Is there a way to set specific docks to hotkeys? Would be very helpful

this was an interesting game, sort of like a reverse mystery. It really makes you think about each scenario.

3:45:20 SPOILERS below Darn. I did the search action first in my game as well and failed the luck check. Was looking forward to seeing what the other options were. Will have to remember to do it the other way around when I'm starting my next threat.

Thanks for these! About to start my first session tomorrow and now got a few prints to do before setting it up on the table.

Your intensity problem is fixed at 5 players. More players actually make it harder and the 'quiet' cards get used up fast. By that point the Alien is spr8nting around each turn.

I actually like the solitaire mechanics of this game, even when playing with multiple players, because you are allowed to delay the decision of discarding for most cards, and it does reduce the dependency on other players making the right decision.

I quite liked the game system, where you get to select parts of a story to try to piece things together. It was quite simplistic and small, but it was good for the size. The vintage/occult setting helped, a modern setting would probably not be as appealing.

Not so much a choose your own adventure, but more like a multiple choice quiz. You answer a series of questions that have no effect on each other and then total up your score at the end. There was often very little on which to base our answers. No branching paths or different endings. If the end goal is to tell a story, something like Mythos Tales does it better and with less fussing about. The choices we had to make often felt both arbitrary and inconsequential. The mechanical elements of the game, while interesting, add little to the experience. The art and writing are well done, and it was fun, but the juice wasn’t worth the squeeze.

Explanation about the "draw card 7" bug, from Dave Neale: "It is an error and you should not be told to draw card 7. In the prototype card 7 was the “location unknown” for the guards, but Osprey decided to add that to the encounter map instead. They did add to the map, but it seems they forgot to remove the instruction to draw the card from the text."

We played Mission 2 yesterday. Pretty outstanding experience, though possibly not for everyone. If you love the theme though, I think you are going to love this game. I'm incredibly impressed by the game design at work here. --- We did decide after mission 2 that we had some quick advice for those playing the game: There is some replayability here, and I think *eventually* playing through each mission twice makes a lot of sense. But the most enjoyment will be had from playing a campaign through the three missions, where your progress carries through. We replayed mission 1 before starting mission 2, which was fine, but it led to a tiny bit of mixed emotions when we started mission 2. I think the most satisfaction will come from deciding, BEFORE you start mission 2, that you are going to follow through to the end of the 3 mission campaign without "rewinding" and replaying mission 2. So in my mind there are two reasonable choices: Play through missions 1,2,3 and not allow yourself to replay any. Or: Play mission 1 and if things go terribly wrong, consider it practice, and replay it before moving on to mission 2 then 3. But I think before you start mission 2 you will get the most enjoyment and feel the most weight of your decisions, if you are committed to seeing the campaign through without having in the back of your mind the idea that you might "undo" a bad mission. -jesse

34:37 you move over a fire spot consuming 1AP, but in this case you have to use 2AP. Captain can "give" only 2 move to another firefighter, not 3.

Great to know you like these long games. My only suggestion then is not to speak with Jessica from Murder She Wrote as she solves each case within 45 minutes....no idea how she does it lmao

The impromptu interview with the game creator at the end was nice. Should be done more often!

Do the Guardians walk right over and ignore the pit tiles?

Generally, we start by reading or at least scanning the whole paper just after reading the introduction to a case.

I learnt from Paleo: always work through one step at a time. Always concentrate on everything step by step and then move on. You played some very confused games and made mistakes here and there with the cards and rewards. Sometimes it was like this: Jesse: ‘Okay, I'll do this action. I have to hand this in and...’ ‘Hey wait, look what a great card I've got here and I really need this right now.’ Jesse: ‘Hm. Have I really done my action right now? Wait, I'd better drop something again’ The ‘old shaman’ is a bit of a ruse. The card says ‘I show the berries that I (the shaman) really like’. (He doesn't tell you which berries are good, just which ones he finds very tasty ... says the creator ^^ ) The important(!) thing about the card: it gives a painting. And you have completely forgotten that. (@35:00) But thank you for the lovely little paleo game. It was very interesting to watch others play a round :)

Link to the discord where we discuss the Dear Holmes cases: discord.com/channels/761786109226909717/1166519885686386689

Help! Copied dll to C:\Program Files\obs-studio\bin\64bit folder. Restarted OBS but Docksets does not show anywhere. What am I missing?

