Inkognito: The Card Game Review by zombiemonkey
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(Author's Note: Please excuse the rather wordy review - I found it almost impossible to talk about the mechanics of Inkognito without actually explaining them in detail. Despite despising reviews that essentially run through the entire rulebook in summary form, I felt that it was necessary in this case. And now i'm adding to the already ridiculous length of this article, so I'll stop. Thanks again for stopping by - and now, on with the show! - Jason)
Venice is a gorgeous city, an almost anachronistic place in an otherwise modern, industrialised country. Set within this dark, romanticised environment, Inkognito: The Card Game (also known as Mini Inkognito) is a more compact version of the late-80s board game – which was titled, fairly obviously, Inkognito.
Players take the roles of spies during carnival time in Venice, each disguised and walking through the city in search of their partner, as well as the Ambassador and the code to a safe containing the whereabouts of The Grand Old Man. To win the game, players must discover which other player is their partner (this never changes, as the four agents in the game - Lord Fiddlebottom, Madame Zsa Zsa, Colonel Bubble and Agent X - are always partnered in exactly the same way according to the rules), as well as finding out the correct sequence of numbers to open the safe. Finally, the partnered players must meet alone and announce that they have discovered who is who and then attempt to open the safe using the combination they have discovered.
Gameplay is fast, simple and (importantly!) easy to learn and teach. Each player is dealt a black identity card as well as a black code number card (both face down). Each player takes a screen in the colour of their choice to hide their deduction sheet, plus 4 identity cards and four code cards in their chosen colour. In addition, each player has a collection of location tiles in their own colour, with the black location tiles going in the centre of the table to represent the Ambassador.
A starting player is randomly chosen and this player chooses a location tile, then places it face up on the table. The next player chooses a location, and so on until all four players have chosen a location. Then the top tile of the Ambassador's stack is turned over to show which location he is currently visiting. Investigation then occurs: if two players meet in the same location with no one else present, they can investigate each other. If a single player meets alone with the Ambassador, that player can 'ask the Ambassador' for information.
Investigation is handled as follows: when two players meet, they must show each other two cards. One card must be true information according to their true identity or code number, and one must be false. The information they receive is then noted on their deduction sheets (privately behind their screen so that the information they have been shown remains secret). If the same two players meet again, they are forbidden to show the exact same pair of cards. When meeting alone with the Ambassador, the player can ask to see one black card belonging to another player, which means that they receive information on one other player that is guaranteed to be true.
After all investigation has taken place, another location tile is chosen and play continues as before. Once all locations have been visited, the Ambassador's tiles are shuffled and placed face down again and the starting player changes (play passes to the player on the first player's left). Play then continues as before.
When a player is confident that they have deduced who their partner is and the correct sequence of numbers to open the safe (just as the partnered characters are always the same, the characters are listed in a particular order which reveals the correct sequence needed to open the safe), they must arrange a meeting alone with their partner and announce that a) the other player is their partner and b) they will attempt to open the safe. They immediately reveal the safe combination and all players turn over their cards to check that the information is correct.
If it is correct, those two players win the game. If it is incorrect, they lose to the other team of agents. As the game is so short (it typically takes between 10 and 20 minutes to play a full game), it is advised to play several rounds and keep score to have an overall winner at the end.
The graphic design of Inkognito: The Card Game is gorgeous. I have the Fantasy Flight edition (there is a foreign edition available, known as 'Mini Inkognito'), which is well designed with great looking characters and beautifully evocative (and scarily accurate!) location tile illustrations. The privacy screens are a little garishly coloured, especially when taking into consideration the beautifully painted illustrations on the cards - but this is somewhat necessary as it is important that each player has an easily identifiable colour.
The game works perfectly with four players, and is easy to both teach and play several rounds in less than an hour. It is a fun game of deduction and bluff with a superb atmosphere, and thanks to the fast paced nature of play and simple mechanics it never outstays its welcome.
