We all seem to have this drive to be mystified and to be the clever one to crack the case! Whether it’s a cop show or a logic game, many of us like to figure out the unsolved mystery for ourselves.
Exercise your deduction skills in this detective game for 1-4 players ages 8+ and be the quickest-thinking investigator to figure out which perpetrator used which tool on which day to sabotage which attraction at the Lucky Llama Land amusement park!
Unlike many logic games, The Key can be played by up to 4 players at a time. Each player works against the clock and each other to be the first to correctly interpret the clues and nail down the culprit. Introducing a competitive factor to this quick-thinking logic game makes it so more exciting!
Each player gets a briefcase screen and an investigation file to keep track of clues. One of the nine colored keys is selected at the beginning of the game to indicate which version is being played and is placed in the center of the table.
The 54 lab cards are spread out on the table with the color code side facing up. The lab cards are either
- SHOE PRINT CARDS that reveal something about the suspect and the crime scene,
- SHOW TICKET CARDS that reveal something about the suspect and the day of the crime, or
- SNAPSHOT CARDS that reveal something about the tool used and the crime scene.
Cards each have a point value listed on the top right corner. Cards with higher point values have more information and are potentially more helpful, but they also give you a higher score at the end of the game, and the winner is the player who solves the crime with the fewest number of clue cards and therefore the lowest score.
Cards also each have a color code – only cards with a color block that matches the color of the key chosen at the beginning of the game will have relevant information.
So how do you actually play? When the game begins, players immediately start investigation or choose cards from the center pile all at the same time. Place the card behind your screen to keep other players from gaining the information. Evaluate the information, make notes, and track the results of each clue card in your briefcase using the marker.
Players will eventually conclude, through the process of elimination, which suspect, tool, and location was at the heart of the sabotage!
As soon as a player has gathered enough information to close the case, he grabs the key in the center of the table.
Generate a number code by recording the solution number from the briefcase. This number will be based on the information in your briefcase.
As soon as all players have generated the number code, the fastest investigator finds the number code on the board and inserts the key into the solution board in the matching color space. If the color of the key matches the lock on the back, the case was solved correctly and the criminals have been apprehended and detained!
The top investigator is the player who completed the case, got the correct code, and had the lowest total number of investigative points. The player who finished first and grabbed the key gets to discard one of their lowest point value cards, giving them an advantage in the final scoring.
Congratulations to the top investigator – glory and honor await!
GAMESCHOOLING
Deductive thinking is an important math brain skill and is the main kind of thinking required in this logic game. Replace your math instruction with The Key whenever you like and still get intense, vigorous, and important math skill practice without the boring worksheets!
Thanks to HABA for this math curriculum alternative and for creating such top-notch educational family games!
