I have always been a fan of Edgar Allan Poe and his macabre writings. And I have always been a collector in my life. So when I heard about this game and how hard it is to get a copy, I started to look for it.
Once I found it, I finally convinced my wifte to play. After 35 plays, I finally have decided to write up a review.
To begin with you need to know two things:
1) I thoroughly enjoy the Mystery Rummy series. And have gamed with Mike Fitzgerald numerous times at my local gaming club.
2) I have only played this game 2 player. Apparently its "best" with two teams. I cannot and will not attest to this.
Theme:
The theme of the game is very prevalent.
During the course of the game while playing cards you are trying to solve the mystery of the Rue Morgue killings. The key is that its already been solved and the killer is the orangutan.
If you are the one to go out, you get the cards under the orangutan. In other words, you "catch" the orangutan and you collect the evidence under the card to add to your tableau.
If you had read the short story, you can see how the cards are directly lifted from the story.
Components:
The components are... well cards.
The artwork on the cards is really nice. As far as I know, there is only one printing of the game, so this edition of the Mystery Rummy series has not been plagued with the ultra thick cards as some of the other have.
That being said the cards are of nice quality card-stock. Not too thin and not too thick. The orangutan card does have different coloring to tell it apart from the others. This makes it difficult to mix in with the rest, which is a bonus.
The rules are easy to comprehend. We only missed the inital "feeding of the orangutan" once or twice. To quick of a glance I'm afraid.
Mechanics:
The mechanics are simple, if you've played a Mystery Rummy game before.
The key to this game is when to meld (three of a kind) and when to play a gavel card. You can only play one gavel card per turn, which means you have to use them wisely. This rule is the rule that most new players often forget. After a few times they realize it and easily catch on.
The interesting part of this game is that there are only 5 cards of each type of evidence card. Which means there'll only be one full meld of each type of card. this allows for strategic card holding and discarding.
Most melds has a bonus meld as well. If you can get both of them in your area, you get an additional 10 points. Each bonus meld set also has a "Brilliant Deduction" card that can only be play when both melds are on the table, an additional 7 points.
After each meld, you feed the orangutan. Basically throughout the game you are creating a crib for the person who goes out first. These are extra points for that person. Sometimes there are many points and sometimes none.
Gameplay:
The gameplay is very exciting.
Once you have played this game several times you begin to see the strategy evolve. You begin to understand what your opponent needs and wants in order to shut you out.
*A note on the shut out rule: In order to shut out your opponent you need a few things:
1) Go out and capture the orangutan
2) A pair of bonus melds, plus their respective "Brilliant Deduction" cards
If you can manage these criteria, you shut out your opponent and they get zero points. This key strategy is what makes this game interesting. It changes the gameplay from a simple rummy game to a new level.
If I am able to generate a shut out. I try my best.
Overall:
This is a great game you should look for.
If you enjoy any of the Mystery Rummy games... chances are you have looked into trying to acquire this game(or alreay own this one). Try your hardest.
This is a great addition to the series. It is a very quick game that you'll play again. My wife and I often play best two out of three.
If you can find it, get it.
Final Rating: 8.5/10
-DK
Last edited on 2008-05-22 09:37:37 CST (Total Number of Edits: 1)
Posted Thu May 22,2008 03:18 pm