Once players become acquainted with the basic techniques required to deduce the correct combination and partnerships, however, it can become pretty easy, leaving novice players at a definite disadvantage. Also, it is easy to engineer meetings with other players (although the Ambassador can scupper this on occasion), which means that certain players can take control and discover all of the information they need in a short space of time.
Possibly the biggest problem with the game lies with the deduction system, and the methods used to track which pieces of true/false information that players have shown to each other. Often an inexperienced player, through no real fault of their own, will accidentally show the same two cards or two true pieces of information, which can totally ‘break’ the game, leading to a player being absolutely certain that they have the correct combination when in fact they are nowhere near it. There is no real solution to this, except to continually remind new players of what they are supposed to be showing. It’s frustrating for everyone when something like this happens, but incredibly tough to spot until it’s too late.
Inkognito: The Card Game is primarily designed to be played by four, but variations are included in the box for two, three and five players - none of these work quite as well as the four player game (with the two player variation being far too random and far less reliant on the skill of the players), but all are workable. Inkognito: The Card Game is an excellent choice for budding detectives looking for an opportunity to flex those deduction skills.
Summary
Presentation: A nicely compact box which is the same size as all of Fantasy Flight’s ‘Silver Line’ games, containing gorgeously illustrated cards and tiles. Nicely evocative of the strange, olde worlde atmosphere of Venice. 9.3/10
Clarity of Rules: Some tough to digest concepts – as you can see by the summary in the review – are handled well by the clear and detailed rules. 9.2/10
Game Length: Often very short, some players are invariably left bewildered at the speed of an accurate deduction: games rarely last longer than 10 minutes. 9.1/10
Value: Essentially just cards and a notepad – at the RRP (£14.99) it is very overpriced, but it is a game that can be replayed many times as long as players don’t become too acquainted with the ‘solution’, which can lead to issues with the longevity. 8.3/10
Overall: A nicely dark and atmospheric game of intrigue and deduction, free from the dice rolling banality of Cluedo. A great game for a slightly more mature group with an interest in more cerebral fare: perfect for Sudoku addicts! 8.2/10 (not an average)
(Author's Note: Please excuse the rather wordy review - I found it almost impossible to talk about the mechanics of Inkognito without actually explaining them in detail. Despite despising reviews that essentially run through the entire rulebook in summary form, I felt that it was necessary in this case. And now i'm adding to the already ridiculous length of this article, so I'll stop. Thanks again for stopping by - and now, on with the show! - Jason)
Venice is a gorgeous city, an almost anachronistic place in an otherwise modern, industrialised country. Set within this dark, romanticised environment, Inkognito: The Card Game (also known as Mini Inkognito) is a more compact version of the late-80s board game – which was titled, fairly obviously, Inkognito.
Players take the roles of spies during carnival time in Venice, each disguised and walking through the city in search of their partner, as well as the Ambassador and the code to a safe containing the whereabouts of The Grand Old Man. To win the game, players must discover which other player is their partner (this never changes, as the four agents in the game - Lord Fiddlebottom, Madame Zsa Zsa, Colonel Bubble and Agent X - are always partnered in exactly the same way according to the rules), as well as finding out the correct sequence of numbers to open the safe. Finally, the partnered players must meet alone and announce that they have discovered who is who and then attempt to open the safe using the combination they have discovered.
Gameplay is fast, simple and (importantly!) easy to learn and teach. Each player is dealt a black identity card as well as a black code number card (both face down). Each player takes a screen in the colour of their choice to hide their deduction sheet, plus 4 identity cards and four code cards in their chosen colour. In addition, each player has a collection of location tiles in their own colour, with the black location tiles going in the centre of the table to represent the Ambassador.
A starting player is randomly chosen and this player chooses a location tile, then places it face up on the table. The next player chooses a location, and so on until all four players have chosen a location. Then the top tile of the Ambassador's stack is turned over to show which location he is currently visiting. Investigation then occurs: if two players meet in the same location with no one else present, they can investigate each other. If a single player meets alone with the Ambassador, that player can 'ask the Ambassador' for information.
