Sherlook
Sherlook Rulebook
Table of Contents
Table of Contents
Components
Inside the box of Sherlook you will find:
- 40 almost identical photos
- 10 evidence markers, numbered 1 to 10
- 30 scoring tokens
The photos: every pair of photos drawn at random is almost identical, but the back shows, in small circles numbered 1 to 10, the differences.
Example: between these two cards there are 5 differences.
Setup
Punch the 30 scoring tokens out of their sheet and divide them into three piles, each made of 10 tokens of the same color. The green tokens, which are larger than the others, are kept with the illustrated side face down. The others are kept with the illustrated side face up.
Place the 10 evidence markers on the table within reach of all players.
Shuffle the 40 photos of the crime scene thoroughly and form a deck, with the colored side face up, to be kept within reach.
How to Play
At the start of each round, turn over the first token of the pile of the larger green tokens. Each green token shows how the two photos are to be laid out on the table.
Take the first photo of the deck and put it at the bottom of the deck (the French version: discard it), then take the next two photos and place them on the table in the position shown on the green token.
From this moment, all players simultaneously start to look at the two photos, trying to count the differences between them. At any moment, each player may take one of the markers, choosing the one available with the value equal to the differences they have found. This choice is binding and cannot be changed. (French version adds: players try to identify the number of differences secretly, and the marker taken is one of those still available.)
The round continues until only one player is left without a marker; that player has at most 3 more seconds to make their choice. (French version adds: failing which, that player cannot take part in the scoring.)
When the last player has also made their choice, each player will be holding a marker with a different value and you can move on to the final check.
Scoring a Round
The two photos are turned to their black-and-white side, where all the differences are shown. Whoever came close to the total number of differences scores as follows:
- Whoever (if anyone) chose the marker closest above the correct number (closest by excess) gains 1 point and takes a red token.
- Whoever (if anyone) chose the marker closest below the correct number (closest by defect) gains a yellow token worth 2 points.
- Whoever (if anyone) chose the marker with the exact number of differences takes a green token worth 3 points and, in addition, takes any yellow or red token not earned by any of the other players.
If nobody identified the exact number of differences, the green token is discarded.
Example: There are 7 differences. Adriana bet on 4, Barbara on 5, Carla on 7 and Davide on 8. Davide is the one who comes closest from above, so he takes the red token (1 point). Barbara is the one who comes closest from below and takes the yellow one (2 points); Carla guessed the exact number and takes the green token (3 points).
If Davide had chosen marker 6, the red token would not have been awarded, and would have gone by right to Carla, who would thus have totalled 4 points.
(The French version's example, with the players Adrianne 4, Barbara 5, Stephanie 7 and Jack 8, is the same up to this point; it then says that if Jack had taken marker 6 instead of 8, he would have taken the yellow token instead of Barbara, and the red token would go to Stephanie. The French rules also say that if nobody is eligible for a red or yellow token, it goes to the player who won the green token, and that unassigned tokens are returned to the box when nobody found the exact number.)
At this point, put back the markers used by the players, discard the two photos used in the round just concluded, draw a new green token and begin a new round.
End of the Game
The game ends after 10 rounds. At the end, each player adds up the value of the tokens they have gained:
- Green tokens = 3 points
- Yellow tokens = 2 points
- Red tokens = 1 point
The player with the highest score wins. In case of a tie, the player with the most green tokens wins, and in case of a further tie an extra round is played in which only the tied players take part.