Osprey Games Cryptid

Product Information

Example:'The habitat is not within two spaces of bear territory.' This clue says where the habitat cannot be. It cannot be any space which is within two spaces of any bear territory, which would all be marked with cubes. It can be any space which is not within two spaces of bear territory, which would be marked with discs.

If you make someone place a cube on your turn, you must also place one of your cubes somewhere on the board. This applies whether you questioned or searched. Example:'The habitat is on forest or swamp.' This player knows the habitat is on a forest space or a swamp space, so would place discs on those spaces. The player knows the habitat cannot be on any other terrain type, so would place cubes on spaces with any other terrain type.For example, if your clue is 'within one space of a forest', that includes every forest space, and every space which touches a forest space. More robust than you would expect from a “simple” deduction game, Cryptid offers the chance to brave the uncharted (okay, so they’re kind of charted) wilderness in search of new species most would say are fictitious. Over time and with some careful observation, you’ll be able to hazard a guess at the information they might hold, and hone your own search accordingly. That also introduces the possibility of misleading your opponents, asking questions about terrain you already know can’t possibly be the correct type; a stone-cold poker face can be a considerable advantage. As soon as one player places a cube, everyone stops. No one else makes a declaration, and you must now place a cube on a different space which cannot be the habitat according to your clue. The turn now passes to the player on your left. We sit, trying to pull together the strands of what we're given. And all of sudden, I see why knowing the clue types are important. It allows you to reverse engineer the patterns in clue placement. Then you can guess what other player's clues are and put them together to find the habitat hex. I am fearful, wondering what my questions and answers might reveal about my own clue, and whether anyone has guessed it. But I also know, now that despite its simplicity, this is no gateway or family game. The logic chains are too long and cumbersome for that.

Players may receive negative as well as positive clues, so some clues may include the phrase 'the habitat is not here'. Cryptid is a logical deduction game where players take on the role of cryptozoologists in search of a hidden creature. Every player has exactly one clue that gives information about where the creature lives. When all of the clues are combined, they lead to a single, solitary spot on the map that indicates where the creature can be found. After that, everyone gets a coloured booklet and a set of pieces. On the reverse of the map card, there's a series of colours and numbers in a cross-reference. You find the number in your colour, open your booklet and look it up. Mine says "The habitat is within three spaces of a blue structure". We're cryptozoologists, hunting for a mysterious monster and, at the start of the game, this is the only information I have about where it lives. Deduction games are some of my most favorite styles to play and Cryptid is a fantastic addition to the genre. I absolutely love that it is so simple. There are no cards, dice, or variable player objectives to worry about. You are simply trying to deduce where the creature is through pure logic.

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As the cubes and discs in various colours start to cover the board tension rises. It’s a race to be the first to solve the puzzle but by jumping the gun you might end up giving too much away and handing victory to someone else! It was also very clear how easily the game can swing in and out of your favour. There have been several times where I’ve been in a position close to victory, only to have the wrong cards in my hand (or even occasionally no cards at all). Most deduction games require at least a party of three, but with Cryptid you can play with two players by setting the game up for four. You and your opponent will have two colors and two clues each.