Scotland Yard - Tips & Strategies

The first goal for the detectives is to make it to the nearest underground in time for Mr. X’s first reveal. This will allow the detectives to quickly jump on the quickest route to get closer to Mr. X’s location.

Be careful not to get bunched up! Only one detective can be on a stop at a time. This is especially important when everyone is taking undergrounds because there are a limited number of stops. It might help to have 1 or two detectives stay back a little bit while the others initially swoop in on Mr. X’s location. Then later the others can catch up. This will also help prevent Mr. X from slipping by and escaping if there is some back-up.

Spend your tickets wisely! You only have a limited number of each. Don’t use all of your undergrounds in the beginning, because what if Mr. X takes an underground late game? You’ll be left in the dust. Same goes for taxis. What if Mr. X is hanging out in some of the taxi-only neighborhoods? You’ll be useless to your teammates final pursuit. Try to diversify your moves and keep your tickets relatively equal throughout the game.

Think of Mr. X’s future moves. Don’t blindly follow in his footsteps because he will always be one-step ahead of you! Try to cut-off potential escape routes by taking a bus ahead of Mr. X. Especially protect underground stops if you think Mr. X is heading towards one, they could be the difference between a win and a lose!

If you completely lose where Mr. X goes begin to plan for his next reveal. Spread out and seek underground stations again so that once he reveals himself you can begin the chase again!

Finally, be a good sport to Mr. X. It can be tense for him having all of his friends ganging up on him all of a sudden. If you are getting close to catching him don’t ask “DID WE CATCH YA?” after every move. This is very annoying. Also don’t follow Mr. X’s eyes when he’s making his play. Newer versions of the game provide a ratty hat to try to prevent it, but don’t do it anyway. Chat amongst yourselves instead. Of course if you and your friends are usually super competitive and are okay taunting one another, then by all means make life miserable! You can make an already stressful position even more stressful.

My group can be competitive. Even when playing just for fun, we are going to take advantage of non-verbal clues if they are there to find. Mr. X has a lot to think about, and it is difficult to control eye movement when concentrating. I suggest adding a pair of inexpensive sunglasses to your game box. As long as your fugitive can keep from turning his head in obvious manners, this will help him conceal his eyes while planning escape routes.

Thematically, this also adds another layer of mystery to the game. Traditional glasses will create an espionage or caper feel. You also may want to experiment with other types to enhance different moods. Sporty or wraparound styles could steer the theme in a futuristic direction. A humorous pair can lighten the mood and even add some hilarity to the event.