Cryptid is a deduction game from Osprey Games in which players are Cryptozoologists on the trail of a mythical animal. You each have a small bit of information about where the Cryptid likes to live. Combining these clues will leave only one hex on the board. Whoever identifies that hex first is the winner. During the game you’ll be trying to determine your opponents’ clues while giving nothing away about yours. Set-up For example, if one of my cubes is on a mountain space already, I might place another one of my cubes on a different mountain space to make the other players think that my clue is 'the habitat is not in the mountains'.

The one major plus point this gives the game is that it has a tiny footprint. You could play this on a train, in a pub, or maybe on the head of someone much shorter than you. It’s also a much shorter game than its forebear, which is good, because if you enjoy the game, you’re going to need to play it lots of times. Box of illusions Players may receive negative as well as positive clues, so some clues may include the phrase 'the habitat is not here'. Each turn we may point to a hex on the map and ask our rivals if the creature could be there. They respond by placing a cube or a disk on it, with the latter being a positive answer. Once we have a good idea of where the creature might be, we may attempt to find it. We place a disk on a space and if everyone does the same, we win.To question, place the pawn on a space on the map, and ask any other player 'Could the creature be here?' As well as the mechanics being very different, the theme of scientist v cryptid is also not present in the game at all. Whilst my partner and I were enjoying the puzzle, it didn’t really feel like one person was trying to catch the other. I honestly think Urban Legends would be better off as an abstract strategy game, rather than having a theme applied to it so loosely. I don’t want people to read this thinking it is a negative review. There is a lot to enjoy about the game. If you’re a fan of puzzle games, this will very much be up your street. My biggest issue comes down to it being sold as a deduction game.

dating sim is aro/ace friendly! not into dates? no problem! time to develop some friendships instead, all without getting a "game over :( " ending: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. The artwork design is impeccable, with the translucent plastic markers and gorgeously illustrated action cards adding a layer of metropolitan mystery to the game, hats off to Kwanchai Moriya for their phenomenal work on bringing the hunt through the misty city to life. Cryptid is a unique deduction game of honest misdirection in which players must try to uncover information about their opponent's clues while throwing them off the scent of their own. Each player holds one piece of evidence to help them find the creature, and on their turn they can try to gain more information from their opponents. Be warned; give too much away and your opponents might beat you to the mysterious animal and claim the glory for themselves!

It’s these little things–again, literally–that make it difficult. Solid or dotted lines on various hexes denote whether they’re natural habitats for cougars or bears (oh my!) only they’re somewhat difficult to see (even for non-color-blind players) against the colors of the terrain itself. Also, you will find yourself constantly referencing your player aid to see which is which and wondering why, in a game that sells itself so visually, they couldn’t have used paw prints or silhouettes. In a similar vein there are various structures placed around the map as landmarks (mountains and abandoned sheds in several different colors each) but these also are abstract, being represented by wooden triangles and cylinders. There’s certainly more to this game of outwitting and arranging cubes than meets the eye, though you may begrudge the amount of time it takes to truly appreciate itThe clever bit is that however your board is set up, there will only be one possible space where your animal could live. Your goal is to find it before anyone else – to do that, you’re going to have to ask some questions. If they placed a cube, you must now also 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. You win the game by searching, which involves asking all players about one space. In turn, they will place either a cube or a disc. If every player places a disc you have found the Cryptid and are the winner. If anyone places a cube, the search stops and you must now place a cube elsewhere. So, search with care.