Die Codeknacker (2006)

About this game

Players are detectives racing to catch the thief! Detectives move around the outside of the puzzle board, the interior of the board is made up of randomly assorted tiles with pictures of diamonds, Euros and bags of loot scattered around.(or numbers, depending on which you decide to play) Normally, detectives roll and move to catch up with the thief, but when the magnifying glass is rolled, the thief moves one space and a card is turned over to reveal a sequence of 5 pictures. The timer is flipped and detectives hunt to see who can find the longest trail of pictures. Points are awarded for sequences of 3, 4 and 5, with each detective getting to move as many spaces as was the sequence he found. Game ends when a detective catches up to or passes the thief.

Does it fit your group?

• Group size. Works with 2 to 4.
• Rules load. At 1.4/5 this is a light game — explain it in a few minutes, good for a table that has not played much.
• Age. The publisher suggests 6 and up. That rates the rules rather than the artwork, so judge the box yourself for younger players.