Voted #1 Game of 2018 from GeekDad.com and GameBoyGeek.com
You’ve studied the footage, connected the dots, and gathered what meagre evidence you could. You’re close--soon the whole world will know the truth behind the Cryptid. A group of like-minded cryptozoologists have come together to finally uncover the elusive creature, but the glory of discovery is too rich to share. Without giving away some of what you know you will never succeed in locating the beast, but reveal too much and your name will be long forgotten!
Cryptid is a unique deduction game of honest misdirection in which players must try to uncover information about their opponent’s clues while throwing them off the scent of their own. Each player holds one piece of evidence to help them find the creature, and on their turn they can try to gain more information from their opponents. Be warned; give too much away and your opponents might beat you to the mysterious animal and claim the glory for themselves!
The game includes a modular board, five clue books, and a deck of setup cards with hundreds of possible setups across two difficulty levels. It is also supported by an entirely optional digital companion, allowing for faster game setup and a near-infinite range of puzzles.
Description
Number of players: 3-5
Ages: 10+
Time: 30-50 minutes
Components: 5 player booklets, 6 board pieces, 60 cards, tokens & counters
Reviews
"... just a fantastic design, one that packs a lot of wallop into this fairly small box. Therefore it gets a Seal of Excellence from me.... If you're looking for something a little different and fresh feeling Cryptid is going to be for you." - Dice Tower
"Spoiler Alert! This has just become my FAVORITE DEDUCTION GAME of ALL TIME!" - Game Boy Geek
"[Cryptid] bends your brain. ... It's insanely fun." - Boards Alive
"...a beautifully elegant deduction game." - Man vs. Meeple
"The board is colorful and clean, and the total lack of text make it attractive on the table. Combine this with chunky wooden components that are easy to pick up and you have a flashy and functional game." - Nerd Much
"I fell in love with this game pretty quickly. I thought it was awesome." - Ding & Dent
"…by the third game, we were up to speed and the intriguing depth of Cryptid became apparent. We all had great fun, and even after back-to-back plays we wanted another crack at the elusive whatever-we-were-hunting-for." - ICv2
"There's nothing else really like it. This is going to stay on my shelf. I really enjoyed it." - Rolling Dice & Taking Names
"I’ve played games that were based on deduction, but this one has a really unique feel to it… just like trying to discover a unique creature, Cryptid feels like discovering a new style of game." - GeekDad
"I do like deduction games and this one seems right up my alley." - MeepleGamers
"Cryptid earns its current hype as a well-designed, well-produced game. It’s pure in what it does, and it still offers two things that any good board game should offer: tough decisions and the opportunity to have great moments with the other players." - Sprites & Dice
"There’s no dice rolling, no sword swinging and no monsters to fight – just some sweet sweet logic, sneaky questioning and deduction." - Daily Worker Placement
"...if you like games that give you a puzzle and asks who can solve it first, and you’re willing to get your hands dirty and do some heavy-lifting, well, Cryptid just might be the new Mastermind." - Meeple Mountain
"If you are an analytic [person] you are going to love this game.... This a great gateway game for groups or people who aren't into board games." - theMCGuiRE review
"I love deductions games and this one is fantastic." - The Board Game Geek Show
"This game is awesome at deduction. I absolutely loved playing it." - Draft Mechanic
"The first word that comes to mind for this game to me is "elegant." It's the most simple deduction game I think I've ever played and it's some of the most satisfying. (Man vs Meeple Approved)" - Man vs Meeple
"If you like doing logic deduction puzzles, you'll really enjoy this game." - Nersi Games
"I love deductions games and this one is fantastic." - BoardGameGeek Show
"It's just amazing!" - Phil's Picks
"This is the perfect gift game for families and enthusiast gamers alike!" - Man vs Meeple
"This is a really cool puzzle game.... Shantay, it stays!" - Gaymer James
"If you like deduction [I] can't recommend this game enough. Super cool." - Edo's Game Reviews
"Let's say...you want to do is do some deduction. To sit down and solve some puzzles. Then Cryptid is for you." - Dice Tower
"The puzzle nature and engagement is really clever." - Dice Tower
"There are so many fascinating things about this game and the replayability is off the charts on this one." - Dice Tower
"I was really blown away by the way the game works. The way that 3, 4, or 5 clues can add up on a given map layout to pinpoint a single location is simply mind-boggling, and we spent a good amount of time just geeking out over brilliance of the design itself." - GeekDad
"Deduction meets strategy in this unique competition between players posing as cryptozoologists. You and your opponents each have a single piece of information about where to identify an elusive creature. Can you figure out their clue before they ferret out yours? Glory can only be had by one!" - GeekDad
"This game is awesome at deduction. I absolutely loved playing it." - Draft Mechanic
"Though it’s a challenge to teach to new players initially, [Cryptid] is worth working through. Figuring out the habitat location is so satisfying and it’s a joy to see other people figure this game out. Continuing Osprey’s streak of excellence, Cryptid is 100% worth picking up." - Geeks Under Grace