For the holidays, Larousse editions have released three new board games, all in the escape game genre: the League of Adventurers Strikes Back, 2084: Big Brother is still watching YOU and Arsène Lupine against Sherlock Holmes. It is the latter that I asked to test, being a big fan of the universe created by Maurice Leblanc (and having approached almost all the novels released, not to mention the Netflix series). And here, they have the right to use the real name of the English detective, and not his alter ego, Herlock Sholmès, created by Maurice Leblanc following complaints from Conan Doyle.
Here you are in April 1909, in Arsène Lupin's hiding place, in the hollow of the Aiguille d'Étretat... Your team of gentlemen is preparing a series of large-scale burglaries: the theft of the blue diamond, the treasure of the abbeys and the fortune of the kings of Spain.
The box contains eight character cards, with of course Arsène Lupine and Sherlock Holmes, but also Doctor Watson and burglars. Boards serve as support for the three different missions, each of which is also accompanied by ten ENIGMA cards (for a total of thirty ENIGMA cards). A decoder is used to transcribe the solutions into the Greek alphabet used for the chest combinations. And a booklet explains the rules, describes the missions, and gives clues and solutions. The set is designed with great care, some elements are printed on cardboard, for a product that should be kept over time. An old effect is given to stick to the time of Arsène Lupin, at the beginning of the 1900s.
The game is being prepared with the distribution of characters, each player having to make sure not to reveal their identity to the others. Arsène Lupine and the burglars have as main goal to decode the enigmas, while Sherlock Holmes (and if necessary Doctor Watson) will do their best to prevent the burglary. Then you have to choose the mission. No matter which one is chosen, the concept is the same, you have to decipher ten enigmas, represented on the cards, in 60 minutes maximum, whether it is because of the arrival of the Countess of Cagliostro, Inspector Ganimard or curious guests. The puzzles are each time linked to the game aid: the plan of the castle for the theft of the blue diamond, a page from a newspaper (the Gazette d'Étretat) for the fortune of the kings of Spagnol and a medieval parchment for the treasury of the abbeys.
Once a potential correct answer has been found, in the form of four numbers, two players are chosen. One uses the decoder to convert these numbers into Greek letters, in order to be able to describe these letters to a second player who uses a website, accessible from any computer or mobile phone connected to the Internet. Of course, this is where the whole strategy comes into play, between those who will want to give the correct answer and those who will pretend to be wrong... Unless it is a real mistake in all good faith? In order for the victory to be total, the roles of each other must be discovered before the end of the game. Burglars or police, only one side will emerge victorious!
The level is relatively high, and a group synergy is really to be expected to have fun and avoid any frustration. You need at least three players anyway, and I recommend at least five, although I think the game really makes sense with the recommended maximum of eight players. Of course, nothing prevents then to adjust the rules to the age of the participants, by removing for example the various roles, and by being limited to the resolution of the enigmas, all in only one camp. Even then, I advise playing with teenagers, or rather adults. Replayability is possible, although limited once the puzzles are understood. Although it will be difficult for someone without an excellent memory to remember every exact solution, finding the correct answer once the logic is figured out doesn't take long. At the same time, it is then that the whole strategy game can take its place, so the game does not become uninteresting!
Arsène Lupine against Sherlock Holmes, like the other two boxes, is offered by Larousse editions, at the recommended price of €19,90, which seems to me to be quite reasonable insofar as the box contains a total of three missions to accomplish, for at least three 60-minute games... and probably a lot more if you don't have as much gray matter as Arsène Lupin!
Amazon - 19,99€
