Detective - A Modern Crime Boardgame

Portal Games Announces Detective: A Modern Crime Boardgame

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Published: March 14, 2017 10:30 AM

Portal Games, a Poland-based publisher of tabletop titles such as Neuroshima Hex and Tides of Madness, has announced their first release for 2018 titled Detective: A Modern Crime Boardgame according to a press release.

Detective: A Modern Crime Boardgame is a game where 1-4 players take on the role of investigators working for a government agency known as ANTERES. As agents of ANTERES, the players must solve a crime using all of the tools they have available to them including an investigation manual, an online ANTERES database, and any other reference materials they can find online. This isn't an in-game mechanic, mind - they're encouraged to use real-world knowledge resources to corroborate the stories of witnesses and learn more about the facts surrounding a crime, whatever they may be. (Of course, hunting down a walkthrough for a scenario would probably be against the spirit of the game.)

The ANTERES online database will be accessible to players completely for free and provide data about suspects, witnesses, and documentation from in-game law enforcement reports and legal proceedings. The usage of real-world data to enhance the investigation process is being billed as a deliberate breach of the Fourth Wall; for example, players could check the date and time of a real world event to see if the witness was telling the truth about being present there.

Detective: A Modern Crime Boardgame will ship with 5 scenarios, an investigation manual, game components, and access to the online ANTERES database sometime in 2018. The price of the game and the final list of what will be included in the box will be coming at a later date. In the meantime, keep an eye on Portal Games' website for more information about their upcoming game and current products, and consider checking out an interview we did with Portal Games at Gen Con 2016.

What do you think of Portal Games' published titles? Do you have a particular favorite? Does Detective: A Modern Crime Boardgame seem like the sort of game you and your tabletop group would enjoy? Let us know in the comments below!

A photograph of TechRaptor Senior Writer Robert N. Adams.
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One of my earliest memories is playing Super Mario Bros. on the Nintendo Entertainment System. I've had a controller in my hand since I was 4 and I… More about Robert N