Scotland Yard

Overview

Scotland Yard is a classic asymmetric pursuit board game published by Ravensburger (1983), winner of the 1983 Spiel des Jahres. One player takes the role of Mister X, a fugitive moving secretly through London, while the remaining players control detectives trying to catch him. Mister X records his moves in a travel log, revealing only the type of transportation used but not his destination. The detectives must deduce Mister X’s location by analyzing his transportation choices and coordinating their movements. Mister X periodically surfaces, revealing his actual position. The game lasts up to 22-24 rounds.

Components

• 1 Game board (map of London with numbered stations)
• 6 Playing pieces (1 transparent for Mister X, 5 colored for detectives)
• 29 Start cards (determining initial positions)
• Transportation tickets: 57 Taxi (yellow), 45 Bus (green), 23 Underground (red)
• 5 Black tickets (Mister X only, usable as any transportation)
• 2 Double-move tickets (Mister X only)
• 5 Detective ticket boards
• 1 Travel log with visor (for Mister X)
• 2 Bobby rings (for fewer-player games)

Setup

• Mister X receives: transparent playing piece, travel log with visor, 5 black tickets, 2 double-move tickets.
• Each Detective receives: colored piece, ticket board with 4 underground tickets, 8 bus tickets, 11 taxi tickets.
• Bobbies (used when fewer than 4 detectives): Require no tickets and are moved by the detective players.
• Shuffle start cards into separate Mister X and Detective piles. Draw to determine starting positions (Mister X’s starting position is kept secret).

Turn Structure

The game lasts up to 22-24 rounds (depending on edition). Each round:

1. Mister X moves first: Choose a transportation type (taxi, bus, underground, or black ticket). Move to a connected station via the chosen route. Record the move secretly in the travel log, placing the used ticket face-up.
2. Detectives move: In any order, each detective plays one transportation ticket and moves to a connected station. Detectives discard used tickets.
3. Bobbies move (if applicable): Moved by detective players, no ticket required.

Actions

Transportation Types

• Taxi (yellow lines): Connect adjacent stations. Most common connections.
• Bus (green/turquoise lines): Connect stations along bus routes. Fewer but longer-range connections.
• Underground (red lines): Connect distant stations via the tube network. Fewest connections but covers the most distance.
• Ferry (river crossings): Accessible only via black tickets.

Mister X’s Special Abilities

• Hidden Movement: Mister X moves secretly, revealing only the ticket type used (not the destination).
• Black Tickets (5 total): Can be used as any transportation type AND hide which type was actually used. Also enable ferry routes.
• Double-Move Tickets (2 total): Allow Mister X to take two consecutive moves before detectives act. Two transportation tickets must be spent.

Surfacing

Mister X must reveal his exact location after specific moves (rounds 3, 8, 13, 18, and 24 in standard rules). He temporarily places his pawn on the board so detectives can see his position, then resumes hidden movement.

Detective Coordination

• Detectives should communicate and coordinate their movements.
• All detectives share information openly.
• Detectives cannot occupy the same station as another detective.

Scoring / Victory Conditions

Detectives win: If any detective (or Bobby) lands on the same station as Mister X at any point during the game.

Mister X wins: If Mister X survives all 22-24 rounds without being caught, OR if all detectives are unable to move (exhausted all tickets of needed types).

Special Rules & Edge Cases

• Occupied Stations: No two playing pieces may occupy the same station (except when a detective catches Mister X).
• Ticket Exhaustion: If a detective runs out of a specific ticket type, they cannot use that transportation. If they cannot move at all, they are stuck.
• Mister X’s Ticket Supply: Mister X receives all discarded detective tickets, giving him an essentially unlimited supply.
• Bobby Rules: Bobbies are used in games with fewer than 4 detective players. They move without tickets and are controlled collectively by the detective team.
• Deduction: Detectives should track which ticket types Mister X uses between surfacing events to narrow down possible locations.
• 2-Player Variant: One player controls Mister X, the other controls all detectives and Bobbies.

Player Reference

Transportation	Ticket Color	Range
Taxi	Yellow	Short (adjacent stations)
Bus	Green	Medium (bus routes)
Underground	Red	Long (tube network)
Black Ticket	Black	Any type + ferries

Mister X Special	Quantity	Effect
Black Tickets	5	Any transport, hides type
Double-Move	2	Two moves before detectives act
Surfacing	Rounds 3, 8, 13, 18, 24	Must reveal position

Detectives win: Land on Mister X’s station. Mister X wins: Survive all rounds.