Chronicles of Crime

Players cooperate to investigate crimes by visiting locations, interviewing characters, and examining items with the help of a companion app. Physical components (board, location and character cards, item tokens) are scanned in the app to unlock scenario-specific clues and narrative branches, and the app tracks time and leads as the case unfolds. Sessions typically last about an hour to an hour and a half; scenarios can be linked into larger story arcs and new cases are delivered through app updates. An optional phone-based VR mode lets players inspect virtual scenes for additional evidence.

Players: 1–4 best 2
Playing time: 60–90 min
Age: 12+
Complexity: 2.1 / 5

7.3 on Ludoya from $31.99Murder / MysteryDeductionCooperative GameStorytellingScenario / Mission / Campaign Game

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Full stats in Ludoya

727
Plays logged: 419
Players: 1h 14m
Average play: 230
In collections: 14
On wishlists

7.3/10

from 111 Ludoya reviews

By player count

1 playerGood · 1 vote
2 playersGood · 1 vote
3 playersBest · 1 vote
4 playersGood · 1 vote

Mohasz7.4
Fantastic! I heard Consulting Detective is a deeper experience, but the ease of play in this game is just unbeatable. It’s like a point & click game with maybe less depth, but the group thinking aspect and the novelty of the whole system makes up for it. Very engaging, I’ve thoroughly enjoyed every single case we’ve played (even the one that we messed up). Update: after the novelty wears off, it’s not as exciting anymore. The stories are usually not very clever, and the gameplay can be frustrating. Still a good game, just not amazing. 9.0 -> 7.4 + Noir
No plays logged
Roggie9.0
13 year old daughter would rate this a 10. She has been less of a gamer lately, but, seems to really love this game.
No plays logged
SirKappy6.7
Fun 3/5 · Interaction 4/5 · Appeal 3/5 · Uniqueness 4/5 · Replayability 2/5 · Accessibility 5/5
First impressions · 1 play

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Rules questions

Answered from the rulebook by Ludoya's rules assistant.

Do we reveal all the Location, Character, and Special Item cards at the start?

No. Keep them face down until the app explicitly names them. Newly revealed Locations go into an available Location slot, Characters go at the indicated Location—or in an Unlocated Character slot if their whereabouts are unknown—and Special Items go directly onto the Evidence Board (p. 5).

What exactly do I scan when I want to move, question someone, or pick up a clue?

Scan a Location card to travel, a Character card to interrogate them, an Evidence Category card to pick up a spotted clue, or a Forensic Contact card to call that contact. Wait until the QR code turns green, then tap to scan (p. 4).

How does searching a crime scene work, and how long do we get?

Press “SEARCH THE SCENE,” then search in 3D with the glasses or use panoramic view. You have 40 seconds to describe what you see while other players find matching Evidence Category cards; afterward, scan the selected cards to check whether they are clues (p. 6).

How much time does each action take?

Scanning an item, interrogating a suspect, or observing a scene advances in-game time by 5 minutes, while traveling between locations advances it by 20 minutes. Faster solutions earn better scores, and time may also change events in some scenarios (p. 7).

How do we finish the case?

Return to the Home location and press “SOLVE THE CASE” when you believe you have solved the mystery. The app will ask questions, and you answer by scanning the cards that support your deductions; your score depends on those answers (p. 7).