Introduction
In the game, we play the role of a young, ambitious reporter working for the daily “Les Nouvelles de Paris”, Victor Lavel, who is a relative of famous seekers of criminal mysteries. Therefore, we are particularly interested in murders, kidnappings and spectacular thefts. The search for new puzzles is made easier by the fact that our uncle is the police commissioner (we learn about the latest events almost immediately). And most importantly, we can unravel the mystery of the crime! The authors of the described game Kronika Zbrodni: 1900 , which is part of the Millennium series , are David Cicurel and Wojciech Grajkowski. The suggested age of the player is 12+ (this is important information due to the drastic scenes), the number of people – any or solo, and the game time is 60-90 minutes.
The board is the most important
As already mentioned, the hero we play as works in the editorial office of the daily “Les Nouvelles de Paris”. This is where our story begins – here we get an order from the boss and meet Charlotte Hibou (who runs a puzzles corner in the newspaper), who is always willing to help us – she will answer questions, among others for puzzle cards, items related to the investigation or he will suggest the best solution. During the game, we will discover new cards: locations, characters, material evidence categories, special objects and puzzles. When solving puzzles, however, we must remember about the passing time – the application does not allow us to forget about the boss waiting for our report. What’s more, we have to consistently collect points in order to have as many points as possible at the end of the game. Using hints from Charlotte, by exceeding time and misinterpreting the clues, we lose the chance to end the game with success. I played the scenarios in a group of four and I must admit that we liked the game together very much. However, I must admit that some threads were difficult, despite the fact that the game relies heavily on cooperation. However, I do not rule out that I will be happy to reach for the next item in this series due to the amazing atmosphere and innovative mechanics.
The contents of the box
In a medium-sized box we find thirty character cards, fifteen special objects, thirty-eight cards of the evidence category, seven double-sided location cards, twenty riddle cards, the “Redaction” location card, the evidence board and instructions. The game requires not only the above-mentioned elements of the box’s contents, but also an application on the phone, which will undoubtedly awaken real detectives in us: scanning the QR codes present on cards, allows you to talk with various characters (also interrogate them and search for clues), move in a given place and securing traces noticed in a given place. People who prefer electronic instructions can use the training scenario available in the application – it will allow them to learn the rules of the game in practice, at an easier level, and I really recommend this option to you! I have one more piece of advice – to better experience the reality of 19th-century Parisians, think about buying VR glasses (FoxGames Virtual Reality Module. Chronicles of a crime ). Mega thing! However, you can also play without this expansion pack.
The chronicles are captivating!
I have no experience with other parts of the chronicles. However, it should be emphasized that due to the specific mechanics of the game, you should not count on replayability – we only have a few scenarios, excluding the training scenario I mentioned earlier. When it comes to dynamics – it all depends on the players. If the participants of the game quickly combine facts and efficiently search for clues, the stops will not be boring. The elements related to the application may turn out to be particularly interesting, as they will undoubtedly diversify the gameplay. Finally, one good piece of advice – remember, Victor is an investigator, not a policeman. By playing it, you will not arrest the suspects, but will increase the popularity of Les Nouvelles de Paris on the market.