This looks so simple and yet so needed - amazing - thank you. Is there any options to trigger a dock set change, e.g. via hotkeys or other shortcut? [EDIT]: I have just seen this is available in v1.3 - thank you 🙂 I am thinking about my streaming workflow and how I could automate the dock set based on if I am in pre-flight, live or post broadcast for example.

My first holmes letter. Interesting

57:36 sus

54:08 me too suspicious of him

Wound in back of head? 43:21

Catching the replay

This is my next project. I already have the game. I love Sherlock Holmes having completed decades ago all 4 Consulting Detective releases in the 1980's and one in the 1990's. Just finished reading "Sherlock Holmes --- The Novel Collection" and now am eager to work on a new series of investigations. Your review whetted my appetite even more.

One more thing-I just roll a die for luck, odd = jinx, even = lucky. That is about the same odds as the cards but much faster, and I believe you always return those cards (though maybe I just have not yet discovered means to change your odds of lucky/jinxed)

Great suggestions! My only tweak would be to sort in groups of 50 instead, since the dividers are every 50 also, but that is very minor. Great video!

This was interesting to see play out. We probably could have completed Objective 2 last time, felt like we did better first playthrough but still was only a partial success on Objective 1. The only way I think I can see to get full success on both objectives is to have more Agents die - you can only afford to lose 2 Marquis for a full success so it's a balance between getting a good result on the first mission objectives and harming your chances in later missions by losing agents here. Saving time and gaining mines probably wasn't worth the effort because the extra German troops outweighed the 1 red cube killed by the mines. Overall getting there with the lowest level of alert (which we didn't quite manage first time) seems like it would give the greatest chance of coming out of that last battle with a full success on both objectives due to reducing the German forces / potentially giving them a more basic plan. Fun game, and some fun / interesting branches that do seem to impact the last battle quite well - but ultimately your enjoyment & replay value all comes down to how much you enjoy / are engaged by the battle mechanics & wanting to get a "perfect score". I probably won't be able to join any other live playthroughs, but I am interested in seeing how you get on.

I lost interest. Next time guys just review and play the damn board game.

I watched every minute of Part 2, and enjoyed the way you conducted the investigation immensely. The overview you gave of Part 1 in the 1st 30 minutes was terrific. Even though the case is relatively easy to solve with way too much information simply given away for no reason (e.g. Georgina's last name and the name on the gravestone), it was still a thoroughly enjoyable experience for me. It would have been even more fun actually playing this adventure, rather than just watching it all unfold in your play-through. However, the audience reactions and diverse decisions definitely did ramp up the excitement. Nevertheless, I'm determined to play all the other titles in this Masters of Crime series in solo mode (because I do not have anyone else to play with). As usual I'll play very slowly to increase my enjoyment as well my deduction capabilities. After watching Part 2, I pre-ordered the remaining 2 games in this series in addition to the one I'd pre-ordered a few days ago. I don't think I'll regret this expenditure of time and money. What pleased me the most about Vendettas is the part of the game that usually is a major source of disappointment and frustration ---- namely, the way the ending is handled. In fact, it was quite unique and satisfying. The star system was fine and served its purpose (although some stars were given away for no apparent reason) as well as the interpretation of the stars which was well handled. But the real gem of this case (as you noted) were the multiple false endings and the subtleties associated with the tightrope between role-playing and your own moral compass. It was indeed handled cleverly with a soft deft touch, and I hope this approach continues in the remaining games of the series. Even playing in solo format, I'm relatively confident I will enjoy this aspect of the case relating to moral psychological decision-making whilst staying fully aware of my criminal environment. I welcome this challenge. You seemed to wish that an equal # of stars should have been given to both options in the Finale question, and I do understand the explanation you gave for this viewpoint. However, I for one would have been disappointed if this were the case since the rationale for one of the choices was clearly superior for the sake of realism. You ended up on the right side of this question for the right reasons. Bravo on taking the tough "executive decision" to go against the 7-6 vote of your audience members because of your strong conviction that it was the correct choice to make. I applaud you for this because to do otherwise would be to lose control of the investigation at a key point in time and drift to the whims of the audience who are not as heavily invested in the game as you are. Throughout Part 1 and Part 2, you showed lots of willingness to take other people's opinions into account on lesser matters and your playthroughs always feel more democratic rather than dictatorial, with the emphasis on group participation. On the Finale question, I do agree with you that it was good to have a 2nd choice for those individuals who valued the opportunity to create their own desired ending (even at the expense of a couple of stars that didn't mean too much in the grand scheme of things). That option brought the "choose your own adventure" aspect of this hybrid game to a satisfying conclusion for everyone.

