From: Fantasy Flight Games
Reviewed by: Ron McClung
Inkognito the Card Game is a 2003 card game from Fantasy Flight Games.
In Inkognito the Card Game, each player is assigned the role of one of four secret agents who are paired off into partners. They are Colonel Bubble, Agent X, Madame Zsa Zsa, or Lord Fiddlebottom. There is also a secret safe combination that must be found – four code numbers, one of which each player has. The object of the game is to (1) deduce who the other players are by arranging meetings with them to share tidbits of information and (2) piece together the combination in proper order. The players may also meet up with “the Ambassador” to gain valuable knowledge about the other spies. The first player to deduce the identities of the other agents, meet up with their partner, and derive the combination wins the game.
From the back cover : “It is Carnival in Venice, and you are seeking your partner, one of three other world famous secret agents.”
Play begins by assigning identities. The ideal play is a 4-player game. However, there are special rules for 3- and 5-player games. I’ll be reviewing the basic 4-player game, but it is important to know that the game can be adjusted for both 3 and 5. Each player has a set of location tiles, identity cards and code cards. They also have a deduction sheet and a privacy screen. In the end of set up, the player has two secret pieces of information – his identity and the number he carries with him. Along with knowing his own identity, he also knows the name of his partner. Each agent is partnered up with another. The challenge is determining which one of the players is your partner.
The game flows in turns and there are 4 steps to each turn. First the players choose a location and this represents where their agent identity is. The Ambassador (a non-player character in the 4-player game) also chooses a location. If two agents (and only two) or if the Ambassador and an agent pull the same location, then they must meet and we move into the next step – Investigation.
From the back cover : “Your mission is to make contact with that agent and trade information that will allow the two of you to break into a safe containing the last known whereabouts of a mysterious figure known only as “the Grand Old Man.” But beware, for another team of agents has been sent to Venice as well, to steal the information before you, and one mistake could cost you your life.”
In the Investigation stage, either two agents or an agent and the Ambassador meet. In the case of two agents, the two must show two cards – one that is true and one that is false. The Ambassador on the other hand, can force an agent to reveal one card that is true.
The final two steps are simple – the players mark their deduction sheets noting the cards they were shown and then a new turn begins. (The last step is not really a step at all, it just marks the end of the turn.)
Winning the game, a player must piece together the four numbers and then meet with your partner, whom you have identified. The tiles must be drawn for one to meet with his partner in the same location. Once the location is drawn, you and your partner may declare each other as such and announce your guess at the combination.
In conclusion, this game reminds me of a more adult version of Clue, the board game. It has its interesting twists and turns as well as its own “poker” element – bluffing and how well you can read those bluffs. It is a fairly fast-playing game and keeps my interest for that time. I can not say it would be my first choice to play off my shelf, but for something different, I might play it.
For more details on Fantasy Flight Games and their 2003 Card game “Inkognito the Card Game” check them out at their website http://www.fantasyflightgames.com, and at all of your local game stores.
Inkognito the Card Game
From: Fantasy Flight Games
Type of Game: Card game
Game Design by: Leo Colovini, Alex Randolph
Developed by: Kevin Wilson
strong>Cover Art by: Cmille Kuo, Studio Tapiro-Venezia
Number of Pages: 3 page rule book, in 4 languages
Game Components Included: 20 identity cards, 20 code cards, 25 location tiles, 1 deduction worksheet pad, 4 privacy screens, rules
Number of Players: 2-4
Player Ages: 11+
Play Time: 30+ minutes
ISBN: 158994108
Website: www.fantasyflightgames.com
Reviewed by: Ron McClung