutes depending on how thorough (or argumentative) your group is, giving each set 10-20 hours of playtime. Unlike many games of its genre which rely on quantity over quality, every mystery in the series is quite well-written and makes you feel like a real detective; there's no hand-holding here. You have to pour over notes, make your own logical connections, compare witness testimony, and make a few "aha!" connections that tie the case together. So, gather your family and friends, brew several cups of tea, and break out the notepads!

For younger players, it is recommended to read the list of questions first so they can keep track of important details more easily.