Is there an implication that there are (at least) three slabs visible on the World Map - if you get the right feather cards - and so the entrance becomes free if all three are visible and you have the right level of groundshiver? Has anyone located the ‘forbidden city’ on the map?

SPOILERS I liked the game the only problem I had with it was the IT e-mail talking abt the new passwords, it makes no sense from a cyber security perspective that they would give everyone the same password so we didn’t look too much into it, we kind of tried to access other accounts but it didn’t work which “proved” my theory that they wouldn’t give the same password to everyone. Unfortunately that picture had the evidence that Thomas had the medicine that killed the victim. We had to look at the hint that tells us to log into his account but I hate using hints and at that point I just took the L. Don’t know if anyone felt the same way.

Wow. Thanks so much for the incredible amount of time and effort spent on this!

Spoiler-free quick impressions: A very cinematic hybrid game combining lots of choose-your-own adventure storytelling, with careful resource management, punctuated by some involved tactical skirmishes/puzzles that are completely deterministic but very dynamic. This is a game that rewards you taking seriously the theme and choices, and is not for those looking for a fun breezy experience. We took our decisions very seriously, and I think if your group enjoys that feeling like you are making life and death decisions you will like this. There is definitely some replayability but I'm not sure how much. I definitely think most would enjoy playing each mission twice.

6 hours. Do you secretly store 5 hour energy in your basement?

Very thought-provoking review (as usual). I decided to watch this particular video review after having seen only Part 1 of your investigation. I will watch the remaining parts because I'm already engrossed in this exciting Mafia mystery. It was interesting to note that you were less than thrilled with the "rocky start" in Part 1. But after 6 hours of watching Part 1, I already pre-ordered another game in this Masters of Crime series. I already saw enough to know that I would enjoy this kind of hybrid deduction and choose your own mystery concept with some puzzle elements mixed in that didn't rise to the level of an escape room type of game. I enjoy pure deduction most of all. The choosing part of your own adventure doesn't bother me as much as losing a fair percentage of cards that you will never be able to see. I'd rather get maximum value from the game see all of the cards (or at least as many as in the Guilty: Houston 2015 case.) So if your feelings about Part 2 and 3 of this case improved dramatically, then I know I'm in for a real treat with this series of mysteries. I already shared with you in my comments on Part 1 about how thrilled I am to become the kingpin of a thriving illicit drug empire on a tropical island trying to protect my business by keeping law enforcement from snooping around. You were wondering how others would feel about the moral choices and dilemmas in this game. I for one love it. It is indeed something I haven't seen in other deduction or cold case adventures. I was particularly pleased with your comments about the clever final scoring and meaningful evaluation of one's results. This is frequently a pet peeve of mine and a major source of disappointment after spending hours and hours trying to crack a case and coming up with comprehensive solutions and analysis. Then it's a real downer to get s stock reply telling you your score is satisfactory without any useful feedback evaluating your results.

Played this last week (French version) and then checked your playthrough. I can confirm we had a blast with this game. The quality of the material is superb, probably better than anything we had seen before. I love the pace of incremental reveal of evidence, and we felt constant progression as we played, while we were intrigued by the outstanding mysteries remaining to be solved. Cruise theme was exciting and really interesting. Loved the map based puzzles on the ship. While I do not have any complains about the online material, which was also of the highest quality, I do have a small request that all the end game questions should have multiple choice answers for us to pick before providing the solution, not just the last question. And of course, solution should only be presented if we pick the right choice, otherwise a hint would be welcome.

