Skillmatics Board Game - Catch The Crook, Family Friendly Thrilling Mystery Game for Game Nights, Strategy, Clues, Crime, Cold Cases, Gifts for Kids, Boys, Girls Ages 10 and Up, 2-5 Players

This is a fun mystery game which reminds me a little of Cluedo in how you play. The game comes with all the pieces you need to play, clue cards, suspect cards, dice, action cards and a sheets of papers for writing down your deductions for working out who the suspects of a particular case are. There's even some pencils included so you can start playing this right away along with easy to understand instuctions and the solutions to the cases in an envelope too. Playing the game doesn't take long to set up but understanding exactly what you are doing took us a little time as the instructions just started saying you can write about the two suspects whose cards you've been dealt with right away and we were a bit confused, however once we got our heads around the fact you need to do more than just this and start playing some of the clue cards after rolling the dice, it got interesting and easy to play. There are twenty cases to play and you choose a different case to play each time, having to work out from the clues you are given who the culprit is behind whatever crime they've commited. The illustrations of the suspects really helps this and I love the way they all look, however due to there being only twenty cases, I can't help but feel that if you keep playing this game over and over you will go through all 20 cases really quickly and then might remember the suspects that were guilty of the cases when you want to play again. It says on the box you can replay constantly, but if you remember the case solution then it's not really fun to replay them, and it doesn't have the same random replayability that cluedo has. However it's still a very good and fun game to play for a first time round, a good mix of Cluedo and Guess Who, and if you can forget who was guilty in what case, then it does have a fun replayability to it too. :)

This game is a bit like Cluedo on Steroids and is well worth the money. It's something which all the Family can play and requires you to think about what you are doing. The only criticism is that some of the clues can require just a little bit too much thought to solve. However, don't let that put you off from buying this. Overall, it's a good game and worth the investment.

Catch the Crook is an engaging and strategic board game designed for players aged 8 and above. The game revolves around solving mysteries and predicting the crook’s next move, making it both fun and intellectually stimulating for kids, teens, and adults. The gameplay encourages teamwork and critical thinking, making it a great choice for family game nights. The components are well-made, with vibrant illustrations and clear instructions that make it easy to set up and play. Each round is unique, keeping the game fresh and replayable. The balance of strategy and luck ensures that players of all skill levels can enjoy the experience. Skillmatics has done an excellent job creating a game that is both entertaining and educational. It’s a thoughtful gift for any occasion and a worthwhile investment for households that enjoy interactive and thought-provoking games. Thank you for reading my honest review, I hope you found it helpful! :)

This game arrived in a really eye catching box that hints to the crime solving game inside. The box contains cards for all the characters, clue cards, pencils and "score" pads, dice and instructions. Each clue card tells you which cases it's relevant to, so you don't need to use all of these for each game. Play relies on your deciphering both written and visual clues, whilst the dice direct the gameplay and your choices. The artwork on the character cards is great, visually stunning and full of detail. The game has 20 mysteries to solve, so there is a finite amount of gameplay. How quickly you work through every case will depend on how quickly you play/how much you enjoy playing. At £16.99, at time of review, I still think it's great value - it's less than £1 for each mystery after all and a great way of reducing screen time for the whole family!

As I often enjoy playing board games with my friends as a way of socialising, I decided to order this Catch the Crook game to try out. The general concept is that you act as detectives trying to identify the suspect. All potential suspects are shown on cards, and you need to look for discrepancies in their stories, hobbies, and other details. Once you feel confident in your choice, you can reveal the solution card to see if you were correct. The game can be played with 2–5 players, which works perfectly for my usual game nights. While it isn’t overly complex, the layout reminded me a little of games like Guess Who?, where you narrow down possibilities based on clues and questioning, except here the goal is to identify the person who committed the crime. Overall, this game was a great success during our game night and provided an enjoyable, light-hearted detective experience.

Item being reviewed: Skillmatics Board Game - Catch The Crook, Family Friendly Thrilling Mystery Game for Game Nights, Strategy, Clues, Crime, Cold Cases, Gifts for Kids, Boys, Girls Ages 10 and Up, 2-5 Players. Price at time of order / review: £16.99. We thought this was a fun and silly game. It really would be best with at least a minimum of three players. I was happy there was more than one play-through available. This is the sort of thing you can play, have fun with, then leave on the shelf for years because you'll forget the details and be able to play it all over again. It's really similar to some rather famous games out there. If you like those, you should like this one too. Construction of the pieces is ok, as long as they're handled gently. This is not for rough-housing with.

I’m an absolute sucker for mystery games and this one did not disappoint! It’s a perfect mix of mystery, strategy, and good old-fashioned family fun. The concept is simple enough to dive straight in—predicting and outsmarting your opponents to catch the crook. But don’t let that fool you; there’s plenty of depth to keep everyone on their toes. The gameplay is fast-paced, and it’s one of those rare gems that’s as much fun for adults as it is for kids. We had a blast trying to outwit each other! Whether you’re playing with kids, teens, or adults, this game has something for everyone. If you’re into clever, engaging games that get the whole family involved, Catch The Crook is a must-have. My only niggle is that after you have played through this you probably won't want to do it again because you will know the answers but that is the norm for these types of games. Overall, I love this! It’s a perfect family game for Christmas. Highly recommended for game lovers like me!!

Great family game that can be played in large groups by lots of different aged family members. Fans of cluedo would love this, it's a fun mystery deduction game where you need to think critically and logically to work out who committed the crime in each of the 20 scenarios. Difficulty ranges across the cases and younger players may struggle with some of the tougher ones. Components are great quality and nice cardstock used. The print quality on them is great too. A fun play though with each case taking 20-45 mins to complete so you have 8+ hours of fun here. Sadly once played through there's not much point playing again, but it's easy to reset and pass on to others to enjoy.

Fun to play

This is a fun game I play with my grandson. It’s not only fun, but it’s well made too. Worth it.

This is such a great addition to family game night! My nine-year-old and six-year-old caught on quickly to the rules. They ask to play it all of the time!

I play it with both my daughters and granddaughters (9 & 10). We love it so much. it really is a lot of fun. The only issue we have is that when someone makes a guess, and you have to view the answer sheet, you can see all the other answers. So then someone can't play because they have seen answers. They should have had them covered so you only see one mystery answer at a time. I would have given 5 stars if the did not have that serious flaw.

This game has become a family favorite. It’s easy to play and if you make an effort not to memorize who the suspect is for each case, you can play over and over again. It’s better in my opinion not to read the case scenario because that way it’s easier to forget who was guilty for each scenario. We’ve played it dozens of times. My husband says he likes it even more than the game Clue. (I enjoy both games equally)