I work for Jim Gordon
In the Batman: Everyone Lies board game , we move to Gotham City and play as one of the four available detectives. We can choose Catwoman, Harvey Bullock, Vicki Vale or Warren Spacey. We are recruited to the team by commissioner Jim Gordon himself, and our task will be to solve a criminal case in which the most famous criminals known from the story of the Bat-Man are involved. On the way, we will be able to visit places such as Arkham and even Bat-cave, and on our way meet the Dark Knight himself!
Preparation
The game can be played by 2 to 4 players. The box informs us that they should be over the age of 14, but if you have a bright teenager at home who loves board games, even being a bit younger, he should be able to do it. The game itself can take up to 3 hours. There will be a cooperative mode waiting for us, but in a few moments we will also have to act on our own. To play, you will need a large table on which you can lay out all the elements. Due to the fact that they are made of cardboard, they are not suitable for playing outdoors, as they can be blown away by the wind.
An internet connection will also be necessary, as we will visit the game’s website several times to report or receive new tips. However, you do not need to use a computer for this, a mobile phone is more than enough. In addition, be prepared to read and chat at the table a lot. Building the right climate will make you have a fantastic time!
Execution
The publisher of the Batman: Everyone Lies board game is Portal Games. I must admit that the developers really tried hard to make the game look like this. Most importantly, they acquired the copyright from DC and Warner Bros., thanks to which we have access to all the most famous heroes and places known from Gotham City. Of course, it is about both names and appearance. Anyway, it can be seen on the packaging, which will attract all fans of the Dark Knight with the logo and the cape.
Inside you will find a 7-page manual, a city map with the most important locations marked, a board and numerous tokens, on which we can see, among others Joker. There is also an airship-shaped tag. What will certainly catch your attention quickly are four envelopes in which you will find the files of a given case. It is also a very nice gadget that adds atmosphere to the game and one of the few things that you can complain about. The envelopes are sealed and need to be opened very carefully so as not to damage them. Otherwise, they won’t look very nice the next time you play. However, this is a small detail that should not be too distracting after all.
The biggest words of appreciation, however, are the cards. The box contains the Scenes, Clues and Personal Goals decks, respectively. Each of them has been decorated with unique graphics and texts. Some of them will create an appropriate plot for us, introducing a bit of the atmosphere straight from film noir, and others we can arrange a typical comic-book scene. Thanks to this, none of the players should complain about anything.
Rules
The board game in question is based on the system known from the game Detective . So if you had the opportunity to play the mentioned title, you can sit down to Batman almost immediately. Though of course you should still take a look at the rules as there are a few changes here. For the less initiated, I am explaining what is going on.
As already mentioned, the manual contains only seven pages, which may suggest that it is not complicated. And it is true. To simplify our task even more, at the beginning we have prepared mission # 00, which is a prologue and an introduction to further gameplay. This is where we will understand the mechanics and be able to fully enjoy the game. At the beginning, of course, you need to unfold the board and choose the hero you want to play. It is worth recalling here that all players are a team and together try to complete the task for Gordon, although on the way each of us will also get Personal Goals and must do them on our own, sometimes even at the expense of the team. However, we will have to make most of the decisions together.
Before starting the adventure, you must log into playdetective.online and select the appropriate Chapter. Then, from the appropriate envelope, we read the Introduction, execute the Commands, get acquainted with the history of our character and we can start. Importantly, we can keep our personal goals a secret, reveal to others or reveal only a few details and lie a little. Will it pay off for us? It will already be revealed during the game. Anyway, during the game we will have to collect leads and visit new locations. All of this will result in moving along the Investigation track. You have to be especially careful with him because he will decide if you can solve the case already. The sooner you do it, the better for you. Finally, you will be able to check your scores to see how well you did!
Climate
Batman: Everyone liesis a game that may bring to mind a bit of an RPG. We meet at the table where we will play the role of a given character, discuss subsequent moves and strategies, make decisions, and sometimes even cheat each other. So a large part of the game is not about rolling dice, but talking. The cards themselves also require us to speak. So someone who likes to be a storyteller and put you in the mood is sure to come in handy. People with experience as Game Masters will prove to be invaluable here. However, this is only part of the success. It is best if all players sit down to play with the right attitude and a desire to empathize with the people of Gotham. This will help you move to this city even more and diversify the gameplay. The website, thanks to which you will feel as if you were actually reporting to Commissioner Gordon. Dark Knight fans will be delighted at this point. Of course, you can also just read the next text and draw cards. You will still be satisfied when you solve the mystery and win, but it will not be the same.
Summary
Batman: Everyone Lies is a great board game that will please game fans, the DC hero, noir movie lovers, and even RPG players will find something for themselves. We have fairly simple rules that can be explained quickly and a lot of thinking at the table. In addition, an intrigue awaits us, which we can also weave ourselves. Beautiful workmanship should also attract new users. Replayability may be a problem. If we manage to solve a puzzle, it will probably take time for us to forget it enough to be able to sit down to it again. However, it seems that the creators will solve this problem by issuing new missions in the form of mission envelopes. It would certainly be interesting to receive such a parcel by post. Needless to say, it’s time to save Gotham City!