Hi Jesse. I did something I've never done before and that is watch all 6 hours of Part 1 of this video without any intention of trying to solve this mystery myself. Usually I try to solve the case first and then watch your excellent analysis afterwards to compare and contrast our different approaches to the investigation (e.g. Suspects and Guilty: Houston 2015). However, there is method to my madness. I wanted to fully experience every aspect of this case (over several days) before making a decision as to whether I would buy any of the other 3 or 4 games in the Masters of Crime series. I've seen enough already that despite some flaws and over-reliance on "busy work" with the internet and solving codes, I am nevertheless pleased with the "meatiness' of the documents and the overall quality of the writing and the decisions/deductions that need to be made. Even before watching Part 2 (which I will definitely do), I have pre-ordered Masters of Crime: Rapture which seems quite interesting to me (being a drug kingpin on a tropical island etc). It is slated for release in the English market in Canada this Fall. The most valuable thing I learned in watching you in action was the notes you made on index cards. That seems like a much better approach than the traditional "detective's notebook" that I've used in my other cases (where you need to flip back and forth trying to find stuff you've written down).

I have the French version, and I noticed some differences: 1. We have the actual gum pack with one missing gum, not a photo. 2. The Claudia’s letter in English mentions that a “gentleman” took pity. In French, it is the governor. 3. In French, the suspect table is printed in portrait orientation and the rectangles are too small to be usable. 4. The introductory letter detailing how to play is printed on a smaller paper with game company logos clearly printed (similar to the German version), not a Houston PD stationary. So the paper is an “out of universe”item. 5. The victim is American/English instead of American/German.

A fair review, though I suspect your COVID symptoms may also have affected your enjoyment of the first session 😉 I enjoyed the whole game (apart from the map parts), although it did get more interesting once the plot elements started to fall into place. And as I mentioned on the stream, it was refreshing to play as a bit of a bad guy for once.

SPOILERS: The Colin Whyte lead, you were supposed to go to the hospital closest to Regents Park. At the hospital, he tells you where he worked. Todd and Son’s Butcher shop. The address to the butcher shop is in the Newspaper. At that location you notice bloody knuckles on the father and son, and a Snake and apple tattoo on Todd the butcher. At the shop, a woman walks in that you saw leaving the hospital when you got there. She lied saying she was at a tea shop, but she was visiting Colin at the hospital. Also, when at the Spanish Embassy, the employee saw the same homeless looking man begging outside Green Park. When you go to Green Park, you find the homeless man and he gives you very good information. Thanks for the play through!!!!

Can't wait to see you review Murder In Market Hill.

Solid game. If the man vs nature theme doesn't super appeal to you it is still worth considering picking it up because chapter 2 and 3 add in some more ethical/moral decisions. The only nitpick I have is occasionally I felt keeping stats balanced drew too much attention away from the story/flavor of the options presented. Resulted in what felt like looking at stats first, story second. Overall though I do like the stat system. Might be interesting if it was always the case when stats dropped to zero challenge cards were added. Might also be interesting to have some special cards added if a stat is maxed out. Could add a bit of a push your luck element deciding if it's worth letting at stat stay low to try and max another out.

Thanks for the review.

This is one of those reviews that is much longer than it might otherwise be, because I want to spend time talking through what makes it special from a game design perspective. I hope I don't set expectations too high for players -- I think most people will find this charming and delightful; just don't expect to get too many hours out of this game.

Watching this review after completing the game. It took me and my girl 7 hours and we enjoyed every hour. We got the answer correct and we got every thing right to the last minor detail. It is such a fun and amazing game!

Hi for me its important to feel immersed with realistic eviidence and documents. And i agree that sometimes the fake handwriting throws me off. What brand or game would you say brings the highest most realistic documents and evidence? ( not in the gimmicky Hunt A Killer style) thanks in advance 😊

Watching you play fo rmore than 3 hours and ponder your decisions - you made me very proud today! Glad you liked it.