Investigation is handled as follows: when two players meet, they must show each other two cards. One card must be true information according to their true identity or code number, and one must be false. The information they receive is then noted on their deduction sheets (privately behind their screen so that the information they have been shown remains secret). If the same two players meet again, they are forbidden to show the exact same pair of cards. When meeting alone with the Ambassador, the player can ask to see one black card belonging to another player, which means that they receive information on one other player that is guaranteed to be true.
After all investigation has taken place, another location tile is chosen and play continues as before. Once all locations have been visited, the Ambassador's tiles are shuffled and placed face down again and the starting player changes (play passes to the player on the first player's left). Play then continues as before.
When a player is confident that they have deduced who their partner is and the correct sequence of numbers to open the safe (just as the partnered characters are always the same, the characters are listed in a particular order which reveals the correct sequence needed to open the safe), they must arrange a meeting alone with their partner and announce that a) the other player is their partner and b) they will attempt to open the safe. They immediately reveal the safe combination and all players turn over their cards to check that the information is correct.
If it is correct, those two players win the game. If it is incorrect, they lose to the other team of agents. As the game is so short (it typically takes between 10 and 20 minutes to play a full game), it is advised to play several rounds and keep score to have an overall winner at the end.
The graphic design of Inkognito: The Card Game is gorgeous. I have the Fantasy Flight edition (there is a foreign edition available, known as 'Mini Inkognito'), which is well designed with great looking characters and beautifully evocative (and scarily accurate!) location tile illustrations. The privacy screens are a little garishly coloured, especially when taking into consideration the beautifully painted illustrations on the cards - but this is somewhat necessary as it is important that each player has an easily identifiable colour.
The game works perfectly with four players, and is easy to both teach and play several rounds in less than an hour. It is a fun game of deduction and bluff with a superb atmosphere, and thanks to the fast paced nature of play and simple mechanics it never outstays its welcome.
Once players become acquainted with the basic techniques required to deduce the correct combination and partnerships, however, it can become pretty easy, leaving novice players at a definite disadvantage. Also, it is easy to engineer meetings with other players (although the Ambassador can scupper this on occasion), which means that certain players can take control and discover all of the information they need in a short space of time.
Possibly the biggest problem with the game lies with the deduction system, and the methods used to track which pieces of true/false information that players have shown to each other. Often an inexperienced player, through no real fault of their own, will accidentally show the same two cards or two true pieces of information, which can totally ‘break’ the game, leading to a player being absolutely certain that they have the correct combination when in fact they are nowhere near it. There is no real solution to this, except to continually remind new players of what they are supposed to be showing. It’s frustrating for everyone when something like this happens, but incredibly tough to spot until it’s too late.
Inkognito: The Card Game is primarily designed to be played by four, but variations are included in the box for two, three and five players - none of these work quite as well as the four player game (with the two player variation being far too random and far less reliant on the skill of the players), but all are workable. Inkognito: The Card Game is an excellent choice for budding detectives looking for an opportunity to flex those deduction skills.
Summary
Presentation: A nicely compact box which is the same size as all of Fantasy Flight’s ‘Silver Line’ games, containing gorgeously illustrated cards and tiles. Nicely evocative of the strange, olde worlde atmosphere of Venice. 9.3/10
Clarity of Rules: Some tough to digest concepts – as you can see by the summary in the review – are handled well by the clear and detailed rules. 9.2/10
Game Length: Often very short, some players are invariably left bewildered at the speed of an accurate deduction: games rarely last longer than 10 minutes. 9.1/10
Value: Essentially just cards and a notepad – at the RRP (£14.99) it is very overpriced, but it is a game that can be replayed many times as long as players don’t become too acquainted with the ‘solution’, which can lead to issues with the longevity. 8.3/10
Overall: A nicely dark and atmospheric game of intrigue and deduction, free from the dice rolling banality of Cluedo. A great game for a slightly more mature group with an interest in more cerebral fare: perfect for Sudoku addicts! 8.2/10 (not an average)
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