Here's always the biggest question for gamer couple: why is it so difficult to have someone over for a game night? A board game for just two players is definitely the best and the only solution for you. Mr Jack in New York is a great quick tabletop game for everyone who enjoys playing a themed strategy game. Read on to find out how to play and what we think about the game!
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Category - Strategy
Difficulties - ★★★★☆
Players - 2 Players
Playing Time - 30 Minutes
Recommended Ages - 14+
Components
8 double-sided Character tokens in 8 different colours
8 gold Character cards
8 dark-blue Alibi cards
1 double-sided Witness card
1 game board
1 Turn marker
1 double-sided Informant token
4 double-sided Building site tiles
7 double-sided Metro entrance tiles
6 double-sided Gaslamp tiles
2 Investigation tiles
2 transatlantic Steamer tiles
Rule book
How to Win
One player takes the role of Mr Jack while the other player takes the role of the police Detective. Whoever finishes the game under certain conditions will win at the end of game! More details are in End of Game section.
Setup
Decide who will be playing the role of Mr Jack and the Detective.
Place all the required tokens, tiles and all 8 Character tokens with their suspect side face up on the game board as indicated in the Rule Book or at the back of the box.
Shuffle all 8 Character cards and 8 Alibi cards; then place them face down next to the game board.
Place the Witness card with its visible side up next to the playing board for the first round.
Put the Turn marker on the first space of the round track.
The Mr Jack player takes a look at a random Alibi card secretly and places it face down in front of him. This character will be the only one without an Alibi card and it represents Mr Jack.
How to Play
The game will be only play for a maximum of 8 rounds. 4 character cards will be picked up from the top of the pile each round. Each player will be able to take two of the character cards. When it is your turn, select the character card and move the matching character token and/or use the special ability indicated on the cards.
End of Round
When all the 4 character cards have been played, Mr Jack will have to announce whether the character token of him is now visible or invisible. The Detective will then turn the character tokens which have been exonerated the Innocent side up without changing the space they are on. No matter Mr Jack is visible or invisible, the Witness card will remain in the same status for the whole of the next round. Once all actions have been taken by both players, the next round begins. Move the turn marker a space up.
Visible
If Mr Jack is visible from the last round, he will not be able to escape from any exits or port spaces for the next whole round. The character is visible when the token is on a lit space (a space that is next to a Gaslamp tile) or it is next to another character token, unless if the other character is placed on a Park tile.
Invisible
If Mr Jack is invisible from the last round, he can try to leave the city on the following turn. The character is invisible when the token is not on a lit space and is not next to any other character, or if he is in a Park.
End of Game
The game could end in between round 2-8 under three possible conditions. Mr Jack will win the game if his token are moved to an exit or a port space, or if he has not been arrested by Detective before the eighth round ends. The Detective only wins when he moves a character token onto the same space as Mr Jack and accused him correctly. In case of incorrect accusation, Mr Jack will still win the game!
Review
Hurrican Mr Jack in New York is a fun two-player tabletop game that requires lots of strategic planning and thinking. It might be hard to keep every character token to be in the same status; but it is super fun to cover the real identity of Mr Jack! If you are looking for an exciting couple board game, this is totally the thing for you!