What it is
Cryptid is a deduction game for three to five players, designed by Hal Duncan and Ruth Veevers. Somewhere on a map of hexes lies the lair of a mysterious creature, and everyone is racing to find it first.
Each player has a secret clue, a short sentence that isn’t enough on its own. The lair is in the only hex that satisfies all the clues together, so the real work is reconstructing everyone else’s clues while keeping your own in mind.
The game moves forward through questions. You point at a hex and ask an opponent whether the lair could be there, and they answer by placing a disc for yes or a cube for no, in front of everyone. But every question gives something of yours away too, because when you get a no you have to place a cube as well. When you think you’ve found it you go searching, and if everyone’s clues say yes, the creature is yours.
How it plays
It’s tough to get your head around at first and it takes a lot of attention. The clues are short sentences, but they have to be read perfectly, which is why I’d recommend playing it in your own language even if your English is good. As with every deduction game since Cluedo, if you only look at your own clue you won’t get far.
The length is a surprise. With three players a game is over in about ten minutes, far less than the box says, and with four or five it’s around half an hour.
At our table
Misread your own clue and the game falls apart for everyone. It’s happened to us more than once, and it’ll happen again!
How long does Cryptid take?
The box says 30–50 minutes. At our table: 10 minutes at three, 30 minutes at four, 25 minutes at five.
The box
Video tutorial
Show the video tutorials 1 in Italian
Tutorial in italiano di Cryptid Cercatore di Perle ·YouTube
What’s the deduction game you can’t stand?
Some people love them, others are checking their phone after ten minutes.
