Crime Zoom: His Last Card
Crime Zoom: His Last Card 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 discover the investigation.
It is now up to you to investigate.
Turn Order
There is no turn order. The players talk among themselves to decide what 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, at any time, pick up a card 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 don't learn any more than that.
You may, at any time, turn a card over to reveal its clues.
Here, the tutorial teaches you that this is the lead deck. Lead 3 is now available.
In an investigation, a piece of paper might reveal an address, a receipt might lead to an analysis, and a key might open a safe. It is up to you to choose when, and which, leads to follow.
Following a Lead
The cards that were not set up during setup form the lead deck.
Each lead is numbered in the upper left corner.
You are not allowed to 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 logo and text specifying the corresponding action appear at the bottom of that card.
In this example, the numbered logo 3 authorizes you to draw lead 3, to consult the first card of the 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 required to do so the moment a lead becomes available.
There are 2 types of leads:
- an information card
- a secondary scene
Conditional Lead
Some leads are only accessible on condition that you have a particular 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 safe.
In this example, you have indeed found the KEY. Lead 6, open the safe, is therefore available.
Information
Information cards all have 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 in the investigation.
Secondary Scene
A secondary scene works like the main scene. The backs of the cards form an illustration split across several cards.
As a secondary scene, the tutorial invites you to discover the premises of the publisher Aurora.
The first card of a secondary scene tells you which other cards make it up.
Here, after drawing card 4, you are invited to take card 5 to complete the frieze.
As with the main scene, you may look at each card more closely and turn them over to reveal their information.
To make the cards easier to read, the action will sometimes be 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 need to identify the motive and find the murder weapon. Depending on the case, it may also be useful to know where to arrest the culprit.
Players who want to get straight to the point can stop there. Cards that were not consulted give a points bonus. So the fewer cards you turn over, the better your score — provided, however, that you have correctly answered the first questions.
While some investigation games encourage guesswork, Crime Zoom requires concrete evidence. Some questions therefore ask you to refer to specific card numbers.
In addition to the main questions, bonus questions reward more curious players who cannot stop at merely discovering the culprit. This lets you show how far you have understood the plot of the story, which makes up for points lost by turning over more cards.
Depending on the kind of player you are, decide when to stop. Then take the rules booklet to the questions page to answer them. Only check the answers once you have answered all the questions.
Reading the questions, if you feel you have missed part of the story, it is acceptable to go back to the investigation. However, the questions may reveal clues — avoid reading them before you have investigated thoroughly enough.
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 not to forget to note the number of cards remaining.
To let the other players investigate properly, this first player is asked not to take part in the discussions anymore. Likewise, to avoid giving away information, it is recommended that the answers only be read once all players have decided to stop investigating.
The other players keep playing normally until they can solve the investigation. Once all 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 remaining batch of 5 cards earns a star.
You get a score by adding up these stars.
However, do not forget 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 murder weapon, you are able to have them arrested and you win the game. And if that is not the case, whatever your score, you have an innocent person arrested.
Credits
Author Stéphane Anquetil
Graphic Designers Christopher Matt Sandra Tessières
Publisher Aurora