Crime Zoom: Fenêtre sur crimes
Crime Zoom: Fenêtre sur crimes Rulebook
Table of Contents
Table of Contents
Setup
Take card 0, titled Setup, and follow its instructions.
Set up the main scene following the diagram. The cards that make it up are not numbered on the back.
In the tutorial, the main scene represents a game of Crime Zoom.
Then place the remaining cards in a pile to form the lead deck.
Turn the card over to reveal the investigation.
It is now up to you to investigate.
Turn Order
There is no turn order. The players discuss among themselves to decide which actions to take. They try to solve the investigation together.
Observing the Main Scene
The main scene is the starting point of the investigation. Each card gives you clues.
You may pick up any card at any time without turning it over, to look at it more closely.
Here, a stack of cards. Looking closer, there are visibly 4 of them, but we learn no more than that.
You may turn over a card at any time to reveal the clues it contains.
Here, the tutorial tells you that this is the lead deck. Lead 3 is now available.
In an investigation, a piece of paper may reveal an address, a task may lead to an analysis, and a key may open a chest. It is up to you to choose when, and which, leads to follow.
Following a Lead
The cards that were not set up at the start form the lead deck.
Each lead is numbered in its upper left corner.
You may not look at them unless you have been invited to.
A lead becomes available as soon as a card refers to it. In that case, a numbered icon and text stating the corresponding action appear at the bottom of that card.
In this example, the numbered icon 3 allows you to draw lead 3 to consult the first card of the lead deck.
If you want to follow a lead, simply take that card from the lead deck. You may do so at any time. You are not obliged to do so at the moment a lead becomes available.
There are 2 types of leads:
- an information
- a secondary scene
Conditional Lead
Some leads are only accessible if you have an object.
An object is shown in a Polaroid. It is identified by a number and a description.
A conditional lead is written: If OBJECT: X lead.
If KEY: 6 open the chest.
Object #1: KEY.
In this example, you have found the KEY. Lead 6, open the chest, is therefore available.
Information
Information cards all share the same card back. The only difference is a number that lets you draw the correct lead.
Once drawn, such a card must be turned over to reveal the information of the investigation.
Secondary Scene
A secondary scene works like the main scene. The back of its cards shows an illustration split across several cards.
The first card of a secondary scene tells you which other cards make it up.
The tutorial offers, as a secondary scene, a visit to the premises of the publisher Aurora.
Here, after drawing card 4, we are invited to take card 5 to complete the strip.
As with the main scene, you may look at each card more closely and turn it over to reveal its information.
To make the cards easier to read, the action is sometimes indicated.
In this example, turning over lead 4 will let you question Alexis, the game's publisher.
End of the Investigation
As in a real investigation, you may stop as soon as you think you have found the culprit. To prove it, you must identify the motive and find the weapon of the crime. Depending on the investigation, it may be useful to know where to arrest the culprit.
Players who want to get to the point may stop there. The cards that were not consulted give a bonus of points. So the fewer cards you turn over, the better your score, on condition, however, that you have answered the first questions correctly.
Where some investigation games push you to guess, Crime Zoom requires concrete evidence. So some questions ask you to refer to card numbers.
On top of the main questions, secondary questions reward the more curious players who cannot stop once they have discovered the culprit. They let you show how far you have understood the plot of the story. This makes up for points lost by turning over more cards.
Depending on your player profile, decide when to stop. Then take the rulebook to the page of questions to answer them. Only check the answers after you have answered all the questions.
When reading the questions, if you think you have missed the story, you are allowed to resume the investigation. However, the questions may reveal clues, so avoid reading them before you have sufficiently investigated.
Competitive Variant
One of the players thinks they have solved the investigation? They may decide to stop before the others. In that case, they consult the questions and answer them on paper. Be sure to note the number of cards remaining.
So that the other players can investigate properly, this first player is invited to no longer take part in the discussions. Likewise, to avoid disclosing information, it is advised to read the answers only once all the players have decided to stop investigating.
The other players continue to play normally until they can solve the investigation. Once all the players have stopped and answered the questions, the results are checked and the scores are calculated.
Scores
- Each correct answer earns a star.
- Each piece of evidence earns a star.
- Each batch of 5 remaining cards earns a star.
You get a score by adding up these stars.
However, remember that Crime Zoom is an investigation game. Beyond the score, what matters is your understanding of the plot of the investigation. So if you identify the culprit and the weapon of the crime, you are able to have them arrested and you win the game. If you do not, then whatever your score, you have an innocent person arrested.